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
In the Underworld
Cockney Rejects Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
i'm trying to find my way
i think i've looked just everywhere
to find that brand new day
i'm walking down a rainy street
i'm staring straight ahead
blackness there before my eyes
there's nothing in my head
i found myself in the underworld
i'don't know what the score is
i found myself in the underworld
what can i do can i do
boredom sets in easily
if you've got nothing to do
i can't listen to anyone
least of all is you
you start to fight start to scream
lose your sense of control
is it a real or is it a dream
i, i just don't know
i just don't know
ignorance ain't hard to find
if you know where to look
a lot of mouth from boring prat
and a nose stuck in a book
The song In The Underworld by Cockney Rejects is a lament about feeling lost and alone in a harsh and unfamiliar environment. The singer of the song is wandering through a rainy and dark street trying to find his way out and escape the boredom and monotony of his life. He stumbles upon the "underworld", which is a metaphor for the seedy and dangerous aspects of urban life that he has stumbled upon. The underworld is a place where people have given into their base desires and impulses, and violence and chaos reigns.
The singer feels like he has no control over his life and is just a pawn in a bigger game. The world around him is overwhelming, and he feels like he is drowning in a sea of ignorance and stupidity. He feels disconnected from everything and is looking for a way out. The final lines "a lot of mouth from boring prat, and a nose stuck in a book", is a scathing indictment of the people around him who are content to just talk and read about the world instead of actively engaging with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Here i am alone again
Once again, I find myself alone
i'm trying to find my way
I'm struggling to navigate this difficult situation
i think i've looked just everywhere
I've searched far and wide, but to no avail
to find that brand new day
To find a new beginning, a fresh start
i'm walking down a rainy street
I'm wandering through a dark, gloomy place
i'm staring straight ahead
I'm trying to stay focused, despite the murky surroundings
blackness there before my eyes
I can see nothing but darkness and despair
nothing in my head
I feel lost and empty, without direction
i found myself in the underworld
I've stumbled upon a dangerous, unfamiliar place
i'don't know what the score is
I'm confused and disoriented, unsure of what's happening
what can i do can i do
What options do I have in this situation?
boredom sets in easily
It's easy to become bored and restless when there's nothing to do
if you've got nothing to do
When there's no purpose or activity to occupy you
i can't listen to anyone
I can't be bothered to pay attention to anyone's words
least of all is you
Especially not to you, whoever you are
you start to fight start to scream
When conflict arises and tempers flare
lose your sense of control
When emotions run high and rational thinking is lost
is it a real or is it a dream
I can't tell if this is happening in reality or just in my mind
i, i just don't know
I'm at a loss, completely unsure of what to do
ignorance ain't hard to find
It's not difficult to come across ignorance and foolishness
if you know where to look
You'll find it in the most obvious and expected places
a lot of mouth from boring prat
Many people talk too much without anything interesting to say
and a nose stuck in a book
Others are too absorbed in reading to really engage with the world around them
Contributed by Lillian K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Thomas Docherty
My fave rejects tune,roll on tomorrow night oi fuckin oi
S M
badd ass jam
darek alickun
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!