On 7th July 2012 Chumbawamba announced their impending breakup before the end of the year. Their very last concert was given at the Leeds City Varieties. At this show former members of the band, such as Harry Hamer and Danbert Nobacon made their appearance. At this theatre, Chumbawamba already performed 'Big Society!' with radical theatre company Red Ladder.
The last EP of the band was released April 8th, 2013, when Margaret Thatcher passed away. The Margaret Thatcher EP 'In Memoriam' is a 5-track sound collage featuring a few small songs, which could only be pre-ordered. It was mailed to all who pre-ordered on that very day.
Early years (1982-1991)
The band was formed in 1982 from two other bands based in Yorkshire, The Passion Killers and Chimp Eats Banana. They released a series of albums (such as Pictures of Starving Children Sell Records and the a capella album English Rebel Songs) and singles on their own Agit-Pop label before moving to One Little Indian in the early 90s.
One Little Indian (1991-1997)
On One Little Indian, Chumbawamba released three albums, Slap!, Shhh, and Anarchy, on which influences of techno music are noticeable. The songs for these albums were written in a period when dance culture was thriving and the band were also influenced by it. The music had turned into a more popular sound, which they emphasized was to spread the message more effectively. Touring for Anarchy, the concert at Leeds was recorded for the live album "Showbusiness!".
The last album released on One Little Indian is Swingin' with Raymond (1995). The albums first six songs are about (the right to) love and ends with seven songs loaded with hate (in the broadest sense of the word: it includes a song about anorexia nervosa).
The EMI years (1997-2000)
Anarchy or not, the band signed to EMI by 1997. At EMI, Chumbawamba had brief mainstream success, with the singles Tubthumping and Amnesia, taken from Tubthumper. Like Slap! and Shhh, the album was noticeably influenced by techno music. The new Chumbawamba fans needed for an overview, EMI might have thought. So Uneasy Listening, a compilation of work from 1986-1998 was released by 1998.
This move alienated much of the anarchist punk scene that yielded Chumbawamba in the 80's. To their former cohorts, this new Chumbawamba -one that licensed songs for commercials and signed to a major label- was different than the one that took part in the Fuck EMI compilation record a decade before. In 1998, Scottish punk band Oi Polloi put together a 7 band compilation EP with other bands like Riot/Clone and Bus Station Loonies in response. The name of the record was "Bare Faced Hypocrisy Sells Records(The Anti Chumbawamba EP)" as a nod to Chumbawamba's first record. Chumbawamba responded by noting that even the smaller labels they had worked with were capitalist by definition and were often only driven by profit. They added that, with the help of good lawyers, they were doing what the Sex Pistols had done two decades earlier – what punk had initially set out to do before it was beset by righteous puritans looking for "a new set of rules", as the band put it. But also, in the words of Chumbawamba vocalist Danbert Nobacon, they "needed things to change", needed to "shake things up". According to the band, "even radical politics can get stagnant and repetitive." Much of the profits from the album were donated to radical groups, pirate radio stations, community organisations and anarchist projects.
By 2000, the album WYSIWYG was released, being entirely different from previous work (and thus defying the idea that the band just wanted to make commercial hits): a 22-track soundscape, comprising rock, folk, country and pop music. It includes a cover of the Bee Gees song New York Mining Disaster.
Return to independance (2002-2010)
In 2002, Chumbawamba formed their own label again, now naming it Mutt Records. On this record label, they released Readymades, followed by the world music influenced Un (2004). These two albums brought Chumbawamba to what it is now: a folk group.
Since 2005, the band decided it would be better to turn into an acoustic band. The line-up has changed to: Boff Whalley, Lou Watts, Jude Abbot and Neil Ferguson (former producer of the band). It was this line-up that released the fully acoustic album A Singsong and a Scrap on the small UK Folk and Folk-Rock label NoMasters by 2006. The album uses more traditional instruments and features English Folk artists such as Coope, Boyes & Simpson and Andy Cutting. In 2007 followed by the live album Get On With It.
In 2008, another No Masters album, The Boy Bands Have Won, was released. It contained 25 tracks of new acoustic material, some derived from traditional folk, such as Charlie. It also had guest performances by, amongst others, the Oyster Band on Hull or Hell and Roy Bailey on Word Bomber. It's this album where Phil Moody joined Chumbawamba as accordionist and vocalist.
The third album that Chumbawamba recorded on NoMasters, ABCDEFG, was released. The album is cut from very much the same cloth as the The Boy Bands Have Won, but is richer in sound. ABCDEFG stands for every note in the Western music scheme, and the album itself is about the power that music can bring to communities (Voices, That's All) and deliver to people in struggle (Wagner At The Opera). It's the first Chumbawamba album fully dedicated to music matters, though Shhh (1991) preceded this release, criticising pop culture.
