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.
Cheese Burger
Gang of Four Lyrics
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I move from one place to the next
I hope they keep down the price of gas
I shoot fast while you're talking dollars
See how I will run the table
I won't see my dollar go where they rig it
High numbers low numbers 8 ball break
To be honest or a son like his own
And all this changed we're sure of the rides
The old country's in the back of his mind
I hope his home is somewhere you go to sleep
High numbers low numbers 8 ball break
No classes in the you s of a
Improve yourself the choice is yours
Work at your job you can make it pay
Make friends quick buy them beer
You never know when you're gonna lose them
High numbers low numbers 8 ball break
I'm at the wheel of the company truck
On the road and all alone
Sometimes I think money is my only goal
It makes me sad
Work on up another four miles
Coffee fries and a cheeseburger
The lyrics to Gang of Four's song "Cheeseburger" reflect the lyrics of a man on the move, constantly traveling from one place to another, and looking for a quick fix to satisfy his cravings in the form of a cheeseburger. His thoughts are fueled by the price of gas and money, and he wants to make sure that his earnings are spent in a worthwhile manner. The lyrics then shift toward the idea of honesty and integrity, and how the choices one makes can shape their future. The imagery of a table, high numbers, and low numbers, and an 8-ball break, give the song a sense of competitiveness and strategy. The song concludes with the singer in his company truck, contemplating the meaning of money and his goals in life.
Line by Line Meaning
(I need a cheeseburger to go)
I require a cheeseburger for takeaway.
I move from one place to the next
I am constantly travelling to different locations.
I hope they keep down the price of gas
I desire for the cost of gasoline to remain low.
I shoot fast while you're talking dollars
I am quick to take action while others are still discussing financial matters.
See how I will run the table
Observe how I will take control of the situation.
I won't see my dollar go where they rig it
I do not want to see my money being manipulated for someone else's gain.
High numbers low numbers 8 ball break
Referring to a game of pool, where the player breaks a rack of balls with the intention of sinking as many balls as possible.
The last cent is coming out of his head
Every penny he has is being spent.
To be honest or a son like his own
To speak the truth or act as you would for one of your own children.
And all this changed we're sure of the rides
We can be certain that all of this has been altered by the rides we have taken.
The old country's in the back of his mind
Memories of home country are still present in his thoughts.
I hope his home is somewhere you go to sleep
I hope that his place of residence can provide comfort and rest.
No classes in the you s of a
There is no social class system in the USA.
Improve yourself the choice is yours
You have the power to better yourself through your own actions.
Work at your job you can make it pay
If you put effort into your job it can be financially rewarding.
Make friends quick buy them beer
Establish friendships quickly by buying others beer.
You never know when you're gonna lose them
You can never predict when you may lose a friend.
I'm at the wheel of the company truck
I am currently driving the truck owned by the company I work for.
On the road and all alone
I am driving by myself while travelling.
Sometimes I think money is my only goal
Occasionally I contemplate that my sole focus is on making money.
It makes me sad
This realization causes me to feel melancholy.
Work on up another four miles
Keep persevering for another four miles.
Coffee fries and a cheeseburger
I would like to order coffee, fries and a cheeseburger.
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: DAVE ALLEN, ANDREW GILL, JON KING, HUGO H. BURNHAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind