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.
World War III
Anti-Nowhere League Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And now we want to never play
All the things looked better then
Well that's what ? ? meant for me
Your history means nothing now
It never meant much anyhow
All your crying is in pain
Pain
Pain
Pain
Well let's roll on World War III
We'll burn in the rubbish of society
Roll on World War III
You're gonna burn with me
The stories heard when you were small
Words will mean this most of all
All you do is criticise
About your feather in your eyes
Well don't you know that your kids
Your kids grow up and never be
All your crying is in pain
You're gonna die in screaming pain
Pain
Pain
Pain
Well let's roll on World War III
We'll burn in the rubbish of society
Roll on World War III
You're gonna burn with me
So we told these stories yesterday
And now we want to never play
All the things were better then
Well that's all right ? ?
Well don't you know that your kids
Your kids grow up and never be
All you ? ? time will tell
I'll see you bastards all in hell
Well let's roll on World War III
We'll burn the scum of society
Roll on World War III
You're gonna burn with me
Burn
Rubbish
Burn
Rubbish
Burn
Burn
Burn
Burn
The lyrics of "World War III" by Anti-Nowhere League convey a sense of rebellion and nihilism, rejecting the status quo and advocating for violent revolution against society. The opening lines suggest a longing for the past and a dissatisfaction with the present, as the singer asserts that "All the things looked better then." However, this sentiment is quickly undercut by the harsh reality that "Your history means nothing now / It never meant much anyhow." The lyrics suggest a frustration with the way things are and a desire to tear down the existing order, as evidenced by the chorus: "Well let's roll on World War III / We'll burn in the rubbish of society / You're gonna burn with me."
The verses of the song contain more specific targets of the singer's ire. The lines "All you do is criticise / About your feather in your eyes" suggest a frustration with people who focus on small, superficial problems while ignoring larger societal issues. The lines "Well don't you know that your kids / Your kids grow up and never be" suggest a belief that society's problems will simply be passed down to future generations, perpetuating the same cycle of violence and misery. Ultimately, the song seems to reject the notion of a peaceful or stable society, instead advocating for a fiery apocalypse that will wipe away the old order and allow for something new to emerge.
Line by Line Meaning
Well we heard these stories yesterday
We've heard and learned about the past and its history.
And now we want to never play
We do not want to repeat the same mistakes again.
All the things looked better then
In the past, everything seemed to be better and idealistic.
Well that's what ? ? meant for me
That idealistic past is how I perceived history.
Your history means nothing now
The past is irrelevant now; it holds no value in the present.
It never meant much anyhow
The past held little meaning and value in the first place.
All your crying is in pain
You're lamenting over something that cannot be changed.
You're gonna die in screaming pain
You'll suffer the consequences of your actions.
Pain
The pain and suffering that will come as a result of World War III.
Pain
The pain and suffering that will come as a result of World War III.
Pain
The pain and suffering that will come as a result of World War III.
Well let's roll on World War III
Let's start another war and continue the vicious cycle of conflict.
We'll burn in the rubbish of society
We'll be consumed by the negative aspects of humanity.
Roll on World War III
Let's continue the war even though it will cause destruction and loss of life.
You're gonna burn with me
You'll also suffer alongside me.
The stories heard when you were small
The narratives and history you were told as a child.
Words will mean this most of all
The power and influence of words and storytelling on shaping perceptions and beliefs.
All you do is criticise
All you do is find fault and point out flaws.
About your feather in your eyes
You're hypocritical and blind to your own flaws.
Well don't you know that your kids
Do you not realize that your children will be affected by your actions?
Your kids grow up and never be
Your children will not have the idealistic childhood and future you imagine.
All your crying is in pain
You're mourning a future that could have been, but no longer exists.
You're gonna die in screaming pain
Your actions will have consequences, and you will suffer for them.
Pain
The pain and suffering that will come as a result of World War III.
Pain
The pain and suffering that will come as a result of World War III.
Pain
The pain and suffering that will come as a result of World War III.
Well let's roll on World War III
Let's start another war and continue the vicious cycle of conflict.
We'll burn in the rubbish of society
We'll be consumed by the negative aspects of humanity.
Roll on World War III
Let's continue the war even though it will cause destruction and loss of life.
You're gonna burn with me
You'll also suffer alongside me.
So we told these stories yesterday
We shared stories of the past and history.
And now we want to never play
We don't want to repeat the same mistakes again.
All the things were better then
In the past, everything seemed to be better and idealistic.
Well that's all right ? ?
That idealistic past is how we view history.
Well don't you know that your kids
Do you not realize that your children will be affected by your actions?
Your kids grow up and never be
Your children will not have the idealistic childhood and future you imagine.
All you ? ? time will tell
Only time will reveal the true nature of things and the consequences of our actions.
I'll see you bastards all in hell
We'll face the consequences of our actions and suffer for them.
Well let's roll on World War III
Let's start another war and continue the vicious cycle of conflict.
We'll burn the scum of society
We'll destroy the worst aspects of humanity.
Roll on World War III
Let's continue the war even though it will cause destruction and loss of life.
You're gonna burn with me
You'll also suffer alongside me.
Burn
The destruction, chaos, and violence that will come as a result of World War III.
Rubbish
The negative aspects of humanity that we will be consumed by.
Burn
The destruction, chaos, and violence that will come as a result of World War III.
Rubbish
The negative aspects of humanity that we will be consumed by.
Burn
The destruction, chaos, and violence that will come as a result of World War III.
Burn
The destruction, chaos, and violence that will come as a result of World War III.
Burn
The destruction, chaos, and violence that will come as a result of World War III.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANTHONY HENDERSON, ERIK NORDQUIST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind