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.
Cadillac
Gang of Four Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who screen the sun, can't stand the rain
Moving under not over time
The sun will shine on
Red rust wreck is off his mind
Down on the highway there to die
Got a Toyota of another kind
Plastic bag woman must wait
While nylon men walk out in space
Africa will turn to dust
In LA LA land we give out trust
We'll set the place on fire
And watch the memories fry
Go someplace don't recognize
You can't lose if you don't try
Ain't gonna slave for a Cadillac
Turn my back, burn the place to ash
I can't speak so I don't mime
I won't seek so I won't find
Who needs the pyramids
We got a photograph
Down on the left hand side
You can see mum and dad
Pull down the monuments
And send a postcard back
For nineteen ninety five
I will have the starter pack
My M16 was in my prayers,
'How is the world now I ain't there?
Are they wearing flowers in their hair?'
The rich kids school while I am here
We'll set the place on fire
And watch the memories fry
Go someplace don't recognize
You can't lose if you don't try
Ain't gonna slave for a Cadillac
Turn my back, burn the place to ash
I can't speak so I don't mime
I won't seek so I won't find
This map shows where to start
Move across the grid and down
When the lines are far apart
You will find you're out of town
At ninety miles an hour
Insects crash into the screen
The rear view mirror blurs
Home is just a memory
Aeroplanes fall from the skies
Life crafts sinking in the night
It stops if I close my eyes
Memories will hold me tight [Repeat: x3]
The song "Cadillac" by Gang of Four is a commentary on consumerism and technology, and how they have taken over people's lives. The opening lines, "All the boys are loving all the girls/Who screen the sun, can't stand the rain" is a reference to how people are becoming more reliant on technology to the point where they don't want to experience the natural elements anymore.
The line "Moving under not over time/The sun will shine on" suggests that people are merely living under the passing of time and not taking control of their lives. They are waiting for things to happen to them rather than making things happen for themselves. The lyrics "Ain't gonna slave for a Cadillac/Turn my back, burn the place to ash" indicate that the artists are rejecting consumerism and capitalism, and that they want to make a break from the status quo and create something new.
The song also touches on themes of nostalgia and memories, with lines such as "Pull down the monuments/And send a postcard back/For nineteen ninety-five/I will have the starter pack." The artists are acknowledging that memories are important, but at the same time they are questioning the validity of them, and wondering whether they are distorted or even fabricated.
While the exact meaning of the song may be up for interpretation, it is clear that the artists are trying to convey a sense of urgency, and a call to action. They are urging people to take control of their lives, reject the status quo, and question the world around them.
Line by Line Meaning
All the boys are loving all the girls
All genders are attracted to each other
Who screen the sun, can't stand the rain
People who avoid tough situations
Moving under not over time
Enjoying the present moment
The sun will shine on
Things will eventually get better
Red rust wreck is off his mind
Letting go of the past
Down on the highway there to die
Living life dangerously
Got a Toyota of another kind
Breaking away from societal norms
God built these hands to drive
Feeling confident and in control
Plastic bag woman must wait
People who are ignored and left behind
While nylon men walk out in space
People who are able to escape from their problems
Africa will turn to dust
The world is constantly changing
In LA LA land we give out trust
Putting faith into unreliable things
We'll set the place on fire
Taking bold actions for change
And watch the memories fry
Letting go of the past
Go someplace don't recognize
Stepping out of one's comfort zone
You can't lose if you don't try
Taking risks can lead to success
Ain't gonna slave for a Cadillac
Refusing to conform to societal expectations
Turn my back, burn the place to ash
Destroying the old to create something new
I can't speak so I don't mime
Struggling to communicate
I won't seek so I won't find
Avoiding disappointment
Who needs the pyramids
Questioning the value of material possessions
We got a photograph
Memories are more valuable than objects
Down on the left hand side
Looking back at the past
You can see mum and dad
Remembering family members
Pull down the monuments
Destroying symbols of the past
And send a postcard back
Communicating from a distance
For nineteen ninety five
Referencing a specific time period
I will have the starter pack
Starting over with new possessions
My M16 was in my prayers
Dangers experienced in the past
'How is the world now I ain't there?
Wondering about the present
Are they wearing flowers in their hair?'
Asking about fashionable trends
The rich kids school while I am here
Feeling left behind by society
This map shows where to start
A guide for beginning a new journey
Move across the grid and down
Following a predetermined path
When the lines are far apart
Feeling lost and distant from familiarity
You will find you're out of town
Being disconnected from one's home and life
At ninety miles an hour
Moving at a fast pace
Insects crash into the screen
Experiencing obstacles and challenges along the way
The rear view mirror blurs
The past becomes unclear while moving forward
Home is just a memory
Feeling disconnected from one's past
Aeroplanes fall from the skies
Experiencing tragedy and loss
Life crafts sinking in the night
Feeling helpless in tough situations
It stops if I close my eyes
Escaping reality through imagination
Memories will hold me tight
Finding comfort in the past
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDY GIL, JON KING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind