Cockney Rejects are an English punk rock band that formed in the East End o… Read Full Bio ↴Cockney Rejects are an English punk rock band that formed in the East End of London in 1977. Their 1980 song "Oi, Oi, Oi" was the inspiration for the name of the Oi! music genre. The band members are supporters of West Ham United, and pay tribute to the club with their hit cover version of "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles", a song traditionally sung by West Ham supporters.

Career
Cockney Rejects were formed in 1977 by brothers Jeff and Micky Geggus, with their brother-in-law Chris Murrell on bass and Paul Harvey on drums. Their first demo, "Flares n' Slippers", caught the attention of Small Wonder Records owner Pete Stennett, who introduced the band to Bob Sergeant. With Sergeant, they recorded their single "Flares n' Slippers", which sold out its first pressing. Murrell and Harvey were then replaced by Vince Riordan on bass and Andy Scott on drums, from fellow East End London band, The Tickets. This became known as Cockney Rejects' classic lineup, and its debut at the Bridge House in Canning Town in June 1979 is considered a turning point for the band. In September of that same year, the band signed with EMI and released their album Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 in February 1980.

Their biggest hit single in the United Kingdom, 1980's "The Greatest Cockney Rip-Off", was a parody of Sham 69's song "Hersham Boys". Other Cockney Rejects songs were less commercial, partly because they tended to be about hard-edged topics such as street fighting or football hooliganism. Other singles to appear in the UK were "Bad Man," "We Can Do Anything," "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles " and "We Are the Firm" — all from 1980.

The violence depicted in their lyrics was often mirrored at their concerts, and the band members often fought to defend themselves (often from supporters of opposing football teams) or to split up conflicts between audience members. Jeff and Mick Geggus (who are brothers) had both been amateur youth boxers, and had fought at the national level. Bass player Vince Riordan's uncle was Jack "The Hat" McVitie, a Cockney gangster who was murdered by Reggie Kray.

Cockney Rejects expressed contempt for all politicians in their lyrics, and they rejected media claims that they had a British Movement following, or that the band members supported the views of that far right group. In their first Sounds interview, they mockingly referred to the British Movement as the "German Movement" and stated that many of their heroes were black boxers. Jeff Turner's autobiography Cockney Reject describes an incident in which the band members and their supporters had a massive fight against British Movement members at one of Cockney Rejects' early concerts.

EMI records released a definitive Rejects retrospective on 29 August 2011. Called Join the Rejects, the Zonophone years '79-'81, it was a three-disc collection of all their EMI recordings including all the Peel sessions and rare demos from the day. Also included was a colour booklet with a blow-by-blow account of the stories behind the music by Micky Geggus.

The Rejects movie East End Babylon and an album of the same name were released in 2013.

Tony Van Frater died in October 2015, aged 51.

In February 2016, it was announced that former Cockney Reject bass player Vince Riordan had re-joined the band again.

The group were slated to perform their first Australian shows in February 2019, however a family emergency necessitated the postponement of the concerts to July. The concerts were later rescheduled to October and went ahead that month to critical acclaim.

http://www.cockneyrejects.com/
https://myspace.com/readytoruck/bio
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockney_Rejects
https://www.facebook.com/TheCockneyRejects
http://www.discogs.com/artist/254787

I Wanna be a Star
Cockney Rejects Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I wanna be a star
I want everyone to know
I wanna have the money and the fame and the clothes
I gotta go far
I gotta have shows
All I wanna do is be successful
'Cause I wanna be a star
I wanna be, I wanna be

I wanna be, I wanna be a star
I wanna be, I wanna be
I wanna be, I wanna be a star

J-Reyez
Its the J R E Y E Z
Yeah and I'ma give it all I got now
I'm heading for the top now, embedded in the plot now
And I won't stop now, the same expedition
But now I'm more determined for the name and position
Of the top and I rise, that's my name's definition
The game is a mission for the same recognition that I been gettin'
And I gotta jump to the next step
Room for improvement, 'cause I ain't the best yet
I'm just a musician on the rise
My ambition for the prize, no limit to the sky
I'ma keep on trying 'til the day that I die
What I say in my rhymes, is love and it's honesty
Haters you can hate but you suckas ain't stoppin' me
Say what you say but you suckas don't bother meee
I just had to extend the line
We gonna rise and I'm talking about the friends of mine

