10cc - DREADLOCK HOLIDAY

Llançament: Juliol de 1978

Llistes: Regne Unit: #1 (1 setmana)

“Dreadlock Holiday” és una cançó de reggae de 10cc, escrita per Eric Stewart i Graham Gouldman. Llançada com el primer senzill del seu àlbum “Bloody Tourists”, va arribar al número 1 en diverses llistes internacionals i es va convertir en el tercer número 1 i últim èxit al Top 10 del grup al Regne Unit.

La cançó narra la història d’un home blanc que es perd a Jamaica i és estafat repetidament, incloent-hi per una prostituta i una banda que li roba una medalla. Es va inspirar en una experiència real que Eric Stewart i Justin Hayward dels Moody Blues van viure mentre feien parasailing a Barbados. Mentre Stewart estava en l’aire, Hayward es va quedar en una balsa amb tres homes, un dels quals va fer broma sobre tallar-li la mà per robar-li una cadena de plata. Sentint-se incòmode, Hayward va marxar immediatament. Quan Stewart li va explicar la història a Gouldman, van decidir transformar-la en una cançó.

La lletra prové de diverses influències. La frase “Don’t you walk through my words”(No passegis per les meves paraules) ve d’una anècdota sobre un DJ de Newcastle, que va ser advertit després d’interrompre una conversa de grup. La frase més famosa, “I don’t like cricket, I love it” (No m’agrada el cricket, m’encanta), es basa en una conversa que Gouldman va tenir amb un home jamaicà que expressava apassionadament el seu amor pel cricket. En una entrevista del 2025, Gouldman va reconèixer que, tot i la bona acollida de la cançó, reformularia algunes frases si l’escrivís avui per evitar perpetuar estereotips.

“Dreadlock Holiday” va ser un gran èxit al Regne Unit, però va fracassar als Estats Units, on segueix sent relativament desconeguda. Un dels motius principals va ser la reticència de les ràdios americanes de rock a emetre cançons amb influència reggae. Gouldman es va mostrar frustrat per aquesta actitud, recordant que una emissora es va negar a reproduir-la només perquè era reggae. Va criticar aquesta mentalitat, defensant que la bona música hauria de ser apreciada independentment del seu gènere.

10cc - DREADLOCK HOLIDAY

Released: July 1978

UK: #1 ( 1 week) 

“Dreadlock Holiday” is a reggae song by 10cc, written by Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman. Released as the lead single from their 1978 album Bloody Tourists, it became a number-one hit in several countries and was the band’s third number one and final UK top 10 hit.

The song tells the story of a white man who gets lost in Jamaica and is repeatedly scammed, including by a prostitute and a gang that steals his medal. It was inspired by a real-life experience that Eric Stewart and Justin Hayward had while parasailing in Barbados. While Stewart was airborne, Hayward was left on a raft with three men, one of whom jokingly threatened to cut off his hand for a silver chain. Feeling uneasy, Hayward quickly left the raft, and Stewart later recounted the story to Graham Gouldman, leading to the creation of the song.

The lyrics were influenced by various sources. The phrase “Don’t you walk through my words” came from a story about a Newcastle DJ who was warned after interrupting a group conversation. The famous line “I don’t like cricket, I love it” was inspired by a conversation Gouldman had with a Jamaican man who passionately expressed his love for the sport. In a 2025 interview, Gouldman addressed concerns that the lyrics perpetuate Caribbean stereotypes, stating that while people from the region had reacted positively to the song, he acknowledged that he would phrase some lines differently if writing them today.

“Dreadlock Holiday” was a major hit in the UK but failed to gain traction in the US, where it remains relatively unknown. A key reason for this was the reluctance of American rock radio stations to play reggae-influenced songs. Graham Gouldman expressed frustration over this, recalling that one station outright refused to play the track simply because it was reggae. He criticized this mindset, emphasizing that good music should be played regardless of genre.