The Tourist's Complaint
This song stems from an era when the foreign package holiday started to become fashionable for Britons. Ultimately the song is a myth-buster, pointing out how dream destinations are bespoiled by commercial exploitation and the inevitable Westernisation encapsulated by Coca-Cola. Moreover, it depicts the package holiday as a status symbol, exposing the tourist as seeking experiences to file in the memory like snap-shots.
The only known rendition in Leon's catalogue is by The Three City Four, although the song was covered in 1970 by folk duo, the Leesiders.
The only known rendition in Leon's catalogue is by The Three City Four, although the song was covered in 1970 by folk duo, the Leesiders.
"Holidaying abroad is an exercise in one-upmanship. I read of an American firm that markets a plaster cast for skiing holidays. You'd go to a fashionable ski resort, slip on your cast and hobble round the posh bars, attracting admiration, sympathy and free drinks, without the tedium of actually having to ski." - LR (Look Here (songbook), 1968)
Recordings
Version 1 (1965)