I wanna be a star
I want everyone to know
I wanna have the money and the fame and the clothes
I gotta go far
I gotta have shows
All I wanna do is be successful
'Cause I wanna be a star
I wanna be, I wanna be
I wanna be, I wanna be a star
I wanna be, I wanna be
I wanna be, I wanna be a star

Traphik
Now you may say that I'm a dreamer but I'm not the only one
I can say when I was 3 is when the prophecy begun
My daddy saw me dancing around the family for fun
Started snapping with the camera, the spotlight on his son
I caught a bug for the stage and the fame
Applause from the audience, they saying my name
I'm on a mission and they saying it's impossible
It's really like I'm pissing 'cause my flow is so unstoppable
They'd say I'd never make it 'cause I'm just a silly Asian
To me it ain't a dream, it's more like a destination
Eyes on the prize at the end of the line
I know that I'ma get there, it's a matter of time
Everytime I go out I want TMZ to follow me
Wanna hit the VIP where models poppin bottles be
I love my haters so I never let it bother me
'Cause now I'm making money, mom and daddy look you gotta see

I wanna be a star
I want everyone to know
I wanna have the money and the fame and the clothes
I gotta go far
I gotta have shows
All I wanna do is be successful
'Cause I wanna be a star
I wanna be, I wanna be
I wanna be, I wanna be a star
I wanna be, I wanna be
I wanna be, I wanna be a star
I wanna be a star I wanna be a star
Cause i want to be I wanna be a star
I want everyone to know
I wanna have the money and the fame and the clothes
I gotta go far
I gotta have shows
All I wanna do is be successful
'Cause I wanna be a star
I wanna be, I wanna be
I wanna be, I wanna be a star
I wanna be, I wanna be
I wanna be, I wanna be a star
I want everyone to know
I wanna have the money and the fame and the clothes
I gotta go far
I gotta have shows
All I wanna do is be successful
'Cause I wanna be a star
I wanna be, I wanna be
I wanna be, I wanna be a star
I wanna be, I wanna be

I wanna be, I wanna be a star
I I wanna be I I wanna be I I wanna be

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Cockney Rejects' song, "I Wanna be a Star," are about the desire for fame, money, and success. The song is essentially an anthem to those who want to achieve stardom, and it highlights the lengths some are willing to go to attain it.

The song speaks to the common human desire to be recognized and respected, and to leave a lasting impact on the world. The lyrics suggest that the way to achieve these goals is to work hard, put on great shows, and create a persona that people will love and admire.

The lines sung by J-Reyez and Traphik, who are featured in the song, add an extra level of depth to the lyrics. They speak about their own personal experiences and struggles with achieving success, and the obstacles that they have had to overcome to get where they are today.

Overall, "I Wanna be a Star" is a relatable song to anyone who has ever dreamt of making it big, and it serves as a reminder that with hard work and perseverance, anything is possible.

Line by Line Meaning

I wanna be a star
The desire to be famous and successful

I want everyone to know
The craving for recognition and attention

I wanna have the money and the fame and the clothes
The yearning for wealth, status, and material possessions

I gotta go far
The determination to work hard and reach a high level of success

I gotta have shows
The need to perform and showcase one's talent to audiences

All I wanna do is be successful
The ultimate goal and purpose in pursuing a career in the entertainment industry

'Cause I wanna be a star
The reason behind all the hard work and dedication towards achieving stardom

I wanna be, I wanna be
The repetition emphasizes the strong desire to become a star

Traphik: Now you may say that I'm a dreamer but I'm not the only one
Acknowledgement of the challenges and criticism that come with pursuing a career in entertainment

Started snapping with the camera, the spotlight on his son
The beginning of a childhood fascination with performing on stage and receiving attention

Eyes on the prize at the end of the line
Focused on the ultimate goal of achieving success and fame

Everytime I go out I want TMZ to follow me
The desire for paparazzi and media attention as a sign of fame and success

Wanna hit the VIP where models poppin bottles be
The craving for the exclusive, upscale lifestyle associated with stardom

J-Reyez: Room for improvement, 'cause I ain't the best yet
Awareness of the need to work hard and constantly improve in order to reach the level of success desired

Haters you can hate but you suckas ain't stoppin' me
No matter the criticism or negativity from others, the dedication and drive towards achieving success will not falter

Contributed by Reagan O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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