HOVERCRAFT

Grimsby 1995 → somewhere in the future

Songbook / words & recordings

Mr Tooting Brown

Hovercraft song file · /lyrics/mr-tooting-brown/

Written by Piers "Charlie Pepper" Wildman

Current recording: Doomed To Live

Wildman / Marsden / Downing / Downing · Lyrics: Wildman
From the 1996 sessions · Reconstructed 2026 · Doomed To Live, Side A

Mr Tooting Brown
You better knock this down
You paid a price to come this far
Believe me

Mr Tooting Brown
Everyone's a clown
But you believe in Rock 'n' Roll
And getting deep down
When you lose control

Since you turned on
There's a world outside your window
It's getting better all the time
And if I see you
I will prob'ly give you diamonds
Mr Tooting Brown

Mr Tooting Brown
The King has lost his crown
He took the first train
Out of town
This morning

Mr Tooting Brown
The funds ain't looking sound
But you believe in Rock 'n' Roll
And signing in blood
When you sell your soul

Since I turned on
There's a method in my madness
The madness is the method in me
And if I take my shots
And lie down like I'm s'posed to
It won't be

And when you're facing the end
Might as well shoot it again
Might as well work it on out
'Cos there ain't nothing else
To think about

And when you're facing the end
Might as well shoot it again
Might as well work it on out
'Cos there ain't nothing else
No there ain't nothing else

Since you turned on
There's a world outside your window
It's getting better all the time
And if I see you I will prob'ly give you diamonds
Mr Tooting Brown
Mr Tooting Brown
Mr Tooting Brown

About this song.

Written by
Piers "Charlie Pepper" Wildman
Work
Original

An affectionate and grotesque portrait of a faded rock ’n’ roll fantasist: absurd, self-mythologising and still somehow loved.

Source & versions

The 2026 recording was reconstructed from the original 1995 studio demo. A later solo acoustic performance by Gol led to a separate 2025 reconstruction. Recorded at Pete’s Pad, Cleethorpes, in October 1995 with teenage drummer “Dave”, who had replaced Dr Rhythm that month. His full name is unknown. Vince Weaver later deputised briefly before Daniel Downing joined in March 1996.

The evidence.

Mr Tooting Brown — Handwritten song sheet
Handwritten song sheet 1995–96

Original chord and structure sheet for Mr Tooting Brown.