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.
Poverty Knock
Chumbawamba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Poverty poverty knock,' my loom is a saying all day
Poverty poverty knock, gaffer's too skinny to pay
Poverty poverty knock, keeping one eye on the clock
I know I can guttle when I hear my shuttle go, 'poverty poverty knock'
Up every morning at five, I wonder that we keep alive
Tired and yawning in the cold morning
[Chorus]
Oh dear we're going to be late
Gaffer is stood at the gate
We're out of pockets, our wages they'll dock it
We'll have to buy grub on the slate
[Chorus]
And when our wages they'll bring, we're often short of a string
While we are fighting with gaffer for snatching (?)
We know to his breast he will cling
[Chorus]
Sometimes a shuttle flies out
and gives some poor woman a clout
There she lies bleeding but nobody's heeding
Oh who's going to carry her out?
[Chorus]
Oh dear, my poor head it sings
I should have woven three strings
My threads are breaking and my back is aching
Oh dear, I wish I had wings
Poverty poverty knock
Poverty poverty knock
Poverty poverty knock
The song 'Poverty Knock' by Chumbawamba is a folk song that focuses on the life of textile workers in England during the 19th century. The lyrics describe the poverty and hardships faced by these workers, who would work long hours in dangerous conditions for low wages. The chorus, 'Poverty poverty knock,' refers to the sound made by the weavers' looms as they worked.
The verse 'Up every morning at five, I wonder that we keep alive / Tired and yawning in the cold morning / It's back to the dreary old drive.' depicts the daily struggles of the workers, who would have to wake up early in the morning to begin work in the textile mills. They would work in cold and uncomfortable conditions, and the work itself was monotonous and repetitive. Despite all these hardships, the workers were barely able to make a living, as their wages were low and they would often be docked for various reasons.
The final verse of the song, 'Oh dear, my poor head it sings / I should have woven three strings / My threads are breaking and my back is aching / Oh dear, I wish I had wings', shows the toll that this kind of work takes on a person's physical and mental health. The constant strain on the body and mind can leave workers exhausted and struggling to get through the workday. The last line of the song, 'Poverty poverty knock', serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing struggle faced by the working class during this time in history.
Line by Line Meaning
Poverty poverty knock, my loom is a saying all day
My loom keeps producing the same old patterns, day in and day out, which is a constant reminder of my poverty.
Poverty poverty knock, gaffer's too skinny to pay
My boss is as poor as I am, which means he can't afford to pay me a decent wage.
Poverty poverty knock, keeping one eye on the clock
I am always watching the clock, wondering when my shift will end and I can go home to rest.
I know I can guttle when I hear my shuttle go, 'poverty poverty knock'
Whenever I hear the sound of my loom, I know that my stomach will growl with hunger, because my wages are barely enough to survive on.
Up every morning at five, I wonder that we keep alive
I wake up early every day, and sometimes I'm surprised that I'm able to keep going despite how difficult my life is.
Tired and yawning in the cold morning
I am often tired and sleepy in the morning because I don't get enough rest due to my poverty and difficult working conditions.
It's back to the dreary old drive.
I have to go back to my boring, tedious and soul-sucking job again.
Oh dear we're going to be late
We're always in a rush because we have no time for ourselves or to do anything other than work.
Gaffer is stood at the gate
My boss is at the entrance, ready to dock our wages if we're late for work.
We're out of pockets, our wages they'll dock it
We have no money because we can't afford to buy anything, and we'll be punished further with deductions from our already low wages.
We'll have to buy grub on the slate
We have to buy on credit, knowing that we won't be able to pay the debt off anytime soon.
And when our wages they'll bring, we're often short of a string
Even when we get paid, we're often still in debt and struggling to make ends meet.
While we are fighting with gaffer for snatching (?),
We argue with our boss over deductions he made from our pay, which we believe are unfair.
We know to his breast he will cling
We know our boss values money more than us, and he will always side with the factory's interests rather than ours.
Sometimes a shuttle flies out and gives some poor woman a clout
Sometimes the loom equipment breaks and injures someone, but no one cares or offers help.
There she lies bleeding but nobody's heeding
The woman is left alone to suffer, even when there are others around who could help her.
Oh who's going to carry her out?
No one is willing to help and take responsibility for the injured person.
Oh dear, my poor head it sings
I often have headaches because of the stress and difficulty of my life.
I should have woven three strings
I should have woven more than I did, but my poverty and exhaustion make it impossible to work any harder.
My threads are breaking and my back is aching
I am physically exhausted and my tools are wearing out, but I have no choice but to keep going.
Oh dear, I wish I had wings
I wish I could fly away and escape the hardship of my life, but I know that isn't possible.
Poverty poverty knock
The constant sound of my loom reminds me of my poverty and the difficulties of my life.
Poverty poverty knock
I can't escape the reality of my life, no matter how hard I work or how much I wish things were different.
Poverty poverty knock
My poverty is a constant burden, and the sound of my loom only emphasizes how little control I have over my life.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: . TRADITIONAL, JIM MORAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ForgotMyStupidName
"Und weil der Mensch ein Mensch ist
Drum braucht er was zum Essen, bittesehr
Es macht ihn ein Geschwätz nicht satt
Das schafft kein Essen her"
Einheitsfrontlied: https://youtu.be/6Tz5daRrGDw
Vor acht Jahren hab ich "Poverty Knock" im Unterricht gehört und noch keine Ahnung gehabt, dass es immer noch die Lebensrealität der meisten Menschen wiederspiegelt.
Leute - macht was euch Spaß macht! Das Leben ist zu wertvoll, um in der Lohnsklaverei seine Lebenszeit zu vergeuden.
@simplenightcore6464
Vielen Dank für den Ohrwurm Green Line °^°
@Spoodergirl
Vor zwei jahren hab ich das lied das erste mal gehört (Englisch Unterricht) und es zieht mich immer wieder zu diesem Video :D
@xOM7x
ich auch ;D
@marleenrickert4809
wir ham das vor nem monat gehört und ich hörs mir auch öfter an :D
@lauraern5033
Wer kommt vom Englischunterricht und Green Line Buch 😀
@netzpirat
Sarah Ernst Jeder
@simi8260
;)
@laigen6813
Ja
@yuqii1071
Jup, 9. Klasse xD
@franzib4542
Exact