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.
Generals
GBH Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never look behind you, we're with you all the way.
Go to bed early, conserve you energy,
tommorow we'll fight the enemy.
Polish your boots, clean your gun,
killing those bastards will be a lot of fun.
Take no prisoners, kill them all.
Start to march when you hear the call.
Britain needs you, Britain needs you...
Britain needs you ti die for her.
Marching into victory, marching in the mud.
Fighting for freedom, fighting in the blood.
There's dead bodies all aroud, you're told to carry on.
Death is not right, war cannot be won.
March along you see a flash,
fall to the ground and make a splash.
You awake you're lying in a bed,
eyes are shut you think you're dead.
Lost your arm, lost your leg.
Lost you're job, You'll have to beg.
You'll get loads of sympathy, a picture in the evening post.
But wher were the generals when you needed them most?
The GBH song "Generals" is a commentary on the militaristic propaganda and false promises used to recruit young men into the armed forces. The lyrics are written from the perspective of a soldier being lured into battle by the rallying speeches of the generals. The first stanza includes lines like "We'll lead you into victory" and "Never look behind you, we're with you all the way," which suggest that the generals are confident about the war effort and will be there to support the troops. The soldiers are instructed to prepare themselves physically and mentally for the upcoming fight, which involves killing the enemy with enjoyment and not taking any prisoners. The chorus, which repeats the phrase "Britain needs you to die for her," highlights the stark reality that the war efforts may cost them their lives.
The second stanza focuses on the harsh realities of war, including death, injury, and loss. There are the dead bodies lying all around as they continue to fight, and when the soldier is injured in battle, he is left to fend for himself. The singer asks where the generals were when he needed them the most, calling out the betrayal of those who promised to support and protect them. The song ends on a somber note, emphasizing the true cost of war.
Overall, "Generals" is a powerful critique of war and propaganda, underscoring the false promises of military recruiters and the human cost of warfare.
Line by Line Meaning
We'll lead you into victory, you hear the generals say.
The generals promise to lead soldiers to victory.
Never look behind you, we're with you all the way.
Soldiers are advised to keep marching forward with the generals' support.
Go to bed early, conserve you energy, tommorow we'll fight the enemy.
Soldiers are instructed to rest well to prepare for the battle to come.
Polish your boots, clean your gun, killing those bastards will be a lot of fun.
Soldiers are told to prepare their weapons and enjoy the act of killing the enemy.
Take no prisoners, kill them all.
Soldiers are given an order to not take prisoners and to kill all enemies.
Start to march when you hear the call.
Soldiers are advised to begin marching when commanded to do so.
Britain needs you, Britain needs you...
Britain needs you to die for her.
The generals and the country are urging soldiers to fight for their country, even if it means giving their lives.
Marching into victory, marching in the mud.
The soldiers are marching towards their goal, even in difficult and messy conditions.
Fighting for freedom, fighting in the blood.
Soldiers are fighting for the freedom of their country, and they are experiencing the brutality of war.
There's dead bodies all aroud, you're told to carry on.
Soldiers are exposed to the gruesome reality of war, but they are encouraged to keep fighting.
Death is not right, war cannot be won.
The song acknowledges the horrors of war, and the idea that war only leads to death.
March along you see a flash, fall to the ground and make a splash.
A soldier sees an explosion and is wounded in the process.
You awake you're lying in a bed, eyes are shut you think you're dead.
The soldier wakes up in a hospital bed, thinking they may be dead.
Lost your arm, lost your leg.
The soldier has lost one or more limbs due to their injuries.
Lost you're job, You'll have to beg.
The soldier may also lose their job or means of income due to their injuries.
You'll get loads of sympathy, a picture in the evening post.
The soldier will receive pity from others and may be featured in the news.
But where were the generals when you needed them most?
The song questions the generals' role in the aftermath of a soldier's injury or death, and the extent to which they truly care for their soldiers.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ruddruddy
"Generals"
We'll lead you into victory, you hear the generals say.
Never look behind you, we're with you all the way.
Go to bed early, conserve your energy,
tomorrow we'll be fighting with our enemy.
Polish your boots, clean your gun,
killing those bastards will be a lot of fun.
Take no prisoners, kill them all.
Start to march when you hear the call.
Britain needs you, Britain needs you ..
Britain needs you to die for her.
Marching into victory, marching in the mud.
Fighting for freedom, fighting in th eblood.
There's dead bodies all around, you're told to carry on.
Death is not right, war cannot be won.
March along you see a flash,
fall to the ground and make a splash.
You awake you're lying in the bed,
eyes are shut you think you're dead.
Lost your arm, you've lost your leg,
lost you're job, you'll have to beg.
You'll get loads of sympathy, a picture in the Evening Post.
But where were the generals when you needed them most ?
@DarkStarGSK22
The build up towards "This means war!" makes this one of the most iconic punk anthems ever recorded
@candelarocio9971
yyyeeeeeeaaaahhhhhh dudeeeeee.........!!!!!
@PieterHullemanNorway
True
@mopunk8537
Dis means warrrr
@aamirallen8467
It was different time MINDSET and MENTALITY then that real mad max look at life is how I describe it
@antstead2329
To me, the best GBH song they did. Class.
@jeffmead2935
easily the best one mate
@astro2932
same
@Kelly14UK
Love that bass bit when it comes in.
@JohnnyangelNIU
It's too upfront. It's iconic, but the guitar riff is what's most important. The guitar riff should be more upfront in the mix, with the bass then slightly behind. Just my opinion.