1982 saw GBH's first LP, City Baby Attacked By Rats. The album was marked lyrically with harsh criticism of British and European culture, typical of UK punk. It was also full of violence, morbidity (especially in reference to the song "Passenger On The Menu", which describes in graphic detail the experiences of the passengers on the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571), atheism, nihilism, social anarchism, and generalised absurdity. However not political, the album's lyrics do seem remarkably socially aware. This kind of content would later follow up in later GBH releases. Musically, the album was loud, and fast, with most songs staying under three minutes, typical of the hardcore punk genre. This is also a trademark of future GBH releases.
In 1983 the band changed their name to simply GBH, arguably just because the word "Charged" in front of their name had dropped from the lingo of many of their fans. (The name change was announced at a gig in the now defunct 'Golden Eagle' public house, where GBH were playing along with ex-Hawkwind sax player Nik Turner's 'Inner City Unit').
GBH are known to be pioneers of the UK82 second wave of British punk rock in the 1980s, along with fellow pioneers Discharge, Broken Bones, The Exploited, The Varukers. and The Skeptix.
The band has, for the most part, kept true to its original punk rock roots since its formation, unlike many other former punk bands, especially hardcore bands, who later formed the Post-Punk genre of the mid to late 80s. However the band has experimented with, alongside many other hardcore punk bands, notably The Exploited, a bit of what is known as metal crossover. Metal Crossover is when punk bands use riffs of heavy metal in their music, usually just as a break in the monotony of the traditional two and three chord, punk rock sound. Some punk rock purists argue that when punk bands do this they break from the original punk sound, and therefore become simply metal bands. The band, though, maintains that they are, in fact, still a punk rock band. However, the band has done this quite a lot, especially experimenting with it heavily in their 1992 release Church of the Truly Warped. This sound carried over even into their latest LPs. However, they have been falling back more on their original punk rock sound roots recently.
The band is still active and touring, even among many circulating rumours about a break up. The band maintains a strong cult following both in England and the rest of Europe, as well as in America and Japan, where some say that punk is still in its elementary to mid-stages.
BLOOD
GBH Lyrics
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The way to hell is paved with good intentions.
Looking at the blackness,
There's an evil eye beaming down on me.
My brain implodes with torture,
As my baby sleeps silently by me.
Prickly heat I just can't sleep,
The cool night air is beckoning.
I've gotta taste blood tonight,
I've gotta taste blood tonight,
Fever burns deep, down inside.
I've gotta taste blood tonight,
I've gotta taste blood tonight,
You'd better run 'cause you sure can't hide.
The world has lost its meaning,
A rat trap maze with no big cheese.
Energy drains to nowhere,
My get up and go just got up and gone.
This can't be for real,
Amnesia churns inside my head.
Frost glaze on the floor,
Reflects the truth by which I fear.
The lyrics to GBH's song 'Blood' seem to reflect the feeling of being trapped and lost, with no hope of escaping. The opening lines suggest that every decision or action we take leads us down a path, but in this case, the path leads to a place of darkness and despair. The line "the way to hell is paved with good intentions" implies that even when we have good intentions, we can still end up in a bad place.
The next lines paint a picture of the singer feeling watched and tormented, with an "evil eye beaming down" on them. This feeling intensifies as the singer is plagued with restlessness and "prickly heat" that stops them from sleeping. The repetition of the line "I've gotta taste blood tonight" suggests that the singer is consumed by some sort of desire, which we can assume is not a healthy one. The repeated line "fever burns deep, down inside" reinforces this idea of an obsession that is consuming the singer.
As the song progresses, the lyrics paint a bleak picture of a world that has lost its meaning, with a maze-like existence that has no reward. The lines "my get up and go just got up and gone" highlight the singer's sense of defeat and exhaustion. The mention of "amnesia churns inside my head" suggests a loss of identity, perhaps due to being trapped in this world with no escape.
The final line "reflects the truth by which I fear" seems to be a nod to the idea of self-reflection and inner demons, with the singer acknowledging that what they fear most is what they see reflected in themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Every road leads to somewhere,
All paths lead to a destination.
The way to hell is paved with good intentions.
Well-meaning actions can sometimes lead to disastrous outcomes.
Looking at the blackness,
Observing the darkness.
There's an evil eye beaming down on me.
Being watched by a malevolent entity.
My brain implodes with torture,
Mental anguish is overwhelming me.
As my baby sleeps silently by me.
While my child lies soundly beside me.
Prickly heat I just can't sleep,
Uncontrollable discomfort prevents rest.
The cool night air is beckoning.
The refreshing outdoor atmosphere entices me.
And I've gotta taste blood tonight,
I have an intense desire to cause harm.
Fever burns deep, down inside.
An intense passion is consuming me.
You'd better run 'cause you sure can't hide.
Escape is futile; those pursued will be caught.
The world has lost its meaning,
Existence no longer makes sense.
A rat trap maze with no big cheese.
Life has become a labyrinth with no reward at the end.
Energy drains to nowhere,
Effort is wasted on fruitless endeavors.
My get up and go just got up and gone.
Motivation and drive have vanished.
This can't be for real,
Disbelief in reality.
Amnesia churns inside my head.
Memory loss is causing confusion.
Frost glaze on the floor,
Reflective ice formation on the ground.
Reflects the truth by which I fear.
Revealing the reality that terrifies me.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: GBH, Abrahall
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind