999 are an English punk band which formed in London in 1976. Founded by sin… Read Full Bio ↴999 are an English punk band which formed in London in 1976. Founded by singer/guitarist Nick Cash, 999's original lineup also included Guy Days (vocals/guitar), Jon Watson (bass) and Pablo LaBritain (drums). Ed Case served temporarily as drummer following LaBritain's injury in 1978, while Watson has since been replaced by Danny Palmer (1986-1991) and former Lurkers member Arturo Bassick (1991-present). 999 became a popular act within the London punk circuit, releasing its first single ("I'm Alive") in 1977 under its own label. The band soon found chart success, attaining five top 100 UK hits under the United Artists label. However, 999's popularity began to wane in the early 1980s. 999 disbanded in the mid-1980s only to reform soon afterward. They have since released several albums and continue to tour. Also similar to the Ruts, 999 built much of their following through gigging the down and dirty venues around Southall in West London. 999 never showed the same reggae influences as the Ruts though, maintaining a 'pure punk' sound throughout. They are also still alive and well, and still gigging it hard.

Let's Face It
999 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

He is alone and it seems that no one wants to know
He calls her up and she just tells him where to go
No is the answer so you try again tonight
And maybe this time he is gonna put things right!

All the time that he ends up lying
All of the nights that he feels like dying

Lets face it, lets face it now
Lets face it, lets face it now
Lets face it, lets face it now
Lets face it, the boy can't make with girls
Lets face it, the boy can't make with girls!

Maybe he can help himself
But he'd like to make her cry
He's not responsible but no one wonders why!

And in the night he'll make her regret it
And she'll make sure that she can't forget it

Lets face it, lets face it now
Lets face it, lets face it now
Lets face it, lets face it now
Lets face it, the boy can't make with girls
Lets face it, the boy can't make with girls!

Lets face it, lets face it now
Lets face it, lets face it now
Lets face it, lets face it now!
Lets face it, the boy can't make with girls!

And in the night he'll make her regret it
And he'll make sure that she can't forget it

Lets face it, lets face it now
Lets face it, lets face it now
Lets face it, lets face it now
Lets face it, the boy can't make with girls
Lets face it, the boy can't make with girls! [repeat]

The boy can't make it with girls.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of 999's song Let's Face It appear to chronicle the struggles of a man who is alone and struggling to connect with others, specifically women. He repeatedly attempts to contact a woman, only to be rebuffed, yet he continues to try, hoping that he can eventually "put things right." However, he seems to lack the skills to successfully navigate relationships and ends up lying and feeling miserable. The chorus of the song urges the listener to acknowledge this fact - "Let's face it, the boy can't make with girls" - as if to suggest that there is some sort of societal pressure or expectation that he should be able to do so.

The lyrics of Let's Face It suggest a certain degree of alienation and loneliness, as well as a sense of frustration and futility. The use of repeating phrases - "lets face it" and "the boy can't make with girls" - seems to highlight the singer's inability to resolve his problems, while the melancholy tone of the song underscores his despair. However, the chorus could also be interpreted as a call to embrace oneself and to reject societal norms that dictate what a person should or should not be able to do.

Line by Line Meaning

He is alone and it seems that no one wants to know
He feels lonely and unwanted.

He calls her up and she just tells him where to go
He contacts a girl but she rejects him.

No is the answer so you try again tonight
He faces rejection but still tries again.

And maybe this time he is gonna put things right!
He hopes to fix his past failures with women.

All the time that he ends up lying
He frequently lies to impress girls.

All of the nights that he feels like dying
His failures with women make him feel suicidal.

Maybe he can help himself
He thinks he can improve his situation.

But he'd like to make her cry
He has a desire to hurt the girls who reject him.

He's not responsible but no one wonders why!
He blames others for his own problems and no one questions him.

And in the night he'll make her regret it
He will seek revenge on the girl who rejected him.

And she'll make sure that she can't forget it
The girl will remember the harm he caused.