Primary
members: Jon King, Andy Gill, Dave Allen, Hugo Burnham
Band
Biography
Albums of focus: Entertainment! (1979)
Songs for study:
Before listening to Gang of Four's "Armalite Rifle," please consider the following lyrics from these two songs. The lyrics of the first, "My Little Armalite," is one of many well-known Republican (IRA/"Provo") fight songs from The Troubles; the second set of lyrics comes from the song "Joe McDonnell," which is sung in the Republican club in Hidden Agenda, when Ingrid and Kerrigan go to meet Harris. Since we do not have an Mp3 available, just know that "My Little Armalite" is much in the same style as "Joe McDonnell": folk protest. These songs/lyrics should provide proper context for what Gang of Four is up to.
1. "My Little Armalite"
(Air:
It's Home, Boys, Home) / (Sound of Armalite firing) And it's down in the Bogside, that's where I long to be, Lying in the dark with a Provo company, A comrade on me left and another on me right And a clip of ammunition for my little Armalite I was
stopped by a soldier, said he, 'You are a swine', And
it's down in Crossmaglen, sure that's where I long to be,
Sure
a brave RUC man came up into our street Sure
it's down in Kilwilkie, that's where I long to be, |
Sure,
the army came to visit me, 'twas in the early hours, With Saladins and Saracens and Ferret armoured cars They thought they had me cornered, but I gave them all a fright With the armour piercing bullets of my little Armalite And it's down in the Falls Road, that's
where I long to be, When Tuzo came to Belfast, he said, 'The
battle's won', And it's up in Ballymurphy, that's where
I long to be, |
2. "Joe McDonnell" (abridged version from Hidden Agenda)
O
me name is Joe McDonnell from Belfast town I came That city I will never see again For in the town of Belfast I spent many happy days I love that town in oh so many ways For it's there I spent my childhood and found for me a wife I then set out to make for her a life But all my young ambitions met with bitterness and hate I soon found myself inside a prison gate And
you dare to call me a terrorist Through
those many months internment |
And
now I love my country I am not a bitter man I've seen cruelty and injustice at first hand And then one fateful mornin' I shook bold freedom's hand For right or wrong, I tried to free my land And
you dare call me a terrorist And
you dare call me a terrorist You've brought this reign of terror to my land |
"Armalite
Rifle"
- from Entertainment! (1979)
|
|
|
Armalite
rifle Police and IRA Armalite rifle Use it every day Breaks down easy Armalite rifle Armalite rifle |
The
rifle does harm Shoots for miles If a bullet gets you in the arm Destroys your insides Armalite
rifle It'll
do you damage I
disapprove of it Damage! Damage! Damage! Damage! |
|
All
this talk of blood and iron Is the cause of all my shaking All this talk of blood and iron Is the cause of all my shaking All
this talk of blood and iron Just keep quiet, no room for doubt |
I'm
hearing talk of joy in labour I'll tell you this you can leave me out The motherland's no place to cry for I want some sand to hide my head in I'm hearing talk of strength in labour That's something I can do without If I'm only blood and iron O Doktor Doktor, what's in my shirt Just keep quiet, no room for doubt All
this talk of blood and iron Just
keep quiet, no room for doubt |
|
No
weak men in the books at home The strong men who have made the world History lives on the books at home The books at home It's
not made by great men The
past lives on in your front room |
It's
not made by great men It's not made by great men It's not made by great men It's not made by great men The
past lives in the books at home It's
not made by great men |
|
Ai!!!!! Ow, ow, ow, ow!!!! Ai!!!!!!! Ow, ow, ow, ow!!!! In my arms we shall begin with none of the rocks To hell with poverty |
To hell with poverty The check will arrive, it's in the post again To hell with poverty The check will arrive, it's in the post again In my arms we shall begin with none of the rocks To hell with poverty |
SEX PISTOLS
KRAFTWERK
THE CLASH
PUBLIC IMAGE LTD.
JOY DIVISION
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES
AU PAIRS
COCTEAU TWINS
ARTERY
HUMAN LEAGUE
HEAVEN 17
THE SPECIALS
CABARET VOLTAIRE
TEARS FOR FEARS
DEPECHE MODE
THE SOUND
THE GLOVE
STEEL PULSE
THE CURE
ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN
A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS
GANG OF FOUR
NEW ORDER
U2
THE POLICE
CRASS
NEW MODEL ARMY
ELVIS COSTELLO
SPLIT ENZ
THE THE
XTC
THE EXPLOITED
DISCHARGE
THE SMITHS
THE HOUSEMARTINS
RADIOHEAD
PORTISHEAD
PET SHOP BOYS
M Y BLOODY VALENTINE
SLOWDIVE
CRASH MUSIC
MUSIC OF THE TROUBLES
VIDEOS:
SEX PISTOLS
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES (LIVE)
THE CURE (LIVE)
COCTEAU TWINS (LIVE)
NEW ORDER (LIVE)
PORTISHEAD (LIVE)
JOY DIVISION MINI-DOCUMENTARY
NUCLEAR WAR PREPAREDNESS: PROTECT & SURVIVE MANUAL