Better Get a Lawyer

Last updated
"Better Get a Lawyer"
Better Get a Lawyer by The Cruel Sea.jpg
Single by The Cruel Sea
from the album Three Legged Dog
ReleasedNovember 1994
Genre Rock
Length3:02
Label Red Eye
Songwriter(s)
  • Jon Wayne
  • Jim Elliott
  • Tex Perkins
  • Dan Rumour
  • James Cruickshank
Producer(s)

Paul McKercher

  • The Cruel Sea
The Cruel Sea singles chronology
"Seems Twice"
(1994)
"Better Get a Lawyer"
(1994)
"Just a Man"
(1995)

"Better Get a Lawyer" is a song by Australian indie rock band The Cruel Sea. The song was released in November 1994 as the lead single from the band's fourth studio album, Three Legged Dog . The song peaked at number 29 on the ARIA Charts.

Contents

The track borrows lyrics heavily from Jon Wayne's "Texas Jailcell" giving Jon Wayne a songwriter credit.

"Better Get a Lawyer" was polled a number 14 in the Triple J Hottest 100, 1994; the fifth highest placing by an Australian artist. [1]

The CD Single contained an unlisted song after the final track that contains a spoken-word piece containing lyrics concerning the 70s TV show Charlie's Angels.

Video

The black and white music video depicts Perkins being arrested and the band being placed in a cell. Part of the intended video was censored. Gormly said, "What they didn't like was the expression on Tex's face when he was put in a headlock, so we had to put that blurred effect on his face. The thing is, you've got to do what they say because you've spent $20,000 on a film clip, which will just be a big egg if it isn't played." [2]

Track listing

  1. "Better Get a Lawyer" - 3:02
  2. "Looks Like It's Gonna Rain" - 2:07
  3. "Manic Depression" - 2:44
  4. "5,000 Dead Lawyers" - 5:53

Charts

Chart (1994/95)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [3] 29

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References

  1. "hottest 100 1994". ABC. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  2. Nicole Leedham. "Cruel censorship". Canberra Times.
  3. "The Cruel Sea – Better Get a Lawyer". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 8 January 2019.