The group had a single in the British Top 60 with "At Home He's A Tourist" in 1979, which was blacklisted by Top Of The Pops for its use of the relatively innocuous term "rubbers". Storming, Doc Marten-booted and fueled by a heady cocktail of Gramsci, Marx and lager, out of the Leeds art-school scene that produced The Mekons and Delta 5, they played a stripped-to-the-wire, funk-fueled permutation of punk rock. This is best exemplified by the dry production and forceful polemic of debut effort Entertainment! - Gang of Four's later albums (Songs Of The Free and Hard) found them softening some of their more jarring qualities, and drifting towards disco.
Critic Stewart Mason has called "Love Like Anthrax" (their first single, later re-recorded as "Anthrax") not only the group's "most notorious song" but also "one of the most unique and interesting songs of its time"; it's also a good example of Gang of Four's social perspective. After a minute-long, droning, feedback-laced guitar intro, the rhythm section sets up a funky, churning beat, and the guitar drops out entirely. In one stereo channel, King sings a "post-punk anti-love song", comparing himself to a beetle trapped on its back ("and there's no way for me to get up") and equating love with "a case of anthrax, and that's some thing I don't want to catch." Meanwhile in the other stereo channel (and slightly less prominent in the mix), Gill reads a deadpan monologue about public perception of love, and the prevalence of love songs in popular music: "Love crops up quite a lot as something to sing about, 'cause most groups make most of their songs about falling in love, or how happy they are to be in love, and you occasionally wonder why these groups do sing about it all the time." The simultaneous vocals are more than a little disorienting, especially when Gill pauses in his examination of love songs to echo a few of King's sung lines.
Allen left after Solid Gold and was replaced briefly by Buster Jones (who never recorded with the group), then by Sara Lee; Allen later co-founded Shriekback, Low Pop Suicide and The Elastic Purejoy.
Their angular, slashing attack and liberal use of dissonance had a significant influence on their post-punk contemporaries in the States, including Mission Of Burma. Gang Of Four went on to influence a number of successful funk-tinged alternative rock acts throughout the 80s and 90s - even, arguably, many rap-rock and nu metal groups who were "not in touch with their ancestry enough to realize it" (Andy Kellman, on allmusic.com) - although few of their followers were as arty or political. Michael "Flea" Balzary of Red Hot Chili Peppers has stated Gang of Four were very influential on his band's early music.
Gang of Four can also be credited as one of the early influences on techno or electronic music; they released dance remixes of several later singles.
Recently the band has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity, initially due to emergence of new post-punk influenced bands such as The Rapture and Radio 4 and then the rise of Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party, which led to the renewed patronage of the NME. The original Burnham/Allen/Gill/King lineup reformed in November 2004. In October of 2005, Gang of Four released a new LP featuring new recordings of past songs, entitled Return The Gift.
Dave Allen also co-hosts a twice-weekly "New Music Hour" radio show with Portland, Oregon's 94.7 alternative radio station.
Andy Gill died on 1st February, 2020 from, according to reports, a respiratory illness caught on the group's tour in Asia the preceding year. He was the only original member still playing in the Gang Of Four.
Broken Talk
Gang of Four Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But he's processing that code
Intermittent contacts
Arc as he overloads
You trust in fate
You trust in fate
[Chorus:]
He don't sleep at night
And so he's getting ill
He's in a waking dream
(He's talking, broken talk)
(He's talking, broken talk)
(He's talking, broken talk)
Where does he come from?
He's got an itch that won't be scratched
Sometimes he guesses he might be wrong
Sometimes, guesses that he don't belong
He trusts in fate
He trusts in fate
He trusts in fate
But he checks out by days
Redeemer of coupons in a lonely mall
[Chorus:]
He don't know
He don't sleep at night
(He's talking, broken talk)
And so he's getting ill
He's in a waking dream
(He's talking, broken talk)
[?]
Getting ill
Shakes by the steady
Self-medicator
It may come too late
Detereorating
Will he recuperate
It may come too late
He trusts in fate
He trusts in fate
[Chorus x2:]
He don't know
He don't sleep at night
(He's talking, broken talk)
And so he's getting ill
He's in a waking dream
(He's talking, broken talk)
(He's talking, broken talk)
(He's talking, broken talk)
The song Broken Talk by Gang of Four is a commentary on the dehumanizing effects of modern technology and the way it has changed our lives. The lyrics focus on a man who is in the grip of an addiction to technology, spending his days processing code and relying on fate to guide him. He is disconnected from the world around him, living in a "waking dream" where he speaks in "broken talk", unable to communicate effectively or connect with others.
The chorus of the song is particularly striking in its plaintive repetition of the line "He don't know, he don't sleep at night, and so he's getting ill". This suggests that the man in question is suffering from the effects of his addiction to technology, and that it is impacting his health and wellbeing. The song seems to be urging us to be more mindful of the ways in which we use technology, and to be careful not to become too reliant on it at the expense of our mental and physical health.
Overall, Broken Talk is a powerful and thought-provoking song that serves as a warning against the dangers of allowing technology to take over our lives. It is a reminder that while technology can be incredibly useful and enriching, we must also be careful not to lose sight of the things that truly matter in life.
Line by Line Meaning
He's not a machine
Although he may appear robotic and detached, he is still human
But he's processing that code
He is capable of understanding and utilizing complex information and technology
Intermittent contacts
He has trouble maintaining meaningful connections with others
Arc as he overloads
When he becomes overwhelmed, he responds with bursts of emotion or intensity
You trust in fate
He places his faith in the idea that there is a pre-determined path for him
He don't know
He is unsure and confused about many things
He don't sleep at night
His worries and anxieties keep him up at night
And so he's getting ill
His mental and/or physical health is suffering as a result of his stress and uncertainty
He's in a waking dream
His feelings of disorientation and disconnect from reality are a constant presence in his life
(He's talking, broken talk)
His communication is disjointed and unclear, reflecting his overall sense of confusion and malaise
Where does he come from?
His origins and background are unclear and unknown
He's got an itch that won't be scratched
He has a deep-seated need or desire that he is unable to fulfill
Sometimes he guesses he might be wrong
He is unsure of his own judgment and often second-guesses himself
Sometimes, guesses that he don't belong
He doesn't feel like he fits in anywhere or with anyone
He checks out by days
He goes through the motions of daily life, but his mind feels disconnected from reality
Redeemer of coupons in a lonely mall
His job involves menial tasks in a sad or desolate environment
Getting ill
His physical or mental health is deteriorating
Shakes by the steady
He is becoming increasingly unstable and vulnerable
Self-medicator
He attempts to cope with his struggles through self-medication, rather than seeking help
It may come too late
He may have already suffered irreversible damage by the time he realizes he needs help
Detereorating
His condition is getting worse
Will he recuperate
There is a question as to whether he will be able to recover or heal from his struggles
He trusts in fate
Despite his hardships, he still holds onto the belief in a predetermined destiny
Contributed by Ethan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.