The Anti-Nowhere League is a UK Punk band formed in 1980, by lead singer An… Read Full Bio ↴The Anti-Nowhere League is a UK Punk band formed in 1980, by lead singer Animal (real name Nick Kulmer) and rhythm guitarist Magoo (real name Chris Exall), with Bones on Drums and Baggy Elvy on Bass. Their first gig was at Tunbridge Wells, on the day of the annual carnival, at which they promptly got arrested. This led to their first press coverage with the local newspaper describing their gig as a 'cacophany of noise'. In 1981, Gooky (who left the same year), Hopper and Clive "Winston" Blake came in on Lead Guitar, Drums and Bass respectively, although Hopper was quickly replaced with PJ ('Persian John') (real name Djahanshah Aghssa). They managed to get a slot in the Apocylypse tour along with The Exploited, Chron Gen and Anti Pasti. This led to them signing to John Curd's record label WXYZ, with Curd and Chris Gabrin co-managing the band.

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.

Snowman
Anti-Nowhere League Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

My eyes are bloodshot, I can't see
Well who's gonna make me happy
Feeling so down again
Who's gonna make me happy
Feeling down again

So I run through the streets
I gotta find my man
I make my cash the best I can
I'm going half-way up
And I'm half-way down
My head is spinning round and round

Well the Snowman'll make me happy
The Snowman is here, again
He's gonna fuck you, fuck you, fuck you one and all
He's gonna fuck you, fuck you, fuck you one and all

And there'll be times when you can't glow
You feel your life is being choked
Till you never know just who you are
Your mind has gone, your soul (??)

Well who's gonna make you happy
Feeling so down again
Who's gonna make you happy
Feeling down again
So you try to lie just one more time
You try to lie that you feel fine
Till there's nothing left inside your head
There's no escape until you're dead

The Snowman'll make you happy
Feeling so down again
Snowman'll make you happy
Snowman is here, again

He's gonna fuck you, fuck you, fuck you one and all
He's gonna fuck you, fuck you, fuck you one and all - he did me
He's gonna fuck you, fuck you, fuck you one and all - he fucked me

He's gonna fuck you, fuck you, fuck you one and all
He's gonna fuck you

Overall Meaning

The Anti-Nowhere League's song "Snowman" tells a story of a person who has hit rock bottom - they have no money, no friends, and they are about to be evicted from their home. They describe their struggles with alcoholism (DT's - delirium tremens, a severe form of withdrawal), as well as their search for a way to escape their problems. The only thing that seems to bring them any comfort is the Snowman, who they believe will make them happy once again. Despite their desperate situation, they reject the idea of asking for help and instead turn to the Snowman as their savior.

The Snowman is likely a metaphor for drugs or alcohol, which the singer uses to escape reality and find temporary relief from their problems. The repeated refrain of "who's gonna make me happy" highlights the character's nihilistic outlook on the world - they don't believe anyone can truly make them happy, and any brief moments of joy will always be fleeting. The song's final lines, "He's gonna fuck you, fuck you, fuck you one and all", serve as a warning about the dangerous consequences of relying on drugs or alcohol to escape one's problems.

Overall, "Snowman" is a bleak and unflinching look at the destructive effects of addiction and hopelessness.

Line by Line Meaning

Got no fuckin' birds
I don't have any money or resources.

Ain't got no fuckin' money
I am broke and have no money.

The dog don't fuckin' recognise me
Even my dog doesn't recognize me, indicating how low I have sunk.

Get chucked outta my fuckin' house next week
I will be evicted from my house next week due to my financial troubles.

Well I take myself from my dirty bed
I reluctantly get out of bed, which is dirty and unkempt.

Can't find my clothes, can't find my head
I am so disoriented and confused that I can't find my clothes or my wits.

And the DT's all over me
I am experiencing delirium tremens, a severe withdrawal symptom from alcohol.

My eyes are bloodshot, I can't see
My eyes are so red and swollen that I can't see clearly or properly.

Well who's gonna make me happy
I am desperately seeking help and someone to make me happy.

Feeling so down again
I am feeling depressed and hopeless yet again.

So I run through the streets
I am running around aimlessly, trying to find a solution to my problems.

I gotta find my man
I need to find someone who can help me or lend me some money.

I make my cash the best I can
I am trying to earn money in any way possible, even if it means doing something illegal or immoral.

I'm going half-way up
I am getting high on drugs, which is temporarily making me feel better.

And I'm half-way down
However, the effects of the drug are starting to wane, and I am getting lower again.

My head is spinning round and round
I am feeling dizzy and disoriented due to the drugs and alcohol.

Well the Snowman'll make me happy
I am turning to drugs to find happiness and escape my problems.

The Snowman is here, again
The drug dealer or supplier is available again, leading to my temptation to buy more drugs.

He's gonna fuck you, fuck you, fuck you one and all
The drug and its addiction are going to ruin my life and destroy everything I once held dear.

And there'll be times when you can't glow
There will be moments when I will feel utterly lost and hopeless and unable to find a way out of my problems.

You feel your life is being choked
I will feel like my life is being suffocated and choked by my addiction and helplessness.

Till you never know just who you are
The addiction will take over my life to the extent that I will forget who I am and what I stand for.

Your mind has gone, your soul (??)
The addiction will consume my mind and soul, leaving me an empty shell of my former self.

So you try to lie just one more time
I will deceive myself into thinking that I can still control the addiction and that I do not need help or intervention.

You try to lie that you feel fine
I will pretend that everything is okay and that I do not need any help or assistance.

Till there's nothing left inside your head
The addiction will consume every ounce of my being, leaving me empty and hollow.

There's no escape until you're dead
The addiction is a trap from which there is no escape, except through death.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: CLIVE HARVEY BLAKE, NICK JOHN CULMER, CHRIS DAVID EXALL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Got no fuckin' birds
Ain't got no fuckin' money
The dog don't fuckin' recognise me
Get chucked outta my fuckin' house next week

Well I take myself from my dirty bed
Can't find my clothes, can't find my head
And the DT's all over me
My eyes are bloodshot, I can't see
Well who's gonna make me happy
Feeling so down again
Who's gonna make me happy
Feeling down again

So I run through the streets
I gotta find my man
I make my cash the best I can
I'm going half-way up
And I'm half-way down
My head is spinning round and round

Well the Snowman'll make me happy
The Snowman is here, again
He's gonna fuck you, fuck you, fuck you one and all
He's gonna fuck you, fuck you, fuck you one and all

And there'll be times when you can't glow
You feel your life is being choked
Till you never know just who you are
Your mind has gone, your soul (??)

Well who's gonna make you happy
Feeling so down again
Who's gonna make you happy
Feeling down again
So you try to lie just one more time
You try to lie that you feel fine
Till there's nothing left inside your head
There's no escape until you're dead

The Snowman'll make you happy
Feeling so down again
Snowman'll make you happy
Snowman is here, again

He's gonna fuck you, fuck you, fuck you one and all
He's gonna fuck you, fuck you, fuck you one and all - he did me
He's gonna fuck you, fuck you, fuck you one and all - he fucked me
He's gonna fuck you, fuck you, fuck you one and all
He's gonna fuck you