THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

924-The Special A.K.A. featuring Rico-Too Much Too Young.

1980- Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 1.56.Dr Hall’s family planning classes.

The Specials (see also best songs 372) were formed in Coventry, England in 1977, they were one of the bands who led the way in the ‘Ska Music’ revival of the late 1970’s, and early 1980’s.This version of Too Much Too Young’ was written, and produced by The Specials founding member, and keyboard player, Jerry Dammers, who also formed the record label ‘2 Tone,’ in 1979.The song borrows the melody, (speeding it up,) and subject of the 1969 Reggae song,’Birth Control,’ by Lloyd Charmers (1938-2012.) Dammers has said,’I nearly had a thing with a married woman, and it didn’t happen in the end, obviously because she was married, so there was all sort of rage and frustration in a young man.

‘Too Much Too Young’ pulls no punches, it says that getting pregnant at a very young age is stupid, and you have wasted a lot of opportunities, you can no longer pursue. It also tells that when having sex, you must use protection.The song in it’s original form of six minutes, and six seconds is on The Specials self titled debut Album, from 1979, which was produced by Elvis Costello.This live recording from ‘Tiffany’s’ in Coventry in 1979, is at two minutes, and four seconds, the shortest song in length to be a UK Number 1 single in the 1980’s.

‘Ain’t he cute, no he ain’t, he’s just another burden on the welfare state.’