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.
Come On Baby
Chumbawamba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Six for the record, and seven for the t-shirt
A picture of the band
And a ticket for the promised land
Watching all the bouncers
Systematically beating up the dancers
To the rhythm of a pocket of change
Here's the group with all the answers
Same chains of command
All the power taken out of our hands
Politics pays the piper in this company land
Come on baby, let's do the revolution
They say we'll all be equal
When they take control
Vote for the party and wallow in our rock and roll
Roadie! my guitar!
The song "Come on Baby" by Chumbawamba is about the need for a revolution in the political system. The opening line, "Come on baby, let's do the revolution," sets the tone for the rest of the song, which criticizes the current political structure as being corrupt and oppressive. The second line, "Six for the record, and seven for the t-shirt," is a jab at the commercialization of punk rock and music merchandise. The song suggests that political activism should replace this kind of commercialism.
The third and fourth lines imply that the band and their music offer a way to escape the oppression of the current political system. The line, "Watching all the bouncers systematically beating up the dancers," suggests that those in power are perpetuating violence on those who might challenge or disrupt the status quo. The line, "To the rhythm of a pocket of change," implies that this violence is fueled by money, greed, and corruption.
The fifth and sixth lines, "Here's the group with all the answers, Vote for the party and keep your mouth shut," criticize the tendency of political parties to treat voters as passive followers who are expected to blindly support their party. Instead, the song suggests that people should be actively engaged and involved in the political process. The line, "Same chains of command, all the power taken out of our hands," summarizes the loss of power and agency that people feel in the political system.
The seventh and eighth lines criticize the influence of money in politics, suggesting that it distorts the political process and stifles the voices of ordinary people. The line, "Politics pays the piper in this company land," suggests that the political system is in the pocket of powerful corporations and special interests, and that it is not accountable to the people.
The chorus repeats the call to action: "Come on baby, let's do the revolution," and suggests that people can achieve equality and change through political activism. The closing line, "Roadie! my guitar!" suggests that despite the seriousness of the song's subject matter, the band is still a group of musicians who love playing their instruments and performing.
Line by Line Meaning
Come on baby, let's do the revolution
Let's initiate a revolution to bring about change.
Six for the record, and seven for the t-shirt
You can buy the record and the t-shirt, but it's not enough to make a real difference.
A picture of the band
A photo of the band is not enough to spark change.
And a ticket for the promised land
A ticket to a concert promises an ideal world, but it's just an illusion.
Watching all the bouncers
Observing those in power who abuse their authority.
Systematically beating up the dancers
Using force to control and suppress those who are trying to express themselves.
To the rhythm of a pocket of change
These actions are driven by a desire for money and power.
Here's the group with all the answers
Those in power claim to have all the solutions to problems, but they don't really care.
Vote for the party and keep your mouth shut
You're encouraged to vote but not to question authority.
Same chains of command
The same hierarchical power structure is maintained, regardless of who is in charge.
All the power taken out of our hands
The general public has no control over those in authority.
Politics pays the piper in this company land
Politicians are more beholden to corporations and businesses than to the people they are supposed to represent.
They say we'll all be equal when they take control
Powerful figures promise equality, but it's only an illusion to gain support.
Vote for the party and wallow in our rock and roll
You're encouraged to be complacent, and music is seen as a means of distraction.
Roadie! my guitar!
An ironic call for something superficial when there are larger issues at hand.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALICE NUTTER, ALLEN WHALLEY, BRUCE DUNSTAN, DARREN HAMER, JUDITH ABBOTT, LOUISE WATTS, NIGEL HUNTER, PAUL GRECO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jessicaberens2900
Come on baby, let's do the revolution
Six for the record, and seven for the t-shirt
A picture of the band And a ticket for the promised land
Watching all the bouncers Systematically beating up the dancers
To the rhythm of a pocket of change Here's the group with all the answers
Vote for the party and keep your mouth shut Same chains of command
All the power taken out of our hands Politics pays the piper in this company land
Come on baby, let's do the revolution
They say we'll all be equal When they take control
Vote for the party and wallow in our rock and roll Roadie! My guitar!
@JohnPeel3904
What a great track I may add, come on baby, let's do the revolution !!
@Derynb33
Thanks so much, haven't heard this since my vinyl was stolen!
@user-tu7ub5ux1t
I LOVE CHUMBAWAMBA
@DresdenStarwing
@Darth0Chicka0HeYzues: You do realize that most of the early punk bands (Clash, etc) were actually fronted be reasonably inteligent people? Granted the shite that is now considered 'punk' by mass media isn't half as intelligent.
@534terrorist
who says it ? :P