Trawling Wikipedia, I find:
Early post-PiL years
Soon after leaving PiL, Wobble started his solo career [...] However, his critical stance towards the commercialization of the music industry, compounded by heavy drinking led to his abandoning music for a short period in the mid eighties. By 1986 he was clean and sober. He then worked a variety of straight jobs, whilst continuing to perform and record his music in what spare time he had. These jobs included a long stretch on the London Underground. In an oft-quoted tale it is said he that he once, at Tower Hill Underground Station via the public address system, humorously regaled commuters with the deadpan announcement, “I used to be somebody. I repeat, I used to be somebody.”
LOL!