I always thought it was a reference to Roche, the pharma consortium. But there is an annotated Fall website, which says

"Rowche Rumble" refered back to Smith's shipping clerk days, when he did business with the Rowche Chemical Company. One day, due to a clerical error, Smith found himself with piles of barbiturates that he attempted to hide in stores across Manchester and in the bottom drawer of his desk at work.

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From: David Lace <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]AC.UK
Sent: Friday, 26 January 2018, 12:37
Subject: Re: Mark E. Smith

I've not heard that much of The Fall, so can't come to a general conclusion about the lyrics. But I just found the following online. It would seem to me that it doesn't work as well on the page as when sung.

Rowche Rumble

Rowche Rumble

It's valium

Valium

Valium

Roche Rumble

That's rumble

For thousands of wives around the world

Are given out by doctors, to feed their little girls

The doctors need prescriptions

The wives need their pills

So Rowche Rumble....

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Giles Goodland wrote:

Does anyone rate his poetry?