Allin's lyrics, which often included misogyny, racism, social apathy, child abuse, incest, rape and homophobia, deeply divided opinions of him within the highly politicized punk community. He is best remembered for his notorious live performances that typically featured wildly transgressive acts. Some of these acts included Allin defecating and urinating onstage, rolling in feces and often consuming excrement, committing self-injury, performing naked, taunting people to perform fellatio on him and committing violent actions toward the audience. Although more notorious for his stage antics than for his wide body of music, he recorded prolifically, not only in the punk rock genre, but also in spoken word, country and Rolling Stones-influenced rock. Though he had a devoted cult following, Allin's music has received mostly negative reviews from critics.
http://www.ggallin.com/
Up Against the Wall
GG Allin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Live with harassment with the man on their ass
Not enough money for the hungry and poor
They′re being starved out by the suits and the law
The neighbourhoods covered
We're gonna get mothered
Up against the wall hold your hands up high
Up against the wall pull your pockets out
You gotta keep on top but you time has run out
Everyones hungry for a piece of the day
With hair cuts and nazis and holders of faith
These are the social protectors you bought
A perfect example of how money can talk
You′ll never get us
We'll never give up
Up against the wall was the battle cry
Up against the wall hold your hands up high
Up against the wall pull your pockets out
You gotta keep on top but you time has run out
Night has been conquered
By the morning
You scream to the beat of
Of the drum
I tried to escape
Without warning
Shot by the man with
With the gun
You'll never get us
We′ll never give up
Up against the wall was the battle cry
Up against the wall hold your hands up high
Up against the wall pull your pockets out
You gotta keep on top but you time has run out
Up against the wall was the battle cry
Up against the wall hold your hands up high
Up against the wall pull your pockets out
You gotta keep on top but you time has run out
Up against the wall was the battle cry
Up against the wall hold your hands up high
Up against the wall pull your pockets out
You gotta keep on top but you time has run out
Up against the wall was the battle cry
Up against the wall hold your hands up high
Up against the wall pull your pockets out
You gotta keep on top but you time has run out
The lyrics of GG Allin’s song "Up Against the Wall" highlight societal inequalities and the struggles faced by people living on the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum. The opening lines, "The people who lived on the side of the tracks live with harassment with the man on their ass," describe the constant surveillance and monitoring of the less privileged members of society. They go on to mention the lack of resources and financial support for the poor, saying "not enough money for the hungry and poor, they're being starved out by the suits and the law." Allin also criticizes the hypocrisy of those in power who claim to be protectors of society, but ultimately act in their own self-interest. The line "These are the social protectors you bought, a perfect example of how money can talk" highlights the corrupting influence of money on those in positions of power.
The song’s title and refrain of "Up against the wall" refers to the phrase used by police officers when they corner a suspect, and essentially the song is a call to rebellion and a warning to the powers that be. The lines "You scream to the beat of, of the drum, I tried to escape without warning, shot by the man with, with the gun" evoke images of violent confrontations with authority figures.
Overall, "Up Against the Wall" is a powerful social commentary that highlights issues of inequality, injustice, and struggles faced by those on the fringes of society. It calls for resistance and rebellion against oppressive forces and encourages people not to give up the fight.
Line by Line Meaning
The people who lived on the side of the tracks
The marginalized people who reside in poverty-stricken areas
Live with harassment with the man on their ass
They must endure constant oppression and mistreatment from those in power
Not enough money for the hungry and poor
Poverty and hunger are rampant due to lack of financial resources
They′re being starved out by the suits and the law
The wealthy and those in positions of authority are purposely depriving them of resources
The neighbourhoods covered
The entire community is affected by this issue
We're gonna get mothered
We will retaliate against our oppressors
Up against the wall was the battle cry
Our resistance slogan
Up against the wall hold your hands up high
We will not go down without a fight
Up against the wall pull your pockets out
Our pockets are empty, we have nothing left to lose
You gotta keep on top but you time has run out
We must prevail, but our time to do so is rapidly dwindling
Everyones hungry for a piece of the day
Everyone is fighting for their survival
With hair cuts and nazis and holders of faith
Even those who purport to stand for justice or morality can be corrupted by those in power
These are the social protectors you bought
Those in power who claim to be protecting society are only serving their own interests
A perfect example of how money can talk
Money is the real power behind who wields authority
You′ll never get us
We will resist and fight back against oppression
We'll never give up
We will continue the struggle for our survival
Night has been conquered
Our oppressors believe they have won, but it is only temporary
By the morning
The dawn of a new day brings new opportunities to fight back
You scream to the beat of
We will make our voices heard
Of the drum
Our protests will be heard far and wide
I tried to escape
We have attempted to flee our oppression
Without warning
But we are always under surveillance and faced with unexpected barriers
Shot by the man with
We face violence and brutality from law enforcement and those in positions of power
With the gun
Their weapons symbolize the power they hold over us
Contributed by Mason N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Tyler-nz5lv
One of the most underrated songs of all time
@ianpope7170
This is my favorite song by gg allin
@Lisa-hj8fh
Ian Pope mine too.
@reedrex1
Its a cover of an ohio express song. But yeah, this one is much better
@yLlama_
This one and automatic
@SJRIX405
Fuck yeah brother, same
@Usurper69
It’s no I live to be hated
@michaelodonnell1744
some of our best songs still in set list
@michaelcassady1289
I love how YouTube says,"remember to keep the comments respectful and to follow our community standards.
GG Allin fans get offended so easily so keep the comments clean, people.
@luisangelherrera6073
The gg allin's Fans are The most sensitive people in The world