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
We Are The Firm
Cockney Rejects Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nothin' will get in their way
We're the firm and they all know,
When we come they don't wanna know,
We're the ones who still win the day
Running rouning that's our way
We all like it everyday
We don't worry about it
So don't give us no verbal on our way!
We're the firm! We're the firm!
We're the firm! We're the firm!
People try to shut us up
We don't care we ain't no pufs
We don't worry about it
We don't care we're used to it,
So don't give us no verbal for today!
The lyrics of the song "We Are The Firm" by Cockney Rejects are a call to action to a group of rowdy and tough guys, who call themselves "the firm." This group is presented as being fearless and unstoppable, facing any obstacle that comes their way. The song is an ode to their way of life, telling their opponents that they won't back down, no matter what. The chorus repeats the phrase "We're the firm!" with a sense of pride and power, reinforcing the idea of a strong and united group that won't be defeated.
The lyrics also show a clear disregard for authority and societal norms. The backstreet boys, who may symbolize mainstream society or those who oppose the firm, are dismissed as being incapable of stopping them. The group takes pleasure in their unconventional lifestyle, which involves running around and causing chaos. The phrase "We don't worry about it, We don't care we're used to it" suggests that they have become desensitized to any criticism or societal pressure they may face. In conclusion, "We Are The Firm" is a rebellious and assertive song that celebrates the values of a group of individuals who challenge the status quo.
Line by Line Meaning
Backstreet boys are here to stay
We acknowledge the popularity of Backstreet Boys but we are not intimidated by them.
Nothin' will get in their way
We are determined and committed and no external forces can hinder us.
We're the firm and they all know,
We are a cohesive and strong group and people do recognize and fear our power.
When we come they don't wanna know,
People tend to avoid confrontation with us because they are afraid of our strength.
We're the ones who still win the day
We always come out victorious, no matter how challenging the situation may be.
Running rouning that's our way
We prefer to handle our problems and conflicts through physical means such as fighting and running away.
We all like it everyday
We enjoy living this life, being a part of this group and doing things our way.
We don't worry about it
We are not bothered by the opinions of others and the consequences of our actions.
We don't care we're used to it,
We are accustomed to the challenges and hardships of this lifestyle and they do not affect us anymore.
So don't give us no verbal on our way!
We do not tolerate verbal abuse or disrespect and will not hesitate to respond aggressively.
We're the firm! We're the firm!
We are reasserting our identity and strength as the group known as 'the firm'.
People try to shut us up
We face opposition and attempts to silence us because of our actions and reputation.
We don't care we ain't no pufs
We are not homosexuals and we do not conform to society's standards of masculinity, but we are still strong and formidable.
So don't give us no verbal for today!
We still refuse to tolerate any form of verbal disrespect or abuse directed towards us.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Javier Santa
Backstreet boys are here to stay
Nothin' will get in their way
We're the firm and they all know,
when we come they don't wanna know,
we're the ones who still win the day
Running rouning that's our way
We all like it everyday
We don't worry about it
we don't care we're used to it,
so don't give us no verbal on our way!
We're the firm! We're the firm!
We're the firm! We're the firm!
People try to shut us up
We don't care we ain't no pufs
We don't worry about it
we don't care we're used to it,
so don't give us no verbal for today
Larz Gustafsson
Fantastic tune!
GianfrancoHC
The best band ever!!!!
Javier Santa
Backstreet boys are here to stay
Nothin' will get in their way
We're the firm and they all know,
when we come they don't wanna know,
we're the ones who still win the day
Running rouning that's our way
We all like it everyday
We don't worry about it
we don't care we're used to it,
so don't give us no verbal on our way!
We're the firm! We're the firm!
We're the firm! We're the firm!
People try to shut us up
We don't care we ain't no pufs
We don't worry about it
we don't care we're used to it,
so don't give us no verbal for today
Pat Alex
Thank you so so much :D
soundeagle
@Pat Alex back when backstreet boys had a totally different meaning hehe
Simone Woodley
love this song
Mike Bianco
seeing these guys in September, gonna be fucking nuts
ecopunk66
Newcastle NME V ICF always went off! Win some lose some, thats how it goes firmwise!! Im well retired now bit thanks for the memories of the real days lads!!!!
Adrian Lewis
Can remember coming up against icf at old baseball ground one night. They had some balls I'll give them that. Like West Ham. Proper football club. The firms of today are shit compared to the old days
Philippe Cirse
You find yourself in a cold, dark and empty room. Windows closed, doors locked. Your eyes have adapted to the small light that seeps into the holes in your curtains. You stand in the middle of the room and you finally became that "nothing" you had seen in a dream. Now you realize that your life escapes you and that you become what you have always feared !