After what can be described as the first or classical period, in which the band released two 7inch EP's (1982), contributed to the 'Punk and Disorderly' (1982), 'Riotous Assembly' (1982) and UK/DK (1983) LP/Video samplers and released a self titled LP (1983) Kaos remained the only member.
The second LP, titled 'Short Sharp Shock' (1984), and the 'Radioactive' (1986) split LP which introduced Extreme Noise Terror to the world on Earache Records saw Mower on vocals, Gabba on guitar and Chuck on drums. This line up is considered the most hard-hitting and most productive and remained more or less unchanged until the late eighties/early nineties, with first Chuck and later Mower leaving. Gabba and Kaos/Chaos (now on vocals) remained at the core of the band.
In their more than 20-year career Chaos UK toured the world (including several Japanese tours, the first of which produced the Live in Japan album) played with bands such as Napalm Death, Extreme Noise Terror, Oi Polloi, The Exploited, Swingin' Utters, Misery, and many others. They also released over 20 LPs, EPs, singles, splits, and live albums.
They split up in 2007, the members moving on to other projects, like A.D. Rice and the Wazzucks, FUK and Sick on the bus. They are still living in Bristol drinking cider, a favorite subject of several songs throughout the band's history.
The End Is Nigh
Chaos UK Lyrics
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It's cold outside
It's cold outside
People stare and you don't know
It's cold outside
It's cold outside
You watch people come as they go
It's cold outside
Tally on and nowhere to go
It's cold outside
It's cold outside
The end is nigh or so they reckon
It's cold outside
It's cold outside
What's that flash on the horizon?
I don't know
I don't know
The lyrics of Chaos UK's song The End Is Nigh portray a feeling of isolation and confusion amidst an impending doom. The opening line of "Don't you look outside your window" sets a tone of fear and tension as the person feels trapped and alone inside. The repeated phrase "It's cold outside" emphasizes the physical and emotional sense of numbness that the person is experiencing. The observation of other people passing by but not interacting with them highlights the sense of disconnection and alienation from society.
The lyrics "Tally on and nowhere to go" suggest a feeling of resignation and hopelessness. It seems as if the person has become resigned to their fate and has no sense of direction. The repeated mention of "the end is nigh" adds a sense of urgency and fear to the song, as if the world is coming to an end and there is nothing anyone can do to stop it. The final line of "what's that flash on the horizon? I don't know" leaves the audience with a feeling of uncertainty and unease, suggesting that something catastrophic is about to happen but no one knows what it is.
Overall, the lyrics of The End Is Nigh paint a picture of a person who is feeling disconnected and lost in a world that is crumbling around them. The lyrics emphasize a sense of hopelessness and fear as the person faces an unknown and inevitable end.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't you look outside your window
Stay inside, don't face the harsh reality of the outside world
It's cold outside
The outside world is harsh and unforgiving
People stare and you don't know
Society is unwelcoming and judgmental, you can never be sure of their intentions
You watch people come as they go
People are transient and fleeting, they enter and exit your life without warning or reason
Tally on and nowhere to go
Life can seem meaningless and directionless, you feel stuck and lost
The end is nigh or so they reckon
The future looks bleak and uncertain, society predicts the end of the world
What's that flash on the horizon?
Unknown and potentially dangerous events are on the horizon, causing anxiety and fear
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ADRIAN RICE, ANDY FARRIER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Will Bristow
Love the eerie atmosphere this song has, especially the cold wind effect
Rocking Chairs of Piss
Sounds like Joy Division
John Smith
I remember this song from my teenage years as a punk back in the 80's.