"The Winker's Song (Misprint)", also known as "The Wanker's Song" and "I'm a Wanker", is a 1978

comedy song Comedy music or musical comedy is a genre of music that is comical, comedic or humorous in nature. Its history can be traced back to the first century in ancient Greece and Rome, moving forward in time to the Medieval Period, Classical and Ro ...

written and performed by British musician Doc Cox under the pseudonym of "Ivor Biggun and the Red Nosed Burglars". The song was released as a single by

Beggars Banquet Records Beggars Banquet Records is a British independent record label. Beggars Banquet started as a chain of record shops owned by Martin Mills and Nick Austin and is part of the Beggars Group of labels. History In 1977, spurred by the prevailing D ...

on 2 September 1978, reaching number 22 on the UK Singles Chart despite not being aired on the radio due to its references to

masturbation Masturbation is a form of autoeroticism in which a person Sexual stimulation, sexually stimulates their own Sex organ, genitals for sexual arousal or other sexual pleasure, usually to the point of orgasm. Stimulation may involve the use of han ...

History

Doc Cox signed with the British independent record label Beggars Banquet in 1978. "The Winker's Song" was released as a single later that year; the song's original title was "The Wanker's Song", but this was altered to "The Winker's Song (Misprint)" because of fears that shops would not stock it. The song did not receive airplay on national radio stations, and was banned by the BBC for its subject matter. However, it received popular attention after

Johnny Rotten John Joseph Lydon ( ; born 31 January 1956), also known by his former stage name Johnny Rotten, is a British-born singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. He was the lead vocalist of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols, which was ...

endorsed it as a "definite buy" in an issue of ''New Musical Express'' that he guest edited. The song entered the UK Singles Chart at number 68, remaining in the charts for twelve weeks. It peaked at number 22 on 1 October 1978, becoming Beggars Banquet's first UK Top 40 hit. It was later released on the album ''The Winker's Album (Misprint)''. Musically, "The Winker's Song" has been compared to the style of

George Formby George Formby, (born George Hoy Booth; 26 May 1904 – 6 March 1961), was an English actor, singer-songwriter and comedian who became known to a worldwide audience through his films of the 1930s and 1940s. On stage, screen and record he ...

. The song has continued to be played into modern times; it has been used to clear the dance floor at

nightclubs A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighting displays, and ...

Ibiza Ibiza (; ; ; #Names and pronunciation, see below) or Iviza is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is 150 kilometres (93 miles) from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of th ...

and

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

. In the summer of 2017, Mansfield 103.2 FM in

Mansfield Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of the Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area and the second largest settlement in Nottinghamshire (following the city ...

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated ''Notts.'') is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. The county is bordered by South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. Th ...

, was subjected to repeated broadcast signal intrusions playing the song.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Winker's Song 1978 singles Comedy songs Obscenity controversies in music Fiction about masturbation 1978 songs Beggars Banquet Records singles