Their first major hit as Coldcut was the house-inflected People Hold On, featuring a then-unknown Lisa Stansfield. The single took the U.K. by a storm, and the subsequent album featured such luminaries as Junior Reid (on the single "Stop This Crazy Thing") and Queen Latifah.
In 1991 they started their own record label, Ninja Tune, which continues to release groundbreaking and extremely diverse music by a small army of like-minded artists. In 1997 the duo unveiled their own real time video manipulation software, VJamm. Coldcut's current live and DJ sets rely on video as much as records, taking the concept of multimedia performance into largely uncharted territory.
Conceptually, Coldcut owes as much to the ideas of beat writer and cut-up theorist William S. Burroughs, 1970s art / industrial group Throbbing Gristle, and the religious writings of J. R. "Bob" Dobbs as much as to hip-hop originators like Grandmaster Flash or later innovators Double D and Steinski.
Recognizing the power inherent in Burroughs' cut-up technique and its presence in hip hop music, More and Black have relentlessly pushed the D.I.Y. ethic and an understanding of play as a means of fostering greater interaction with and understanding of the world around you. The similarities between this ethos and that of hacking need hardly be stated. Ninja Tune uses a corporate facade to communicate via the marketplace itself, an idea first implemented by Throbbing Gristle via their own Industrial Records imprint.
One of the key aspects of the Ninja Tune ethos, Stealth, implies that their following of DJs and listeners are "agents" in a Burroughsian sense, propagating the D.I.Y. ethic of play as an essentially subversive act by replaying and manipulating media under the radar of mainstream culture. Nowadays Coldcut reach a worldwide audience through their syndicated radio show Solid Steel. Black has recently (2003) worked with Penny Rimbaud (ex Crass) on Crass Agenda's Savage Utopia project.
In 2006, Coldcut released their fifth album, Sound Mirrors. single True Skool featured rapper Roots Manuva and featured an Indian sample from a cult Bollywood era, making the track popular on the bhangra and desi scene and with most of the British Asian urban nation.
Every Home A Prison
Coldcut Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Big government is over
From now on, instead of community
You will be left
In the marketplace
To fend for yourselves
Claw for yourselves
Stab for yourselves
What little money, savings, dignity, and shelter you have left
After your jobs are downsized
And exported to Mexico
Tennis shoes made by slaves in camps in Indonesia
Computer jobs sent across the ocean to Indonesia
You will be next unless you bow down, lick our boots
And throw your benefits away
Your raises away
And this is all you have to look forward to
Forever and ever and ever
As more and more benefits are slashed
No more tax-and-spend welfare state
A windfall from tax cuts for the rich
As more and more people
Out in the cold on the street
Begging for money
And when that doesn′t work
Robbing people
Carjacking
Home invasion
Everyone taught
That life is so cheap
There's nothing to look forward to
Except what you can score
(And smoke in a pipe)
Ending welfare as we know it
Means third world crime as we know it
So why is it
All these young people today
Misbehave
Misbehave
Misbehave
Don′t they appreciate the world we've built for them?
Crappy jobs
Dog-eat-dog
No compassion
In the marketplace
If you like school
You'll love work
Instead they ditch school
And hang out on the screen
Yob culture (Hooah!)
Young hooligans
Everywhere you look (Hooah!)
On TV anyway
And in the newspaper
They′re causing trouble (Hooah!)
More and more people
Will pour in the streets
As their rents go up
And job opportunities go down
So we have to keep them down
Before they rise up
And burn our house of cards to the ground
It′s just the cost of doing business
In third world countries where we keep the peasants down
We have to live in armed compounds, armed guards
Play tennis
At gunpoint
A different route to work behind bulletproof glass each day
But hey, the more the hordes hate you, more status you've got
Why not do this with the whole world?
With GATT treaties
Downsizing
But what about those goddamn hooligans in the street?
