Articles of Faith were an American hardcore punk band from 1981-1985, forme… Read Full Bio ↴Articles of Faith were an American hardcore punk band from 1981-1985, formed in Chicago, IL. Their sound featured hooks and venom, accompanied by lyrics bemoaning the difficulty of finding freedom and fulfillment in a cookie-cutter, mass-consumption-driven society, typically but not always delivered at a searing pace. While the band's influence was blunted by being based in Chicago, they maintained close musical and thematic ties to the Washington DC / Dischord Records scene. Drummer Virus X briefly left the band in 1984, due to the relative waning of the band's political emphasis, but returned to record In This Life.

Vocalist/guitarist Vic Bondi was originally a protest singer with decidedly leftist views. He went on to form the bands Alloy and Jones Very after AoF's demise. At the time of AoF's original breakup, Bondi was working as a History instructor at the University of Massachusetts. Bondi's subsequent day jobs included working on Microsoft's Encarta, where he was Managing editor of the Encarta Interactive English Learning edition (Bondi's comments on this fairly ironic form of employment can be found here). Alternative Tentacles Records released the complete discography of the band in 2002. Bondi resurfaced with another politically charged band, Report Suspicious Activity, in 2006 and was featured prominently in the documentary "American Hardcore".

Give Thanks
Articles of Faith Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Horns of plenty
it fills the coffers of this land
Where's it come from they don't say
A little sleight of hand

The good life
I can almost taste it
Pay the price

with my worst fears

Their touch is cold
Their touch is cold
Give Thanks
Give Thanks
Give Thanks
Give Thanks

See the children
Smiling faces
Clean white hands
How can I deny
the benefits of this blessed land

Comfort, warmth, and happiness
The promise of the light they shed

We must spread this to all people
Later on we can count the Dead

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Articles of Faith's song "Give Thanks" reflect the satire and criticism of the American government's policies that were prevalent during the Reagan era when the song was released in 1983. The verses describe the prosperity of the country and the "horns of plenty" that fill the coffers, but the source of this wealth remains untold. According to the song, it was a result of "sleight of hand," implying that there was something dubious about the country's riches. The singer almost could taste the good life but realized that to achieve it, they have to pay the price with their worst fears.

The chorus, "Their touch is cold, give thanks," is a biting commentary on the government's indifferent attitude towards the plight of the masses. The song accuses the government of using propaganda and manipulation to hide the darker sides of their policy. The latter part of the song points out the irony of the country's promises of comfort, warmth, and happiness hiding the fact that these promises lead to death.

Overall, the song portrays the cynical perspective of the punk movement of that era, where the idealism of the past had been replaced by the grim reality of conservative governance. It urges people to see beyond the idealized concept of American prosperity and acknowledge the suffering of those who are not part of it.

Line by Line Meaning

Horns of plenty
We have an abundant land

it fills the coffers of this land
This land earns a lot, thanks to its bounty

Where's it come from they don't say
They don't even realize the source of their abundance

A little sleight of hand
The unawareness of the people, their negligence to the reality

The good life
Ideal and luxurious living

I can almost taste it
It is so close to obtain, yet lacking in effort

Pay the price
Work and sacrifice is required

with my worst fears
Brave it with courage, surpass fears

Their touch is cold
Mainstream society is indifferent

Give Thanks
Be humble and express gratitude

See the children
The future generation