referred to the term in the lyrics to their song "Scum of the Earth" on their 1974 album Preservation: Act 2. This is an early usage of the term in a modern rock song. Kinks songwriter Ray Davies later used the term again in his song "Stand Up Comic".

In Richard Thompson's song "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight", on the album of the same name by Richard and Linda Thompson (1974), the lyrics include the line "The wide boys are all spoiling for a fight".