We stole their future
It′s all their fault
We must lock them up
There's no room in the jails
So the best way to sweep them away
Make every home a prison today
Curfew
Curfew
Who cares how much our leaders are
Corrupt, as long as they′re tough on crime
Curfew
Keep them away
Curfew
No longer unauthorized activity
You can't leave the home without an electronic ankle bracelet
Your offenders must be tagged and watched at all times
Tag their parents with bracelets too if they don′t obey
For that matter, tag them at work and make them stay
The main enemy
Terrorist threat
Is your own children
Think about it
The music they listen to
That tells them the world is bad
It's the songs that are the problem, not the violence outside
Keep them locked up
Keep them in curfew
Put them away
Don't let them out
We′re tougher on crime
Before the election
We want a national law establishing children′s bedtime
The bedtime patrol
Will check up on you
Bedtime patrol
Make sure your bracelet's on
The nanny state
To reach down your pants
And check and see if you′ve been moistening yourselves
With any unauthorized substance
Without permission
Tag them
Curfew them
Keep them down
Keep them at home
To school
To rent a video on the way home
And stay home
Just like at work
Do not gather after dark
Curfew
It's such a family-oriented word
A much more acceptable, smiling, soft word
A much more palatable concept
Than martial law
Put your bracelets on
You′re safer when you're watched
Don′t go outside
You'll set the alarm off
Curfew
Forever and ever and ever
The lyrics to Coldcut's song, "Every Home a Prison" are a scathing critique of big government, laissez-faire capitalism, and the erosion of civil liberties. The song argues that government policies that strip away welfare benefits, downsize jobs, and promote outsourcing to third-world countries are contributing to the rise of crime, delinquency, and social dislocation. The lyrics condemn the government's response to these problems, which is to lock people up, impose curfews, and subject them to electronic monitoring. The song suggests that these measures are not only repressive but also ineffective, and that they are part of a larger trend of authoritarianism that is turning every home into a prison.
The lyrics of "Every Home a Prison" are both prophetic and disturbing. At the time of its release in 1997, the song was prescient in its warnings about the rise of neoliberalism, the loss of job security, and the growth of social inequality. Today, the song's message resonates even more deeply in a world that is grappling with the consequences of globalization, austerity, and the erosion of civil liberties. The song is a powerful reminder of the dangers of an unbridled free market, and of the need for a strong, compassionate government that puts people before profits.
Overall, the song symbolizes the frustration and despair of a generation that sees their hopes and dreams slipping away. The song suggests that people are not hopeless, that they can resist the forces of oppression and build a better world. But it also acknowledges that this struggle will not be easy, and that it may require people to make difficult choices and sacrifices. The song ends with an ominous warning that curfews and electronic monitoring are not the solution to the problems of crime and social dislocation, and that the real threat to our security may be the very system that claims to protect us.
Line by Line Meaning
Rejoice, friends
Be happy, my friends
Big government is over
Large government control is no longer present
From now on, instead of community
In the future, community will be replaced
You will be left
You will be abandoned
In the marketplace
Within the realm of commerce
To fend for yourselves
To protect and provide for yourselves
Claw for yourselves
Fight and struggle for yourselves
Stab for yourselves
Betray and harm others for yourselves
Guard for yourselves
Defend and protect yourselves
What little money, savings, dignity, and shelter you have left
The remaining small amounts of money, savings, dignity, and shelter you possess
After your jobs are downsized
Once your jobs are reduced in size/number
And exported to Mexico
And sent abroad to Mexico
Tennis shoes made by slaves in camps in Indonesia
Shoes produced by enslaved people in Indonesian camps
Computer jobs sent across the ocean to Indonesia
Computing jobs transferred to Indonesia across the ocean
You will be next unless you bow down, lick our boots
You will be the next target unless you submit to us, showing complete obedience
And throw your benefits away
And give up your advantages
Your raises away
Your salary increases as well
And this is all you have to look forward to
And this is the only thing you can anticipate
Forever and ever and ever
For an infinite amount of time
As more and more benefits are slashed
As more and more advantages are reduced
No more tax-and-spend welfare state
The state will no longer allocate funds for social welfare through taxation
A windfall from tax cuts for the rich
An unexpected large profit obtained through tax reductions for wealthy individuals
As more and more people
As an increasing number of individuals
Out in the cold on the street
Left in a marginalized state while on the street
Begging for money
Asking for money desperately
And when that doesn′t work
And when that strategy fails
Robbing people
Stealing from others
Carjacking
Stealing a vehicle by force
Home invasion
Breaking into someone's residence
Everyone taught
Everyone is educated/brought up
That life is so cheap
That life is of little value
There's nothing to look forward to
There is no positive future to anticipate
Except what you can score
Except what you can obtain
(And smoke in a pipe)
(And consume through smoking)
Ending welfare as we know it
Discontinuing the welfare system as we are familiar with
Means third world crime as we know it
Results in criminal behavior similar to that of third world countries
So why is it
Then why is it
All these young people today
Why are all these youngsters in the present time
Misbehave
Act improperly
Misbehave
Misbehave
Misbehave
Misbehave
Don′t they appreciate the world we've built for them?
Do they not value the world we have constructed for them?
Crappy jobs
Unpleasant jobs
Dog-eat-dog
Merciless and competitive
No compassion
Lack of empathy
In the marketplace
Within the realm of commerce
If you like school
If you enjoy attending school
You'll love work
Then you will enjoy working
Instead they ditch school
Rather, they skip school
And hang out on the screen
And spend time on digital devices
Yob culture (Hooah!)
