Beki Bondage is a musician in the punk band, Vice Squad.

Bondage is … Read Full Bio ↴Beki Bondage is a musician in the punk band, Vice Squad.

Bondage is often cited as being the first punk pin-up[1], and featured on the front cover of a number of influential music tabloids such as Melody Maker, NME, and Smash Hits. She controversially posed topless for the cover of Sounds (although in a non-explicit pose), appearing a total of three times on the cover[2].

In 1983 she left Vice Squad to form the band Ligotage with Steve Roberts of UK Subs. Sales of their debut single "Crime and Passion" (1983, EMI) were disappointing, and their only album Forgive and Forget was released on the independent Picasso Records label[3].

Following the release of two solo singles in 1985, Bondage formed The Bombshells (often billed as "Beki & the Bombshells") in 1986. The band continued to play on the London club and punk circuit for many years.

Beki took up the guitar in 1996 and has co-produced her last three albums as well as writing lyrics and music.

In 1998 she reformed Vice Squad with a new line-up; the band continue to record and tour, particularly in Eastern Europe[4]. The band also played a lengthy set at the 2006 Badfest festival[5].

Her most recent album 'London Underground' (2009) was released on 'Last Rockers Records' a label she set up with songwriting partner Paul Rooney. She has written, recorded and played live continuously since 1986, and was the only woman on the 15 band strong 'Social Chaos' Tour of the USA in 1999.

She has in recent years played successful shows all over Europe including the festivals 'Punk and Disorderly' (Berlin), 'Mighty Sounds' (Czech Republic). 'Tintorock' (Spain), 'Pod Parou' (Czech Republic), 'Bring the Fire' (Milan), 'Wasted' (Dublin), 'Hooifesten' (Belgium),'Vive la Pola' (Croatia) and 'Bulldog Bash', 'Durham Punk Fest', 'The Wickerman', 'The Willowman' and 'Rebellion' in the UK.

In a speech on April 23, 2006 (St George's Day), for the Campaign to Celebrate our English Heritage, controversial journalist Garry Bushell cited Bondage as "a jewel in the crown of England's glory"[6]

2010 - BEKI & VICE SQUAD began work on the follow up to 'London Underground' and gig continuously on the UK club circuit throughout the year, plus touring Italy and festival shows at Pod Parou in Czech Republic, The Endorse It Festival, The Willowman Festival, packed out shows at Rebellion and Durham Punk Festival plus the headline slot at the Viva La Pola Summer Revolution Rock Festival in Pula. [7]

The follow up to ' London Underground ' - 'Punk Rock Radio was released at the end of 2011.

www.vicesquad.co.uk

Free tracks can be downloaded at Beki's official VICE SQUAD digital download site, http://vicesquad.bandcamp.com/.

1 Abbene, Jillian (2007). On the Record with Beki Bondage. Sugarbuzz Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-04-25.
2 Vice Squad Vocalist Beki Bondage. The Women of 1970s Punk. Retrieved on 2007-04-25.
3 Ligotage. Rockdetector (2003-04-29). Retrieved on 2007-04-25.
4 Beki Bondage. Punk News. Retrieved on 2007-04-25.
5 Black, Pauline; Staple, Neville and Buckler, Rick (2006). Backstage at Badfest 2006. BBC. Retrieved on 2007-04-25.
6 Bushell, Garry (2006-04-23). St George's Day. Retrieved on 2007-04-25
7 Beki Bondage Biog ( 2011-05-13).

Smells Like Teen Spirit
Beki Bondage Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Load up on guns, bring your friends
It's fun to lose and to pretend
She's over-bored and self-assured
Oh no, I know a dirty word

Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low

Hello, hello, hello

With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
Yeah, hey

I'm worse at what I do best
And for this gift I feel blessed
Our little group has always been
And always will until the end

Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello

With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
Yeah, hey

And I forget just why I taste
Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile
I found it hard, it's hard to find
Oh well, whatever, never mind

Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello

With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido

A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial, a denial
A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial

Overall Meaning

Beki Bondage's cover of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" lures the listener in with a slow, moody intro before erupting into a thrashing, punk rock anthem. The song is a critique on the apathy and aimlessness of youth culture, with its protagonist finding solace in self-destructive tendencies. The opening line "load up on guns, bring your friends" is meant to emphasize the character's nihilistic outlook and their tendency to romanticize things that would otherwise be disturbing, like guns and death.

The song's chorus is both catchy and cryptic. The repetition of "Hello, hello, hello, how low" seems to capture a sense of desperation, with the character feeling low, depressed, and out of options. The line "entertain us" is also telling, as it implies that the singer does not find real fulfillment in their life or relationships and instead seeks distraction and entertainment to fill the void.

The lyrics also touch on themes of self-doubt and insecurity, with the confession "I'm worse at what I do best" highlighting a sense of imposter syndrome. Despite these negative sentiments, the song's message is ultimately one of camaraderie and unity in the face of a bleak world. The line "our little group has always been and always will until the end" suggests that the character has found a sense of belonging and acceptance within their group of peers, even if it is through a shared sense of disillusionment.

Line by Line Meaning

Load up on guns, bring your friends
Let's gather some weapons and bring our pals along!

It's fun to lose and to pretend
It's exciting to play pretend and pretend you're not winning.

She's over-bored and self-assured
She is both incredibly bored and convinced of herself.

Oh no, I know a dirty word
Sorry, I know a bad word that I shouldn't say.

Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello! I'm really low down!

With the lights out, it's less dangerous
It's much safer with no lights on.

Here we are now, entertain us
We're all here now, so let's party!

I feel stupid and contagious
I feel dumb and infected.

A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
There's a mix of people and insects around – and my sex drive too, woo!

I'm worse at what I do best
I've been getting worse at what I'm supposed to be great at.

And for this gift I feel blessed
But I'm grateful for this talent anyway.

Our little group has always been
Our squad has always been together.

And always will until the end
And that's never going to change.

And I forget just why I taste
And I can't even remember why I enjoy this.

Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile
Oh yeah, it makes me smile anyway.

I found it hard, it's hard to find
I had a hard time searching for this.

Oh well, whatever, never mind
But either way, never mind – let's move on!

A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial, a denial
I'm in denial, I'm in denial, I'm in denial, I'm in denial.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: David Grohl, Krist Novoselic, Kurt Cobain

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS