Gang of Four
Gang of Four are a British post-punk group from Leeds, England. Original personnel were singer Jon King, guitarist Andy Gill, bass guitarist Dave Allen and drummer Hugo Burnham. They were fully active from 1977 to 1984, and then re-emerged twice in the 1990s with King and Gill. In 2005, the original lineup reunited.
The group had a single in the British Top 60 with "At Home He's A Tourist" in 1979, which was blacklisted by Top Of The Pops for its use of the relatively innocuous term "rubbers". Read Full BioGang of Four are a British post-punk group from Leeds, England. Original personnel were singer Jon King, guitarist Andy Gill, bass guitarist Dave Allen and drummer Hugo Burnham. They were fully active from 1977 to 1984, and then re-emerged twice in the 1990s with King and Gill. In 2005, the original lineup reunited.
The group had a single in the British Top 60 with "At Home He's A Tourist" in 1979, which was blacklisted by Top Of The Pops for its use of the relatively innocuous term "rubbers". Storming, Doc Marten-booted and fueled by a heady cocktail of Gramsci, Marx and lager, out of the Leeds art-school scene that produced The Mekons and Delta 5, they played a stripped-to-the-wire, funk-fueled permutation of punk rock. This is best exemplified by the dry production and forceful polemic of debut effort Entertainment! - Gang of Four's later albums (Songs Of The Free and Hard) found them softening some of their more jarring qualities, and drifting towards disco.
Critic Stewart Mason has called "Love Like Anthrax" (their first single, later re-recorded as "Anthrax") not only the group's "most notorious song" but also "one of the most unique and interesting songs of its time"; it's also a good example of Gang of Four's social perspective. After a minute-long, droning, feedback-laced guitar intro, the rhythm section sets up a funky, churning beat, and the guitar drops out entirely. In one stereo channel, King sings a "post-punk anti-love song", comparing himself to a beetle trapped on its back ("and there's no way for me to get up") and equating love with "a case of anthrax, and that's some thing I don't want to catch." Meanwhile in the other stereo channel (and slightly less prominent in the mix), Gill reads a deadpan monologue about public perception of love, and the prevalence of love songs in popular music: "Love crops up quite a lot as something to sing about, 'cause most groups make most of their songs about falling in love, or how happy they are to be in love, and you occasionally wonder why these groups do sing about it all the time." The simultaneous vocals are more than a little disorienting, especially when Gill pauses in his examination of love songs to echo a few of King's sung lines.
Allen left after Solid Gold and was replaced briefly by Buster Jones (who never recorded with the group), then by Sara Lee; Allen later co-founded Shriekback, Low Pop Suicide and The Elastic Purejoy.
Their angular, slashing attack and liberal use of dissonance had a significant influence on their post-punk contemporaries in the States, including Mission Of Burma. Gang Of Four went on to influence a number of successful funk-tinged alternative rock acts throughout the 80s and 90s - even, arguably, many rap-rock and nu metal groups who were "not in touch with their ancestry enough to realize it" (Andy Kellman, on allmusic.com) - although few of their followers were as arty or political. Michael "Flea" Balzary of Red Hot Chili Peppers has stated Gang of Four were very influential on his band's early music.
Gang of Four can also be credited as one of the early influences on techno or electronic music; they released dance remixes of several later singles.
Recently the band has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity, initially due to emergence of new post-punk influenced bands such as The Rapture and Radio 4 and then the rise of Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party, which led to the renewed patronage of the NME. The original Burnham/Allen/Gill/King lineup reformed in November 2004. In October of 2005, Gang of Four released a new LP featuring new recordings of past songs, entitled Return The Gift.
Dave Allen also co-hosts a twice-weekly "New Music Hour" radio show with Portland, Oregon's 94.7 alternative radio station.
Andy Gill died on 1st February, 2020 from, according to reports, a respiratory illness caught on the group's tour in Asia the preceding year. He was the only original member still playing in the Gang Of Four.
The group had a single in the British Top 60 with "At Home He's A Tourist" in 1979, which was blacklisted by Top Of The Pops for its use of the relatively innocuous term "rubbers". Read Full BioGang of Four are a British post-punk group from Leeds, England. Original personnel were singer Jon King, guitarist Andy Gill, bass guitarist Dave Allen and drummer Hugo Burnham. They were fully active from 1977 to 1984, and then re-emerged twice in the 1990s with King and Gill. In 2005, the original lineup reunited.
The group had a single in the British Top 60 with "At Home He's A Tourist" in 1979, which was blacklisted by Top Of The Pops for its use of the relatively innocuous term "rubbers". Storming, Doc Marten-booted and fueled by a heady cocktail of Gramsci, Marx and lager, out of the Leeds art-school scene that produced The Mekons and Delta 5, they played a stripped-to-the-wire, funk-fueled permutation of punk rock. This is best exemplified by the dry production and forceful polemic of debut effort Entertainment! - Gang of Four's later albums (Songs Of The Free and Hard) found them softening some of their more jarring qualities, and drifting towards disco.
