Garden Party marked British Prog Rock band Marillion's third single, reaching number 16 in the UK charts in 1983. The song is a bitter parody of social elitism and snobbery. It was sub-titled 'The Great Cucumber Massacre'. The song is a fine example of Fish's fondness for pun and play on words.

1 Controversy
2 Lyrics
3 Time Signature
4 External links

[edit] Controversy

After the synth/guitar break in the middle of the song, a verse starts:

I'm punting
I'm beagling
I'm wining
Reclining
I'm rucking
I'm miming
(So welcome) Its a party!

However, the original lyrics read, "I'm fucking" and was replaced by "I'm miming" for the single release, and "I'm frolicking" for the album track. "Rucking" in the previous line is a rugby term; the sport is referred to earlier in the song. Fish appeared on shows such as Top of the Pops, the UK's long running chart show and, at the point where he ought to be singing the broadcastable ‘miming’ he shut his mouth and merely pointed at his lips as the words came over the PA. This was ironic of course, in two ways. The album version (which was also included on the 12" release), contained the original lyric.

[edit] Lyrics

The song refers to a debutante's coming out party held at Cambridge. The lyrics are complex and full of double and hidden meanings. "Social climbers polish ladders, wayward sons again have fathers." is fairly obvious. Others require some knowledge of Cambridge traditions to fully appreciate them. "Punting on the Cam is jolly fun" refers to a form of boating in which the boatman (traditionally a young man) propels a punt along the River Cam by using a long pole to push off the river bottom, while his companion (traditionally a young lady) reclines in the punt. "Angie chalks another Blue; Mother smiles, she did it too," uses chalk in the sense of keeping score (as in darts or billiards), while a Blue is a University of Cambridge athlete.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Time Signature

Though to the untrained ear nothing seems awkward about the time signature of the song, some sections are written in a very unusual 17/16 time signature. Slowing down the playing of the song may make this easier to notice.