Lyrks
Lyrks
Sign In
Cover Art

Herbert Lyrics by Madness

Can’t Touch Us Now

2016

She was further than her father
But I was really rather
Partial to the way...
To the way she took her stand
She glanced over his shoulder
Urging me to be bolder
I subtly tried to push past her old man

But he stepped sideways firmly
A prop forward from Burnley
I felt like I'd walked into a brick wall
He menacingly whispered: "Sonny Jim
I know exactly where you've been
Stop now or believe me - you will fall"

She was a preacher's daughter
A rugby playing porter
Who'd become a wealthy hotelier
Before he got the calling
That fuels his stonewalling
Now he wants to put me my derriere

Oh yeah, the wages of sin
There's a big fat bloke trying to do me in
Well I can't hide and I can't run
He's chasing me around with an old shotgun

Well it was some time later, that I overheard her pater
Holding forth and splendidly well oiled:
"Where there's muck there's brass
And I'll tell you now no lass
Of mine will be sullied or despoiled
By a rotten little Herbert
My princess made of sherbert
A lavender, my cupcake, coo ca choo"
My chance's getting slimmer
My hopes were going dimmer
So I grabbed her and I took her in the loo

She was a preacher's daughter
And I really didn't oughta
Have taken her and done what I have done
He wants to take me to the cleaners
For previous misdemeanours
And get me up the aisle with his shotgun
And take me up the aisle with his shotgun

Oh yeah, the wages of sin
There's a big fat bloke trying to do me in
Well I can't hide and I can't run
He's chasing me around with an old shotgun

Yeah, yeah, the wages of sin
There's a big fat bloke trying to do me in
Well I can't hide and I can't run
He's chasing me around with an old shotgun

He's an antique shotgun
Credits

About “Herbert” by Madness

Read the complete lyrics to "Herbert" by Madness from the album "Can’t Touch Us Now" in 2016. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop, Reggae, Ska.

"Herbert" is performed by Madness. from the album "Can’t Touch Us Now" in 2016 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Herbert", explore more songs by Madness using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Madness · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Herbert" is credited to Madness. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Herbert" appears on "Can’t Touch Us Now" in 2016.

Visit the Madness artist page at /artist/madness for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.


Lyrks
Lyrks

Your gateway to the world of music lyrics.

Product

Features


© 2026 Lyrks. All rights reserved.