Hello again fellow readers and fixers! We like to change things up every now and then, and today, we’re exploring the world of music! Over decades, many songs tend to focus on themes such as romance, growing up and friendship. Music in general can be a powerful force in many ways. It can lift people’s moods, help them come to terms with loss or breakups, or rekindle memories of past good times. They might even help people focus during study or work sessions.
But what about songs that relate to fixing things in some way? Today, we’ve chosen a selection of songs that might not seem relevant at first, but actually make sense in the context of repairs and maintenance! Maybe we should create a local internet radio station that plays songs which relate to repairs and DIY…
“When I’m Cleaning Windows” by George Formby
Ah yes. Those of us who clear junk off other peoples’ computers for a living (or just as a hobby) will notice parallels with this classic song. The song is about a window cleaner, who sees what various people are doing in their homes as he cleans their windows. Just like when a technician sees what people were doing on their computers as s/he cleans their (windows!) operating systems!
In fact, one can make an analogy between public/second-hand computers and toilets – you have no idea what the previous user was doing with them before they send them in for repair, resale or recycling!
“The Mending Song” by Bagpuss
And now, here’s a short ditty from the short-lived, yet well-loved classic British children’s TV show. One that Gareth himself fondly remembers! This song is about using glue to fix broken things and make them just like new. Of course, it helps us remember not to just throw away otherwise viable items!
However, glue is just one way to fix broken things. We can also use nails, screws, sticky tape and other means. As long as we use the right tools and materials for the right repair job!
“The Three R’s” by Jack Johnson
Now here’s a song that suits us to a tee! This green take on the 1989 song “The Magic Number” by De La Soul is about the three R’s; reduce, reuse and recycle. That means we should consume less, reuse viable everyday items, and recycle what we can’t use anymore.
However, there are some other R’s we can think of – renew, remix, renovate, refurbish, rework. We can even make up some more R’s as we go along!
“Can We Fix It?” by Bob the Builder
Now what list of songs about fixing stuff would be complete without this chart-topping hit song from the early noughties? The theme song from children’s TV series Bob the Builder emphasises teamwork and problem solving in completing projects. The projects on the show primarily feature renovations, constructions and repairs. In the same vein, we repair, refurbish, reuse and recycle all kinds of everyday items. Making sure we keep the ratio of “Yes, we fixed it!” to “No, we ruined it!” as high as we can in the process!
“Duct Tape Heart” by Barenaked Ladies
We should mention that this isn’t people singing with nothing on here, so please get your minds out of the gutter if you think that way! Anyway, the song is about fixing the effects of a failed romantic relationship. Metaphorically speaking, using duct tape to fix a broken heart gets it working again.
But did you know that we can fix everyday objects in a pinch with a piece of duct tape? In particular, we found out in the past that duct tape helps keep computers with battered cases going! After all, we’ve seen laptops with pieces of case plastics broken off over the years. And sometimes we just can’t find replacement case parts for them anymore. And so, duct tape is the next best thing – oh, and it gives it some waterproofing, too!
“Metal” by Gary Numan
As far as this song goes, computers, robots and other machines need TLC just as much as we do! The song, “Metal”, is about a machine that desires to be human, but is not quite a human. It ties in with recent advances in technology, where various kinds of implants can aid people in recovery from injuries or disease. For example, pacemakers help keep people with heart problems alive by emitting small electric shocks to maintain a regular heart beat.
Nowadays, there are various AI tools that people can make use of for all sorts of good (or bad) purposes. We can make everyday tasks more efficient; generate text, audio, videos and pictures with just a short prompt; and imagine big companies combine AI with robotics to replace humans in the workforce. But the latter part’s for another time – if ever we get to it, of course!
And what of other songs?
But what about all the other songs which have nothing whatsoever to do with fixing things? Who do we see in those songs that we can make fit into the world of repairs? Well, our friends, here’s where we can get the shoehorns out and get creative!
“Come Into My World” by Kylie Minogue
Alright, so what does this song have to do with fixing and reusing things? Well, remember the official music video, where we see multiple Kylies come out of the dry cleaners one-by-one, and walk around a busy street in Paris? I have a possible fan-fiction theory here; the dry cleaners was actually a front operated by a group of mad techies who kidnapped and stuffed the real Kylie into a cloning machine made out of computer parts, as part of a plot to achieve world domination! Finally, a legitimate use for repurposing old computer parts(!)
If we take the video to its logical conclusion, then we would eventually see millions of Kylies overrun towns and cities, all of them singing and dancing away non-stop. Awesome for all the Kylie fans out there in the world – not so much for everyone else who just want to go about their daily business unperturbed. “Kylie-ception”, indeed!
“Computer Love” by Kraftwerk
We so have to include this song, at the very least to remember how BitFIXit all started here in Sheffield! This 1981 synth-pop classic captures the feelings of a savvy computer user wishing to form a romantic relationship with a mate. We can’t really help with dating issues, but we can fix computers! That said, people do use computers and mobile devices to look for love on the internet.
BitFIXit certainly came a long way from its humble beginnings, first in Heeley and then in Burngreave. While it’s folded into the Reyt family of services, we don’t forget how it was such an important fixture as a standalone repair cafe over the years until Reyt Repair came into being. And even to this day, we believe in the importance of keeping communities digitally connected and inclusive.
“Viva La Radio” by Lolly
Now what do we have here? A late-90’s pop act with a song that extolls the virtues of the radio! Nowadays, we have thousands of internet radio stations to choose from, along with the likes of Spotify, Soundcloud, YouTube and various other music streaming services. But back when this top ten hit came out in 1999, we still had FM and legacy radio, music on cassette tapes were still around, and the internet as we know it now was still in its infancy.
In the video, Lolly plays about with her radio, which emits rather worrying amounts of electricity before it transports her to some fantasy world. That’s a huge electrical safety testing fail right there! Maybe she bought a really cheap and nasty radio you see in teardown videos on YouTube. Perhaps someone seriously botched a repair job on the radio. Either way, if we tried to use it to transport ourselves to our own little fantasy world like in the video, we’d most likely end up just like the sausages cooked in a Presto hot dogger!
“You Can Do Magic” by Limmie & Family Cookin’ & “Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga
Let’s mix it up with a double bill! These two songs revolve around magic in some way. “You Can Do Magic” was a 1973 UK top five hit from R&B & soul group Limmie & Family Cookin’. Its lyrics revolve around the idea that one can overcome challenges and obstacles in life and make positive things happen in love and relationships. Meanwhile, “Abracadabra” is a 2025 top five hit by Lady Gaga, where the song is about facing challenges and find the magic of it all.
So, why feature these two songs together? Well, maybe someday we can find ways to use magic spells in real life to fix all kinds of broken stuff, no matter the problem! Imagine no longer needing to spend time using conventional tools for repair jobs, when we can just make a flick motion of a magic wand. Though we also imagine that there is a not insignificant risk that attempting to use spells to fix something end up blowing up on us instead!
Whew! That was quite a fair amount of songs covered here – in fact, there were so many songs to choose from that we’d be here day and night explaining them all! Anyway, do you agree with our picks here? You can drop us a message through our contact form, if you know any other songs that would fit in with the theme of fixing things, or could be turned into fixing songs!
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