Critic Stewart Mason has called "Love Like Anthrax" (their first single, later re-recorded as "Anthrax") not only the group's "most notorious song" but also "one of the most unique and interesting songs of its time"; it's also a good example of Gang of Four's social perspective. After a minute-long, droning, feedback-laced guitar intro, the rhythm section sets up a funky, churning beat, and the guitar drops out entirely. In one stereo channel, King sings a "post-punk anti-love song", comparing himself to a beetle trapped on its back ("and there's no way for me to get up") and equating love with "a case of anthrax, and that's some thing I don't want to catch." Meanwhile in the other stereo channel (and slightly less prominent in the mix), Gill reads a deadpan monologue about public perception of love, and the prevalence of love songs in popular music: "Love crops up quite a lot as something to sing about, 'cause most groups make most of their songs about falling in love, or how happy they are to be in love, and you occasionally wonder why these groups do sing about it all the time." The simultaneous vocals are more than a little disorienting, especially when Gill pauses in his examination of love songs to echo a few of King's sung lines.
Allen left after Solid Gold and was replaced briefly by Buster Jones (who never recorded with the group), then by Sara Lee; Allen later co-founded Shriekback, Low Pop Suicide and The Elastic Purejoy.
Their angular, slashing attack and liberal use of dissonance had a significant influence on their post-punk contemporaries in the States, including Mission Of Burma. Gang Of Four went on to influence a number of successful funk-tinged alternative rock acts throughout the 80s and 90s - even, arguably, many rap-rock and nu metal groups who were "not in touch with their ancestry enough to realize it" (Andy Kellman, on allmusic.com) - although few of their followers were as arty or political. Michael "Flea" Balzary of Red Hot Chili Peppers has stated Gang of Four were very influential on his band's early music.
Gang of Four can also be credited as one of the early influences on techno or electronic music; they released dance remixes of several later singles.
Recently the band has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity, initially due to emergence of new post-punk influenced bands such as The Rapture and Radio 4 and then the rise of Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party, which led to the renewed patronage of the NME. The original Burnham/Allen/Gill/King lineup reformed in November 2004. In October of 2005, Gang of Four released a new LP featuring new recordings of past songs, entitled Return The Gift.
Dave Allen also co-hosts a twice-weekly "New Music Hour" radio show with Portland, Oregon's 94.7 alternative radio station.
Andy Gill died on 1st February, 2020 from, according to reports, a respiratory illness caught on the group's tour in Asia the preceding year. He was the only original member still playing in the Gang Of Four.
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Damaged Goods
Gang of Four Lyrics
The change will do you good
I always knew it would
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
The sins of the flesh
Are simply sins of lust
Sweat's running down your back
Sweat's running down your neck
Heated couplings in the sun
(Or is that untrue?)
Colder couplings in the night
(Never saw your body)
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
The change will do you good
I always knew it would
You know the change will do you good
You know the change will do you good
Damaged goods (ah, ah, ah, ah)
Send them back (ah, ah, ah, ah)
I can't work, I can't achieve (ah, ah, ah, ah)
Send me back (ah, ah, ah, ah)
Open the till (ah, ah, ah, ah)
Give me the change you said would do me good
Refund the cost (ah, ah, ah, ah)
You said you're cheap but you're too much
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
The change will do you good
I always knew it would
You know the change will do you good
You know the change will do you good
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
Bye (goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David Allen, Hugo Burnham, Andrew Gill, Jonathan King
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on specific lyrics, highlight them
vania
🎤The change will do you good
I always knew it would
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
The sins of the flesh
Are simply sins of lust
Sweats running down your back
Sweats running down your neck
Heated couplings in the sun
(Or is that untrue?)
Colder couplings in the night
(Never saw your body)
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know its only lust
The change will do you good
I always knew it would
You know the change will do you good
You know the change will do you good
Damaged goods, send them back
I can't work, I can't achieve, send me back
Open the till, give me the change
You said, would do me good
Refund the cost
You said you're cheap but you're too much
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
The change will do you good
I always knew it would
You know the change will do you good
You know the change will do you good
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Dalton Hatch
The change will do you good
I always knew it would
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
The sins of the flesh
Are simply sins of lust
Sweats running down your back
Sweats running down your neck
Heated couplings in the sun
(Or is that untrue?)
Colder couplings in the night
(Never saw your body)
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know its only lust
The change will do you good
I always knew it would
You know the change will do you good
You know the change will do you good
Damaged goods, send them back
I can't work, I can't achieve, send me back
Open the till, give me the change
You said, would do me good
Refund the cost
You said you're cheap but you're too much
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
The change will do you good
I always knew it would
You know the change will do you good
You know the change will do you good
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Geoff Woade
The change will do you good
I always knew it would
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
The sins of the flesh
Are simply sins of lust
Sweats running down your back
Sweats running down your neck
Heated couplings in the sun
(Or is that untrue?)
