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.
Desire
Gang of Four Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Face the one that you thought you had all figured out
You can try to show restraint
But we both know this kiss was more than just a bait
So tell me what it is you desire
Cause I won′t be asking twice
I'm not here to appease you
I am here to make you mine
MINE Revel in the chaos of our passion
Let′s make each moment last forever
And savor every night
We can survive the worst of battles
As long as you stay by my side
Everything at once,
Can't you see there's no holding back when you′re with me
Oh baby I want you all to myself
Cause your love fulfills my every need
Consumed by the burning desire
To surrender to the rush
We collide, bodies shiver
I am yours and you are
MINE Give me all of you and take the pleasure
MINE Revel in the chaos of our passion
Let′s make each moment last forever
And savor every night
We can survive the worst of battles
As long as you stay by my side
MINE Give me all of you and take the pleasure
MINE Revel in the chaos of our passion
Let's make each moment last forever
And savor every night
We can survive the worst of battles
As long as you stay by my side
The song "Desire" by Gang of Four talks about a passionate love affair that is driven by an intense desire for each other. The lyrics depict the intensity and longing of a person who wants to make their lover theirs. The lines "Give me all of you and take the pleasure" and "Revel in the chaos of our passion" indicate an insatiable desire that wants to consume the other person completely.
The chorus "MINE Give me all of you and take the pleasure" reinforces the idea of dominance and control that the singer has over their lover. The song also hints at the possibility of a tumultuous relationship as they sing "We can survive the worst of battles As long as you stay by my side."
Overall, the lyrics of "Desire" portray a theme of overwhelming passion and the desire for control and possession of another person.
Line by Line Meaning
Meet me in the dark
Let's meet privately where no one can see.
Face the one that you thought you had all figured out
Face the person you thought you knew completely, but now realize you don't.
You can try to show restraint
You can try to hold back your desire, but it won't last.
But we both know this kiss was more than just a bait
We both understand that this kiss was more than just a tease, it was real.
So tell me what it is you desire
Tell me what you truly want so I can fulfill it.
Cause I won't be asking twice
This is your one chance to tell me what you want, so don't hesitate.
I'm not here to appease you
I'm not here to be a people pleaser, I'm here to satisfy my own desires.
I am here to make you mine
I'm here to possess you and make you mine.
Give me all of you and take the pleasure
Give me all of yourself and experience the pleasure I have to offer.
Revel in the chaos of our passion
Enjoy the chaos and intensity of our passion.
Let's make each moment last forever
Let's make sure our moments together are memorable and last forever.
And savor every night
Let's enjoy every night we spend together to the fullest.
We can survive the worst of battles
Together we can overcome any obstacle.
As long as you stay by my side
As long as you're with me, everything will be alright.
Everything at once,
When we're together, everything happens quickly and intensely.
Can't you see there's no holding back when you're with me
You can't resist me when we're together, the passion takes over.
Oh baby I want you all to myself
I want you all to myself, I'm possessive.
Cause your love fulfills my every need
Your love satisfies me completely and is everything I need.
Consumed by the burning desire
I am overwhelmed by my intense desire for you.
To surrender to the rush
I want to completely give in to the intense feeling of desire I have for you.
We collide, bodies shiver
Our bodies come together with such force that we both shake.
I am yours and you are
I belong to you completely and vice versa.
Writer(s): Andy Gill, Jon King
Contributed by James W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.