Hooligan culture (expressing enthusiasm)
Young hooligans
Juvenile troublemakers
Everywhere you look (Hooah!)
They are present wherever you gaze (expressing enthusiasm)
On TV anyway
At least on television
And in the newspaper
And in the press
They′re causing trouble (Hooah!)
They are causing disturbances (expressing enthusiasm)
More and more people
An increasing number of individuals
Will pour in the streets
Will flood the streets
As their rents go up
As their rent increases
And job opportunities go down
And job prospects decline
So we have to keep them down
So we must suppress them
Before they rise up
Before they rebel
And burn our house of cards to the ground
And completely destroy our unstable system
It′s just the cost of doing business
It is merely the expense of conducting business
In third world countries where we keep the peasants down
In underdeveloped nations where we oppress the lower class
We have to live in armed compounds, armed guards
We are compelled to reside in fortified areas with armed security
Play tennis
Engage in the sport of tennis
At gunpoint
Under the threat of firearms
A different route to work behind bulletproof glass each day
Taking a varied path to work, shielded by bullet-resistant glass every day
But hey, the more the hordes hate you, more status you've got
However, the more the masses despise you, the greater your position
Why not do this with the whole world?
Why not implement this approach worldwide?
With GATT treaties
Through the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade treaties
Downsizing
Reducing in size
But what about those goddamn hooligans in the street?
However, what about those damn troublemakers in the street?
We stole their future
We took away their future
It′s all their fault
It is entirely their responsibility
We must lock them up
We need to imprison them
There's no room in the jails
There is no space in the prisons
So the best way to sweep them away
Therefore, the most effective way to get rid of them
Make every home a prison today
Transform every residence into a prison today
Curfew
Time restriction
Curfew
Curfew
Who cares how much our leaders are
It does not matter how corrupt our leaders are
Corrupt, as long as they′re tough on crime
As long as they are strict regarding criminal activity
Curfew
Curfew
Keep them away
Keep them separated
Curfew
Curfew
No longer unauthorized activity
No more unapproved actions
You can't leave the home without an electronic ankle bracelet
You are not permitted to go outside unless wearing an electronic device on your ankle
Your offenders must be tagged and watched at all times
Your wrongdoers must be marked and monitored constantly
Tag their parents with bracelets too if they don′t obey
Also, attach bracelets to their parents if they do not comply
For that matter, tag them at work and make them stay
Moreover, label them at their workplace and keep them there
The main enemy
The primary adversary
Terrorist threat
Terrorism danger
Is your own children
Is your own kids
Think about it
Consider this carefully
The music they listen to
The music they listen to
That tells them the world is bad
Which informs them that the world is detrimental
It's the songs that are the problem, not the violence outside
The issue lies with the songs, not the violence happening externally
Keep them locked up
Keep them confined
Keep them in curfew
Impose a curfew on them
Put them away
Imprison them
Don't let them out
Do not allow them to leave
We′re tougher on crime
We are stricter on criminality
Before the election
Prior to the election
We want a national law establishing children′s bedtime
We desire a nationwide legislation stipulating children's bedtime
The bedtime patrol
The group responsible for supervising bedtime
Will check up on you
Will monitor your compliance
Bedtime patrol
Bedtime patrol
Make sure your bracelet's on
Ensure that your ankle bracelet is wearing
The nanny state
The excessively controlling state
To reach down your pants
To invade your personal space
And check and see if you′ve been moistening yourselves
And verify if you have been engaging in self-indulgence
With any unauthorized substance
With any prohibited substance
Without permission
Without authorization
Tag them
Label them
Curfew them
Enforce curfew on them
Keep them down
Suppress them
Keep them at home
Keep them within the confines of their residences
To school
To attend school
To rent a video on the way home
To rent a video while returning home
And stay home
And remain at home
Just like at work
Similar to how it is in their workplace
Do not gather after dark
Do not come together after sunset
Curfew
Curfew
It's such a family-oriented word
It is a term associated with family values
A much more acceptable, smiling, soft word
A more agreeable, friendly, gentle term
A much more palatable concept
A more easily accepted notion
Than martial law
As opposed to martial law
Put your bracelets on
Place your ankle bracelets on
You′re safer when you're watched
You are more secure when under surveillance
Don′t go outside
Do not venture outside
You'll set the alarm off
You will trigger the alarm
Curfew
Curfew
Forever and ever and ever
For an infinite amount of time
Writer(s): Mattew Black, Jonathan More, Robert Pepperell, Jello Biafra
Contributed by Katherine S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.