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
Police Car
Cockney Rejects Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I got nicked over at west ham!
I'm a fool I guess its true
For all I know, I'll be in the back with you!
In a Police Car! Police Car! Police Car! Police Car!
Police come in one hour later.
They've been looking for a guy named Freddy Jesper
Show me my freedom, they know I lie
In the back of a Police Car! Police Car! Police Car! Police Car!
The lyrics to the Cockney Rejects' "Police Car" depict a run-in with the law, where the singer finds themselves being apprehended while in the midst of enjoying punk music and football (or "sham," a reference to West Ham United). Despite acknowledging their own foolishness, the singer seems to revel in the experience of being in the back of a police car, repeating the song's titular phrase with increasing fervor.
As the song progresses, the police are revealed to be on the search for someone else ("Freddy Jesper") but nonetheless subject the singer to questioning and a loss of freedom. However, the singer's eagerness to go along for the ride still shines through, as they seem to view the whole experience as a wild adventure.
Overall, the lyrics to "Police Car" seem to tap into a punk ethos of rebellion and a love of chaotic experiences, even when those experiences involve brushes with authority. The song's catchy refrain and driving beat make it an anthem that continues to be beloved by punk fans today.
Line by Line Meaning
I like punk and I like sham
I enjoy listening to punk music and shamrock music.
I got nicked over at west ham!
I was arrested in the West Ham area.
I'm a fool I guess its true
I admit that I have made foolish mistakes.
For all I know, I'll be in the back with you!
I am uncertain of the future, but it is likely that I will end up in the back of a police car with another person.
In a Police Car! Police Car! Police Car! Police Car!
Repeatedly emphasizing that the situation involves being in a police car.
Police come in one hour later.
The police arrive a while later after the arrest has already been made.
They've been looking for a guy named Freddy Jesper
The police have been searching for someone named Freddy Jesper.
Show me my freedom, they know I lie
I am pleading for my freedom, but the police know that I am not telling the truth.
For all we knew, we were going for a ride.
We did not have any prior knowledge or expectations of being arrested, so it felt like we were just going for a casual ride.
In the back of a Police Car! Police Car! Police Car! Police Car!
Emphasizing again that the experience involves being in the back of a police car.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dechips
Punk with roots in Rock music. Micky Geggus guitar. Revisiting this after 40 years. What a track.
@smileysatanson3404
"Freedom? aint no FUCKING freedom!" One of the most british things i've heard mate
@EdinburghAndy
When we were at school our music teacher would let us bring in singles to play and then discuss the song with the class. She didn't like songs with swearing or sexual references and would stop the record as soon as she heard any naughty words. We started a contest to see who could get her to stop their record the quickest. My mate Fraser was the outright winner with this!
@johnmapper7105
Best story I've ever heard related to this Song! 😂👍
@andycrawford2941
Ian Dury's 'Plaistow Patricia' may have beaten this.
@Monchi2006
"I like punk, and i like Sham" is the most hood lyric on a punk song ever
@peterbazooka1918
Is that a dig on sham 69?
@Monchi2006
@@peterbazooka1918 a dig as in a diss? Not really. They are reppin sham 69, the band that most of these oi! Bands site as their biggest influence
@peterbazooka1918
I thought that by separating the two they meant sham 69 wasn't punk. Thanks for the clarification.
@TEARUPOFFICIAL
Jimmy pursey produced this so I don’t think it was a dig