Colder couplings in the night
(Never saw your body)
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know its only lust
The change will do you good
I always knew it would
You know the change will do you good
You know the change will do you good
Damaged goods, send them back
I can't work, I can't achieve, send me back
Open the till, give me the change
You said, would do me good
Refund the cost
You said you're cheap but you're too much
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
The change will do you good
I always knew it would
You know the change will do you good
You know the change will do you good
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
tom violence
I had a crush for a boy who always come to my neighbour's house every 3-4 years or so.
At first I was hooked by his eyes, then his voice, then everything about him. One day, I decided to make a move which was to go for a walk with him.
we did it twice and it was ok, he's a very well-spoken boy but quiet most of the time, so i had to make the move.
Strangely, everytime I remember him, this song will always playing in my head. Especially the line, “sometimes I'm thinking that I love you. But i know it's only lust.”
It was hit me and made me think about all things we did. Yep, I didn't love him at all. It's just a lust and full of curiousity feeling from a teenage girl who's only fifteen years at that time.
Finally I can let him go from my heart and continuing my life. I wrote this one day after he's back from my neighbour's house.
KIND of CHARACTER
The change will do you good
I always knew it would
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
The sins of the flesh
Are simply sins of lust
Sweat's running down your neck
Sweat's running down your back
Heated couplings in the sun
Colder couplings in the night (Never saw your body)
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
The change will do you good
I always knew it would
You know the change will do you good
You know the change will do you good
Damaged goods
Send 'em back
I can't work, I can't achieve
Send me back
Open the till
Give me the change you said would do me good
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
The change will do you good
I always knew it would
You know the change will do you good
You know the change will do you good
Aleksander Kwasniewski
The change will do you good
I always knew it would
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
The sins of the flesh
Are simply sins of lust
Sweat's running down your back
Sweat's running down your neck
Heated couplings in the sun (Or is that untrue?)
Colder couplings in the night (Never saw your body)
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
The change will do you good
I always knew it would
You know the change will do you good
You know the change will do you good
Damaged goods, send 'em back
I can't work, I can't achieve, send me back
Open the till, give me the change you said would do me good
Refund the cost, you said you're cheap but you're so smart
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
The change will do you good
I always knew it would
You know the change will do you good
You know the change will do you good
I'm kissing you goodbye
I'm kissing you goodbye
I'm kissing you goodbye
I'm kissing you goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Low Tek
O teu beijo é tão doce
O teu suor é tão salgado
O teu beijo é tão molhado
É tão salgado
O teu suor
O teu suor
Às vezes acho que te amo
Às vezes acho que é só sexo
Às vezes acho que te amo
Às vezes acho que é só sexo
Shishir Ahmed
The change will do you good
I always knew it would
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
The sins of the flesh
Are simply sins of lust
Sweats running down your back
Sweats running down your neck
Heated couplings in the sun
(Or is that untrue?)
Colder couplings in the night
(Never saw your body)
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know its only lust
The change will do you good
I always knew it would
You know the change will do you good
You know the change will do you good
Damaged goods, send them back
I can't work, I can't achieve, send me back
Open the till, give me the change
You said, would do me good
Refund the cost
You said you're cheap but you're too much
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
The change will do you good
I always knew it would
You know the change will do you good
You know the change will do you good
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
balls mcballs
this is SO ahead of its time. every rock group in the noughties tried to replicate this, but none surpassed it.
David Sussman
So glad that this has over 100,000 views. Back in the day (late 80s, early 90s), we Americans who knew of the Gang of Four were like mythical creatures, heard of but never seen, like unicorns or gryphons. As much as I love Wire, the Clash, Joy Division, the Buzzcocks, etc., the Gang of Four were the probably the greatest of those late 70s punk bands to emerge from the UK scene: smart, angular, noisy, and poised.
HermanWaldorf
it's > 2 millions now :)
Am G
@David Sussman I just shared Wire with someone 20 years younger to introduce the great, but underrated music. It amazes me how some artists became so popular, but the ones you mentioned (and many more including some of my favorites like the Chameleons, Blancmange, APB) didn't make it big. The upside is that I get to see them in concert, close up in a small venue. I have to admit, I love that whereas sworn off stadium shows.
David Sussman
@Am G Yep. I was surprised seven years ago when I made this comment, thinking, "100K people know of the Go4?" The Buzzcocks, too, routinely have two million views for their best-known songs. Wire? They're still languishing with a couple hundred thou. Joy Division is off the charts at 79 million for "Love Will Tear Us Apart." Are these groups more popular with young people in the UK? America? I still think of these bands being a very specialized taste for Americans. I'll leave with one of my fave Go4 lines: "History is the reason I'm washed up." Preach!
Am G
7 years later, I would have never imagined that music considered "obscure" on Long Island, NY in the 80s would have 2 million + well deserved views!!
Erica Garfinkel
Hah
Sean Tubbs
Every time someone breaks up with me, or I know they're going to break up with me, this song starts playing in my head. And then I feel okay.
Ian Kinzel
@itsthefuzz i always knew it would
itsthefuzz
@Ian Kinzel you know the change did him good