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.
Ether
Gang of Four Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
New looking out for pleasure (H-block torture)
It's at the end of the rainbow (white noise in)
The happy ever after (a white room)
Dirt behind the daydream
Dirt behind the daydream
The happy ever after
Dig at the root of the problem (fly the flag on foreign soil)
It breaks your new dreams daily (H-Block Long Kesh)
Fathers contradictions (censor six counties news)
And breaks your new dreams daily (each day more deaths)
Dirt behind the daydream
Dirt behind the daydream
The happy ever after
Is at the end of the rainbow
White noise in a white room
White noise in a white room
White noise in a white room
White noise in a white room
Trapped in heaven life style (locked in Long Kesh)
New looking out for pleasure (h-block torture)
It's at the end of the rainbow (white noise in)
The happy ever after (a white room)
Dirt behind the daydream
Dirt behind the daydream
The happy ever after
It's at the end of the rainbow
Dig at the root of the problem (fly the flag on foreign soil)
It breaks your new dreams daily (H-Block Long Kesh)
Fathers contradictions (censor six counties news)
And breaks your new dreams daily (each day more deaths)
Dirt behind the daydream
Dirt behind the daydream
The happy ever after
It's at the end of the rainbow
There may be oil (now looking out for pleasure)
Under Rockall (it's at the end of the rainbow)
There may be oil (the happy ever after)
Under Rockall (it's corked up with the ether)
There may be oil (it's corked up with the ether)
Under Rockall (it's corked up with the ether)
There may be oil
The lyrics of "Ether" by Gang of Four offer a bleak commentary on contemporary society and political corruption. The song focuses on the struggles of those who are trapped in oppressive situations and are seeking a happy ever after. The first line, "Trapped in heaven life style (locked in long kesh)," refers to the Long Kesh prison in Northern Ireland, where political prisoners were held without trial during the Troubles. The next line, "New looking out for pleasure (H-block torture)," refers to the "H-Blocks" of Long Kesh, which were known for their brutal methods of torture. The song goes on to explore the concept of the "happy ever after," suggesting that it is nothing more than a myth. The line "It's at the end of the rainbow" is a reference to the idea of a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, which can never be reached.
The lyrics of "Ether" criticize the media and government's censorship of news and the exploitation of natural resources for profit. The lines "Fathers contradictions (censor six counties news)" and "Dig at the root of the problem (fly the flag on foreign soil)" suggest that those in power are hypocritical and use propaganda to control the public. The song is also critical of the oil industry, with the line "There may be oil under Rockall" highlighting the destructive impact that resource extraction can have on the environment.
Line by Line Meaning
Trapped in heaven life style (locked in long kesh)
Stuck in a seemingly perfect but oppressive way of life (imprisoned in Long Kesh)
New looking out for pleasure (H-block torture)
Seeking pleasure as a means of escape from pain and suffering (referencing the H-Block torture during the Troubles)
It's at the end of the rainbow (white noise in)
The ultimate goal or reward is elusive and intangible, drowned out by meaningless distractions (represented by white noise)
The happy ever after (a white room)
The idyllic, perfect ending to the story, represented by the sterility and emptiness of a white room
Dirt behind the daydream
Negative aspects and realities hidden behind seemingly perfect idealizations
Dig at the root of the problem (fly the flag on foreign soil)
Addressing the underlying issue and taking action to solve it, even if it means stepping outside of one's comfort zone
It breaks your new dreams daily (H-Block Long Kesh)
The oppressive system constantly shatters one's hopes and aspirations (referencing the H-Block imprisonment)
Fathers contradictions (censor six counties news)
The hypocrisy and censorship of those in power, specifically referring to the UK government's censorship of news from Northern Ireland during the Troubles
Each day more deaths
The ongoing violence and death toll as a result of the Troubles in Northern Ireland
There may be oil (now looking out for pleasure)
The pursuit of material gain and comfort may be prioritized over more important issues (such as the Troubles)
Under Rockall (it's at the end of the rainbow)
The location of the oil, though desirable and potentially lucrative, is remote and difficult to access
It's corked up with the ether
The oil may be inaccessible or rendered useless due to the presence of ether, a highly flammable and volatile compound
There may be oil (the happy ever after)
The material wealth and success that many strive for is not necessarily a guarantee of happiness
Under Rockall (it's corked up with the ether)
Even if material wealth is obtained, there may be unforeseen obstacles or consequences that make it less valuable or even worthless
White noise in a white room
The sterile and monotone environment of a white room, symbolizing the emptiness and lack of true meaning or substance represented by white noise
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Andrew Gill, David Allen, Hugo Burnham, Jonathan King
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind