GBH, also known as Charged G.B.H, are a hardcore punk band from Birmingham… Read Full Bio ↴GBH, also known as Charged G.B.H, are a hardcore punk band from Birmingham, England. The band formed in 1978, and were known as Charged GBH from their formation until 1984. The band's original lineup was Colin (Col) Abrahall on vocals, Colin (Jock) Blyth on guitar, Ross Lomas on bass, and Andrew Williams on drums. The band mostly toured in England during the 1980s, however they did make several excursions out of the island, including several tours to the United States. Some of their most famous shows that they played during the 1980s were at the 100 Club in Oxford Street in London. They are considered by many to be pioneers in the UK punk rock genre, specifically in hardcore.

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.

Infected
GBH Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You wake up one day,
to find you've been thrown away.
You've got no energy to speak,
you're just too damn weak.

Infected, infected,
injected misdirected.
Infected, infected,

and to it we're all subjected.

Your true self can't be found,
too busy slothing around.
You're staring into the sky,
death reflected in your eye.

M8 debts are chasing you down the street,
you run along on unsteady feet.
Wonder why you've got a turkey attack,
with a monkey livin' on your back.

Go on and stick it in,
gotta puncture the skin.

All of your loves in vain,
it's like playin' with a train.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of GBH's song Infected deal with the feeling of being lost and disconnected from oneself. The song opens with the image of waking up to find oneself "thrown away", which suggests a sudden realization of being discarded or unwanted. This feeling of rejection is further emphasized by the phrase "you're just too damn weak", which implies a sense of powerlessness or vulnerability. The chorus of the song repeats the word "infected", which can be interpreted as a metaphor for a disease or a poison that has seeped into one's existence. The lyrics suggest that this infection is not something that can be easily cured, as the phrase "injected misdirected" implies that the causes of the infection are external and beyond our control.

The second verse of the song introduces the idea that our true selves are no longer accessible to us. The phrase "too busy slothing around" suggests a sense of idleness or apathy, which prevents us from pursuing our passions and goals. The image of staring into the sky with "death reflected in your eye" reinforces this feeling of disillusionment and despair. The following lines suggest that we are constantly being chased by our debts and our fears, which weigh us down and prevent us from moving forward. The phrase "turkey attack" is slang for a sudden state of panic or anxiety, while the "monkey livin' on your back" is a metaphor for addiction or other harmful habits that we can't seem to shake off.

The song's chorus concludes with the line "and to it we're all subjected", which suggests that the feeling of being infected and lost is a universal experience. The final verse uses graphic imagery to describe the act of injecting oneself with drugs, which can be interpreted as a form of self-medication or self-destruction. The phrase "gotta puncture the skin" refers to the physical act of injecting drugs, while the line "all of your loves in vain" suggests that our attempts to find meaning and connection in life are ultimately futile. The final line "it's like playing with a train" suggests that our actions have consequences that we may not be able to control.

Line by Line Meaning

You wake up one day, to find you've been thrown away.
Suddenly realizing that you have been discarded or abandoned by someone or something that mattered to you.

You've got no energy to speak, you're just too damn weak.
Feeling physically and emotionally drained and unable to express yourself.

Infected, infected, injected misdirected.
Metaphorically comparing the mental state to a disease that has been injected, causing confusion and disorientation.

Infected, infected, and to it we're all subjected.
Suggesting that this state of being is universal, and everyone is susceptible to experiencing it.

Your true self can't be found, too busy slothing around.
Feeling lost and disconnected from your authentic self, due to a lack of motivation and purpose.

You're staring into the sky, death reflected in your eye.
Having a sense of despair and hopelessness, as if life is passing you by.

M8 debts are chasing you down the street, you run along on unsteady feet.
Being pursued by financial obligations that are causing stress and instability in your life.

Wonder why you've got a turkey attack, with a monkey livin' on your back.
Expressing confusion and frustration at feeling overwhelmed and burdened by life's challenges.

Go on and stick it in, gotta puncture the skin.
Referring to the act of injecting drugs, indicating a need to numb or escape from reality.

All of your loves in vain, it's like playin' with a train.
Feeling as though your efforts to find love and meaningful connections have been futile and painful.

Contributed by Caleb K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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