On ABCDEFG, next to the five Chumbas, (amongst others) Ray Cooper plays cello and harmonica, Belinda O'Hooley plays the piano and Jo Freya plays alt and tenor saxophone.
Former members of Chumbawamba
Apart from the moment that Chumbawamba changed from electric band to acoustic band, Chumbawamba's line-up has changed several times after its first gig at January 8th, 1982.
Danbert Nobacon: Singer and keyboard player of the band, famous for wearing the brick suit, and for throwing a jug of water over UK Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott who showed up at the Brit Awards. He's still making music, see Danbert Nobacon and the Pine Valley Cosmonauts.
Dunstan Bruce: Vocalist, bass and saxophone player, percussionist and turntablist of the band.
Alice Nutter: Singer and percussionist of the band, famous for the drunk nun act she performed during live shows. Now writing scripts for radio, tv and theatre pieces.
Harry Hamer: Singer, drummer, programmer and percussionist of the band.
Mavis Dillon: Dillon did vocals, trumpet, french horn and bass for ten years, until he was replaced by Jude Abbot by 1995.
Paul Greco: Bass guitar, entered the band by 1992. He was replaced by Neil Ferguson in 1999.
Other former members include Coby Laan, Simon Commonknowledge, Midge (former Chimp Eats Banana) and Diane. There were actually loads of band members, especially in the early years. An extensive band history can be found at the Chumbawamba FAQ.
Be With You
Chumbawamba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And everything you say sounds like the truth
The things you did made half my dreams come true
And I wanted to be with you
And I wanted to be with you
Sing your songs of what could be
Of all the things you brought back home to me
And I wonder what the papers are going to say
Another actress, another war, another day
But every thing's changed the world woke up today
And I wanted to be with you
And I wanted to be with you
Sing your songs of what could be
Draw the world for those who couldn't see
And I wanted to be with you
In Chumbawamba's song Be With You, the lyrics express a sense of hope and longing for the future. The line "the future glints like the moon on an old slate roof" creates a beautiful metaphor that suggests that the future is bright and full of promise. The singer in the song is in love and believes everything the object of their affection says to be the truth.
The lyrics also touch on the idea that the world is in a state of chaos with "another actress, another war, another day" happening. However, despite this, there is still a sense of optimism as the world is seen as waking up and changing for the better. The singer wants to be with the person they love and is optimistic about what the future holds for them.
The line "Sing your songs of what could be, draw the world for those who couldn't see" suggests that the singer is not only hopeful for their own future but is also inspired to share the positive outlook with others.
Overall, Be With You is a love song that speaks to the hope and optimism that people feel when in love, and the desire to share that feeling with others.
Line by Line Meaning
The future glints like the moon on an old slate roof
The future looks bright and promising
And everything you say sounds like the truth
I trust and believe everything you tell me
The things you did made half my dreams come true
Your actions have helped me achieve some of my aspirations
And I wanted to be with you
I desired to be in your presence and spend time with you
Sing your songs of what could be
Share your optimistic vision of the future
Of all the things you brought back home to me
You have given me so many gifts and experiences
And I wonder what the papers are going to say
I'm curious about the news and events happening around us
Another actress, another war, another day
There are always new stories and conflicts happening in the world
But every thing's changed the world woke up today
The world is constantly evolving and shifting
And I wanted to be with you
Despite all the changes, I still desired to be by your side
Draw the world for those who couldn't see
Help others understand your perspective and enlighten them
And I wanted to be with you
Being with you was still my top priority
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALICE NUTTER, ALLAN WHALLEY, DARREN HAMER, DUNCAN BRUCE, JUDITH ABBOTT, LOUISE WATTS, NEIL FERGUSON, NIGEL HUNTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@andyandrea5616
esse som é tudo de bom.....
@memocan66
I remember riding the car with my parents and they turned on the car radio and we're flippin' through the dial and there was some kind of a 'rhythm' and blues song... It was.. was startling to me cause I'd never heard anything like that before... And um, they wanted to turn the channel, I hadna listened to it...
@juliansanby9994
Well done! Much better than anything I could do I'm sure!
@tasmar555
It is actually my first endeavor on ios movie maker and I know it is a rookie try 😂
@victorflorencio977
chumbawamba is great!👍
@tasmar555
Indeed, my friend!
@aiazakaria
The thing u did..made half my dreams come true ♥
@grigos7
nice, nice, nice!!! great job m@ria!!!!!
@MultiRwilson
Nice mix
@rm2kmidi
I know it's a longshot, but does anyone know what song was playing in the background of the opening monologue?