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.
Fade Away
Chumbawamba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The better to sleep out the days
But I'm looking for a reason to kick and scream
I don't want to fade away
We think that the power is in our hands
Cause we're holding the remote control
Pile up the lot and what've you got?
[Chorus]
Some set their hearts on a rocking chair
The better to sleep out the days
But I'm looking for a reason to kick and scream
I don't want to fade away
Fade away, fade away
I don't want to fade away
It's a mighty long way from my own front door
To the world we were going to make
We got bloodied and bruised for the old excuse
That it's hard just staying awake
[Chorus]
Fade away, fade away
I don't want to fade away
Wake me up if you catch me falling
Gently into the night
Shine up my shoes 'cause I can't get used
To the dying of the light
[Chorus]
Fade away, fade away
I don't want to fade away
Fade away, fade away
I don't want to fade away
Fade away, fade away
I don't want to fade away
In "Fade Away," Chumbawamba laments the apathy and complacency of modern society. The song opens with the image of people setting their hearts on a rocking chair, a symbol of passivity and resignation. The singer, however, is not content to fade away and is actively looking for a reason to kick and scream. The chorus repeats the same lines that kick off the song, driving home the theme of the song - that it is better to rage against the dying of the light than to accept it.
Chumbawamba then takes aim at the media and how it has caused people to believe that they have power because they hold the remote control. But in reality, all they have is a pile of bitter-sweet nothingness. The second verse continues the critique of modern society by painting a picture of the distance that separates people from their aspirations. The world we were going to make is still a long way from our own front door, and we have become bloodied and bruised in the pursuit of our dreams.
The final verse repeats the refrain of the chorus, but adds the image of falling gently into the night. The singer asks to be woken up if they begin to fall, as they cannot get used to the dying of the light. Overall, the song is a call to action, urging listeners to fight against complacency and make the most of their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Some set their hearts on a rocking chair
Some people choose to live out their days without any ambition or action
The better to sleep out the days
To avoid any difficulties or challenges that may come with living a more active life.
But I'm looking for a reason to kick and scream
I am searching for something to fight for, something to give meaning to my life.
I don't want to fade away
I don't want to just exist without making an impact on the world or without being remembered.
We think that the power is in our hands
Many people believe that they have control over their lives and can make choices that will determine their success.
Cause we're holding the remote control
This power, however, is often just an illusion, and people are really just passive consumers of the media and products that are marketed to them.
Pile up the lot and what've you got?
Even if we accumulate many material possessions, what real value do they bring to our lives?
Bitter-sweet nothing at all
Ultimately, our possessions and the supposed power we have over our lives amount to nothing in the grand scheme of things.
[Chorus]
Repeating the desire to live a meaningful life and not just fade away into obscurity.
It's a mighty long way from my own front door
Achieving any kind of meaningful change or impact in the world requires significant effort and may involve many obstacles and setbacks.
To the world we were going to make
Despite this, it's important to have a vision for a better world and to work towards it.
We got bloodied and bruised for the old excuse
However, trying to make a difference in the world can be painful and difficult, and can lead to disillusionment and frustration.
That it's hard just staying awake
Staying alert and aware of the problems in the world, and trying to do something about them requires constant effort and vigilance.
Wake me up if you catch me falling
Even if I become discouraged or feel like giving up, please remind me of what's important and motivate me to keep fighting.
Gently into the night
I don't want to just give up on my dreams and fade away without a fight, but I also don't want to burn out and crash in the process.
Shine up my shoes 'cause I can't get used
Help me stay fresh and motivated, even when things get tough and discouraging.
To the dying of the light
I don't want to just give up on my dreams and fade away without a fight, even as the challenges and obstacles become more difficult and seem insurmountable.
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: GARY CAINE, KEVIN DAY, IAIN ROBERTSON, DOMINIC SANTOS, ANDREW WOOD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind