Gang of Four are a British post-punk group from Leeds, England. Original pe… Read Full Bio ↴Gang of Four are a British post-punk group from Leeds, England. Original personnel were singer Jon King, guitarist Andy Gill, bass guitarist Dave Allen and drummer Hugo Burnham. They were fully active from 1977 to 1984, and then re-emerged twice in the 1990s with King and Gill. In 2005, the original lineup reunited.

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.

Colour From The Tube
Gang of Four Lyrics

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Now that everything is true
I believe in me and you
What I see in magazines
I believe in everything

I believe in politics
When we're playing pick up sticks
I believe in five year plans

I believe it in advance

I believe in innocence
College boys wash your hands!
I believe in one night stands
No-one gets a second chance

I believe that dogs are bit
Even fakes are counterfeit
I believe the BBC
I believe in everything

So if the times don't fit
You can't go look for another
Use the color from the tube
There is nothing else to do

So if the times don't fit
You can't go look for another
Use the color from the tube
There is nothing else that you can do
(There is nothing else that you can do)

Now that everything is real
I believe I really feel
Even hear the church bells ring
I believe in everything

I believe in Postman Pat
I'll leave my kidneys to the bank
I believe in even tans
I believe in everything

So if the times don't fit
You can't go look for another
Use the color from the tube
There is nothing else to do

So if the times don't fit
You can't go look for another
Use the color from the tube

There is nothing else for you to do
(There is nothing else for you to do)

Overall Meaning

In "Colour From The Tube," Gang of Four's lyrics reveal a cynicism towards blind belief in consumerism, politics, and media. The singer embraces the commodification of cultural norms and social conventions, accepting that "what [they] see in magazines" is true and believing in "everything." The song mocks patriotism and ideals such as the five-year plan offered by the state, and even mocks the concept of innocence through the command "College boys wash your hands!" The pre-chorus admonishes even those who try to be "fake" or "counterfeit," as the singer believes "all dogs are bit." The verse also touches on the power of media manipulation by stating "I believe in the BBC," further emphasizing the song's theme of unthinking and total obedience to external sources.

The chorus urges listeners to accept the status quo, even if it does not align with their convictions or personal beliefs. The singer advises that if "the times don't fit," one cannot seek out alternative sources of information, but must instead resort to using "the color from the tube" (i.e. television or other media) to shape their worldview. The lines are repeated at the end of the song, adding a sense of finality to this nihilistic view of society.

Overall, "Colour From The Tube" criticizes consumerism and conformity by lampooning political ideals and media consumption. The song suggests that rather than fighting against the status quo or attempting to create a better world, people should simply accept the given reality and live within it.

Line by Line Meaning

Now that everything is true
Now that reality has set in

I believe in me and you
I believe in our connection

What I see in magazines
I am influenced by media

I believe in everything
I am a gullible person

I believe in politics
I am politically inclined

When we're playing pick up sticks
When things seem simple

I believe in five year plans
I believe in long term thinking

I believe it in advance
I believe it before it happens

I believe in innocence
I believe in purity

College boys wash your hands!
Be clean

I believe in one night stands
I believe in impulsive actions