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.
Storm
Chumbawamba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In every port
There's a storm
There's a storm
In every port
In Liverpool or South Georgia
Propaganda keeps us dumb
Believing all the shit that we read in The Sun
There's a storm
In every port
There's a storm
There's a storm
In every port
People die
We don't ask why
We're passive and we're happy
And we're fed on lies
We have to try!
There's a storm
In every port
There's a storm
There's a storm
In every port
Yeah...
The song "Storm" by Chumbawamba starts with the repetition of the line "There's a storm in every port", which serves as a metaphorical representation of the chaos and instability that exists in various locations around the world. The storm could signify political unrest, social inequality, economic crisis or any other issues that affect people's daily lives. The next two lines "In Liverpool or South Georgia, listen to the words of a bribed reporter" highlights the role that media manipulation plays in influencing public perception of events around the world. The reference to "a bribed reporter" casts doubt on the authenticity of the news people receive, and suggests that powerful interests can sway what people believe.
The following lines "Propaganda keeps us dumb, believing all the shit that we read in The Sun" further highlights the need for people to question the information they receive, and not blindly accept what is being presented to them. The reference to "The Sun" is significant, as it is a tabloid newspaper that has been accused of misleading and sensationalist reporting, and is considered by some to be a mouthpiece for powerful conservative interests. The song then takes a darker turn as it goes on to say "People die, we don't ask why, we're passive and we're happy, and we're fed on lies". This highlights the apathy and complacency that many people exhibit in the face of injustice and suffering, and how easy it is for people to become numb to the atrocities that occur around them.
Overall, the song is a call to action, urging people to question the information they receive and to actively work towards creating a better world. It paints a bleak picture of the current state of affairs, but also suggests that there is hope for change if people are willing to take action.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a storm
There's a tumultuous situation that people are caught up in.
In every port
It's a universal problem and can be seen in all parts of the world
There's a storm
There's a tumultuous situation that people are caught up in.
There's a storm
There's a tumultuous situation that people are caught up in.
In Liverpool or South Georgia
This problem is not limited geographically, it's found in both developed and underdeveloped countries.
Listen to the words of a bribed reporter
The media is bribed to propagate specific agendas and manipulate the masses.
Propaganda keeps us dumb
The use of propaganda tricks people into believing falsehoods and not questioning what they see.
Believing all the shit that we read in The Sun
The media continually boasts false news that people blindly believe in and still support.
People die
People are perishing due to this storm.
We don't ask why
People are resigned to accepting the status quo and no longer questioning the forces that rule them.
We're passive and we're happy
We accept the situation without question because we believe it's our only option.
And we're fed on lies
The oppressors deceive us using propaganda and lies, and make us believe that they know what's best for us.
We have to try!
We have to actively fight against the system and not give up until a positive change is made.
There's a storm
There's a tumultuous situation that people are caught up in.
In every port
It's a universal problem and can be seen in all parts of the world.
There's a storm
There's a tumultuous situation that people are caught up in.
There's a storm
There's a tumultuous situation that people are caught up in.
Contributed by Ruby P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Chuck E. Jesus
Brilliant! I'm going to mirror this and overlay the lyrics as subtitles! :-)
ProfessorPeewee
It's official, I am now a rabid Chumbawumba fan...
hamsterpoop
Awesome! :)
El rey va desnudo
We fucking miss you guys!
grenangle
FANTASTIC fived and faved
asdfTambourine
Sweet! Do you know whether the words are anywhere available? T.
Ippie
I wish those people weren't talking through the whole thing!
VulcanFleet
I second CKtheFat. Creationism is the (surprise) Creation Myth of a primitive culture. Evolution is a process that has produced the diversity of life, and is still in operation.
asdfTambourine
A bit of Googling turned them up, actually, but certainly it would be no harm to show them here too, if there's room. T.