ANGELIC UPSTARTS are an English punk rock band formed in South Shields in 1… Read Full Bio ↴ANGELIC UPSTARTS are an English punk rock band formed in South Shields in 1977. They are one of most prominent Oi! bands, and espouse a socialist and working class philosophy which later inspired bands such as: Strawman, Red London or Redskins . Angelic Upstarts have been associated with anti-fascist skinhead subculture. More than two decades after its release, their debut single, "The Murder Of Liddle Towers", was included in Mojo magazine’s list of the best punk rock singles of all time. The original line up for the band was Mensi (vocals), Mond (guitar), Steve Forsten (bass) and Decca Wade (drums). The band have reformed and split a few times over the years and some of the ex members include bass players, Ronnie Wooden, Glyn Warren, Tony Feedback, Ronnie Rocker and Max Splodge who also had a stint playing drums. Other drummers have included Sticks (who later joined The Cockney Rejects), Paul Thompson (ex Roxy Music) and Chris White. Decca Wade rejoined the band for a few years before leaving again. Brian Hayes originally joined the band as second guitarist until Mond left leaving Brian as the only guitarist. The line up for the band is as follows
The band are still playing throughout Europe.
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Never Give Up
Angelic Upstarts Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There is no easy solution
To an unfair constitution
You just sit back and wonder why
Now's the time to sit up and try

Where do we go from here
Who do we turn to now
Let's go

Never give up, never give up

The time is right
To take a chance
No permission just circumstance
Like the blood pumps through my veins
You've nothin' to lose but your chains

Never give up, never give up
It's never too late to start again

Overall Meaning

The Angelic Upstarts song, "Never Give Up", speaks to the frustration and longing for change when faced with an oppressive system. The lyrics acknowledge that the problem at hand - an unfair constitution - doesn't have an easy solution, leaving the listener feeling helpless and unsure of where to turn. However, the song urges listeners to not give up and continue fighting for change, as now is the time to "sit up and try". The chorus reinforces this message of resilience, affirming that it's never too late to start again and never too late to keep pushing for a better future.

The song also touches on the idea of taking action even without permission, simply because of the circumstance at hand. The line "no permission just circumstance" emphasizes that sometimes, fighting for change requires taking bold action without waiting for the approval of those in power. The message is clear- never give up fighting for what you believe in, even if it feels like you're up against impossible odds.

Line by Line Meaning

There is no easy solution
There isn't a simple answer

To an unfair constitution
To an unjust political or social system

You just sit back and wonder why
You merely ponder the problems

Now's the time to sit up and try
It's the moment to make an effort

Where do we go from here
Which path should we take

Who do we turn to now
To whom should we look for guidance

Let's go
Let's get started

Never give up, never give up
Never surrender, never relent

The time is right
Now is the moment

To take a chance
To seize an opportunity

No permission just circumstance
Without authorization, only fate