Lyrics of
Thats Entertainment

Thats Entertainment was written by Paul Weller, inspired after a night of drinking and observing the everyday life scenes in England. The lyrics depict a series of mundane yet vividly detailed images of suburban life and youth culture, mixing the banal with the extraordinary in a poetic way. The song is one of The Jams best-known tracks, noted for its sharp social commentary.

A police car and a screaming siren,
Pneumatic drill and ripped up concrete,
A baby wailing, stray dog howling,
The screech of brakes and a lamp light blinking,

That's entertainment,
That's entertainment,


A smash of glass and a rumble of boots,
An electric train and a ripped up phone booth,
Paint splattered walls and the cry of a tomcat,
Lights going out and a kick in the balls,
I say

That's entertainment,
That's entertainment - Ahh!
La la la la la la

Days of speed and slow time Mondays,
Pissing down with rain on a boring Wednesday,
Watching the news, not eating your tea,
A freezing cold flat and damp on the walls,
I say

That's entertainment,
That's entertainment - Ahh!
La la la la la la

Waking up at 6am on a cool warm morning,
Opening the windows and breathing in petrol,
An amateur band rehearsing in a nearby yard,
Watching the telly and thinking 'bout your holidays,

That's entertainment,
That's entertainment - Ahh!
La la la la la la

Waking up from a bad dream and smoking cigarrettes,
Cuddling a warm girl and smelling stale perfume,
A hot summer's day and sticky black tarmac,
Feeding ducks in the park and wishing you were far away,

That's entertainment,
That's entertainment - Ahh!
La la la la la la

Two lovers kissing amongst the scream of midnight,
Two lovers missing the tranquillity of solitude,
Getting a cab and travelling on buses,
Reading graffiti 'bout slashed seat affairs,
I say

That's entertainment,
That's entertainment - Ahh!
La la la la la la
That's entertainment,
That's entertainment - Ahh!