Bloke

"Bloke" is a British term for a guy. The bloke in this song has a high opinion of himself even though he's merely a filing clerk. It's one of a handful of Republica songs where their lead singer, Saffron, lets a guy have it. Others are "Ready To Go" and "Drop Dead Gorgeous." She wrote the song with her bandmates Tim Dorney and Andy Todd. The guys in songs like this one are typically composites of men in her life.

"Bloke" is an early single from Republica, released in 1995 a year before they issued their eponymous debut album. It was issued only in Europe and Australia and reached #85 in the UK. "Ready To Go" was their next single, and that one took off, even in America where they did a lot of touring in 1996. The band had a very distinct sound with techno beats combined with guitar, storytelling, and attitude. With a female lead singer, they were pushing against the tide as radio was very male-dominated at this time, especially in the UK and when it came to groups. Along with Saffron, Gwen Stefani was making inroads with No Doubt and Shirley Manson with Garbage.

This song stayed in Republica's setlist for most shows. The group hit a bump when their record company restructured just as they released their second album, Speed Ballads, in 1998. They broke up a few years later and didn't emerge with new music until their 2013 EP Christiana Obey.