Later that year, they also opened for The Damned on a short tour round the north of England. November 1981 saw the release of their first single, a cover version of Ralph McTell's 'Streets of London', with the song that was to become the group's anthem, 'So What' on the B side.
In 1982, things were looking good for the band, with the 'So What Tour' in the company of such groups as Chelsea, Chron Gen and the Defects, and the release of their debut album We Are...The League. However, the Obscene Publications Squad seized all copies of their records, which were removed from shops and they were banned from TV and Radio. To top it all, they were thrown out of the Top Of The Pops studio...just because Animal happened to be carrying a 3ft axe around with him! However the year finished on a high, with the 'Hardcore Storms America' tour with the UK Subs.
Anti-Nowhere League LogoGilly (real name Mark Gilham) joined the band in 1983 as an extra guitarist, which according to the bands website,[1], was because Magoo was drinking heavily and was often unable to carry out his commitments as guitarist. The band went to Yugoslavia to record a live album, imaginatively called Live In Yugoslavia, but even this was dogged by problems with the authorities insisting that references that Animal had made about recently deceased president Tito be removed from the master tapes, and any language which they deemed to be offensive be bleeped (including a few "when’s", "it’s" and "ands" according to Animal!).
By 1984, things were not looking too good. PJ quit, unable to cope with the pressures of the drugs and alcohol lifestyle the band were now leading and they were musically inactive. 1985 saw Michael Bettel on the drums, followed in 1986 by JB (Jonathan Birch). During this time they signed for GWR Records, and recorded the Perfect Crime album. However, once again there were problems, when GWR refused to put up the money to finish the album once they heard its rough cut, and it was released unfinished to try to get back some of the money already invested in it. This was the final straw, and in 1987 ANWL disbanded. There was a "Farewell" show in 1989.
Fast forward to 1992, and Animal was working on his car, in the rain. The phone went, and it was JB, with the news that Metallica wanted Animal to guest at Wembley Arena, when they did their cover of 'So What'. Apparently Animals response was "Who the fuck are Metallica?, and anyway I'm working on my car!!" JB phoned back later, and managed to persuade Animal to do the slot. Animal put it thus on ANWL's website. "As I waited on the edge of the stage waiting to go on it suddenly dawned on me I was just about to stand in front of 10,000 punters who didn’t know me from Adam and sing a song that I couldn’t fucking remember………….all that kept running through my head was RUN you silly old fucker!". However, after the show, the bug had bitten again. Mark joined that year on Lead Guitar, and 1993 - 1995 was spent playing gigs in the small venues the band had started out in. In 1996, they signed up with Impact Records and recorded their next album Pig Iron. Beef also joined the band after Mark's departure.
1997 saw another personnel change when Winston left the band to be replaced by Jon Jon, and recording the album Scum.
Danny joined on drums in 1998.
The album Out Of Control was released a year later in 1999 2001 Magoo quit playing live shows.
2002 - now.... Jon Jon, Beef and Danny all left, to be replaced by PJ (original drummer), Jez, and Shady. This lineup of the band is still going as of April 2006.
For You
Anti-Nowhere League Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We laugh..but no-one's laughing
We kiss..and no-one cares
So we shout..but no-one's listening
So we live..like no-one dares
For you
For you
I'll bury friends
For you
Well I'll be your saviour
For you
I'll play and pretend
So we laugh..but no-one's laughing
And we kiss..but no-one cares
So we shout..but no-one's listening
So we live..like no-one dares
For you
Well I'll be your soldier
For you
I'll bury friends
For you
Well I'll be your saviour
For you
I'll play and pretend
For you
Well I'll be your soldier
For you
I'll bury friends
For you
Well I'll be your saviour
For you
I'll play and pretend
So we cry..but now you're laughing
So we hate..but now who cares
So we shout..but now you're listening
So we'll die..and you won't care
For you
Well I'll be your soldier
For you
I'll bury friends
For you
Well I'll be your saviour
For you
I'll play and pretend
I'll play and pretend
I'll play and pretend
I'll play and pretend
I'll play and pretend
The Anti-Nowhere League's song "For You" depicts a relationship that is not based on mutual love and respect, but on the desire of one person to be everything for the other person. The lyrics suggest that the couple laughs, kisses, and shouts, but no one seems to care or listen. They live their lives as if they dare not do or say anything that might disrupt the status quo. The singer offers to act as a soldier, bury friends, and be a savior for the other person, even though these actions may bring about great harm.
The lyric, "So we live like no one dares" implies that the couple is living life recklessly, without regard for the consequences. They are trying to fill a void within themselves by doing things that they think will please the other person, even if it means putting themselves in danger. The repeated refrain of "For you" underscores the unevenness of this relationship, where one person is making all the sacrifices and the other person is not reciprocating.
Overall, "For You" is a cautionary tale about relationships where one person is willing to do anything for the other, even if it means losing oneself in the process.
Line by Line Meaning
For you...I shall give
The singer is willing to do anything for the person they are addressing
We laugh..but no-one's laughing
Even though the singer is trying to be happy, nobody else seems to care
We kiss..and no-one cares
The act of love between the singer and their partner is meaningless to everyone else
So we shout..but no-one's listening
The artist's attempts to be heard are being ignored by those around them
So we live..like no-one dares
The artist is living their life boldly and without fear, despite the lack of support from others
Well I'll be your soldier
The singer is willing to protect the person they are addressing at all costs
For you, I'll bury friends
The singer is willing to make any sacrifice necessary for the person they are addressing, even if it means losing friends
Well I'll be your saviour
The artist is willing to be the person who saves the person they are addressing from any danger or harm
For you, I'll play and pretend
The artist is willing to act in any way necessary to make the person they are addressing happy
So we cry..but now you're laughing
Even though the artist is upset, the person they are addressing is finding it amusing
So we hate..but now who cares
The singer's feelings of anger and resentment are unimportant to those around them
So we shout..but now you're listening
The person the artist is addressing is finally paying attention to their cries for help
So we'll die..and you won't care
Even if the singer were to die, the person they are addressing would not be affected
I'll play and pretend
The singer will continue to pretend and act as necessary to keep the person they are addressing happy
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: CLIVE HARVEY BLAKE, NICK JOHN CULMER, CHRIS DAVID EXALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Carina Nielsson 🌸
We shout, but no one's listening. So we live like no one dares ❤️
Dalaker Daniel
@Carina Nielsson 🌸
Yes they are!!! Have fun
☠️💣☠️
Carina Nielsson 🌸
@Dalaker Daniel They're really good with covers of those old rocksteady songs!
Carina Nielsson 🌸
@Ben Winter Absolutely!
Ben Winter
F the world....old school punk is still the only true punk
Dalaker Daniel
try Johnny too bad ☠️💣☠️ have fun
jay lava
i remember listening to this and drinking gobs of beers, actually i``m doing it right now some things never grow old!!!
purplemushroomcloud
Punks don't get old, our livers just die
MB Olden
animal was an amazing performer
0906jurjen
brilliant band, brilliant band!!!