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.
F.M.U.S.A.
Gang of Four Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sometimes there was no rice and the water was bad
I was married, and very happy
My husband was just a regular guy, but he was killed
In my room, light from a light bulb
Smoke from fire
I think of Sony and Toyota
I see smiling faces, nights without fear
I dream too, Yankee
On R&R here comes a walking paycheque
Back from the front, he's going to have some fun
Holding rubbers and a gun
The grunt will grunt & the girl will take a raincheck
He ain't going to be the first
G.I. on a two day pass
A G-string separates the words
Writ in lipstick across her ass
F.M.U.S.A.
F.M.U.S.A.
Pump it up, but first you pay
F.M.U.S.A.
I dream too, Yankee
F.M.U.S.A.
I'm down on my knees, I'm saying
In this freefire zone he wants to be unseen
Acid, junk, and speed help his heart freeze
He wants a woman to do him on her knees
Says "No blue eyed blondes back home believe in me"
He needs the gook girl
While she spills his seed
She says "If I weren't doing you I'd be V.C."
F.M.U.S.A.
F.M.U.S.A.
Pump it up, but first you pay
F.M.U.S.A.
I dream too, Yankee
F.M.U.S.A.
I'm down on my knees, I'm saying
Yo. I come from Detroit. Motor City? Yeah.
I never had nothing.
Shit. Probably won't live that long
It's the Brothers get most combat missions
Putting our asses on the line
While all the rich kids finish college
But we party
Yeah we get R + R.
We party seriously man -
Stoned out of our fucking trees
Hunting that Saigon Poontang,
You know what I mean
Them bitches are fucking wild.
F.M.U.S.A.
F.M.U.S.A.
Pump it up, but first you pay
F.M.U.S.A.
I dream too, Yankee
F.M.U.S.A.
I'm down on my knees, I'm saying
F.M.U.S.A.
F.M.U.S.A.
Pump it up, but first you pay
F.M.U.S.A.
I dream too, Yankee
The lyrics to "F.M.U.S.A." by Gang of Four convey the experiences of different individuals affected by the Vietnam War. The first verse is sung from the perspective of a woman who has experienced hardships in her life, including living in tunnels and losing her husband to the war. She finds solace in dreaming of a life filled with technology and safety, "smiling faces, nights without fear." However, she acknowledges that her dream is directed towards a powerful foreign entity, the United States.
The second verse presents the perspective of a soldier on R&R, seeking out pleasure with women and drugs. He acknowledges the existence of racial stereotypes that hinder his relationships, but still seeks satisfaction. The third verse is a spoken word interlude by someone from Detroit, highlighting the class and racial disparities among American soldiers.
Overall, the song critiques the Vietnam War and the effects it had on both soldiers and civilians, while also highlighting the unequal and destructive societal systems that led to these experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
I lived in tunnels
I lived underground for safety during the war
Sometimes there was no rice and the water was bad
Living conditions were difficult and basic needs were not always met
I was married, and very happy
I was married and content before my husband was killed in the war
My husband was just a regular guy, but he was killed
My husband, who was an ordinary man, died in battle
In my room, light from a light bulb
In my room there was only one light bulb and it provided the only source of light
Smoke from fire
There was often smoke and debris from nearby fires and explosions
I think of Sony and Toyota
Despite the war, I remember the Japanese companies where I worked
I see smiling faces, nights without fear
I remember happier times before the war when people were carefree and joyful
Holding a man who won't be gone when day comes
I long for the comfort of a man who will stay with me and not leave when morning comes
I dream too, Yankee
I also dream of having a better life like those in the United States
On R&R here comes a walking paycheque
A soldier on R&R (rest and relaxation) with money to spend has arrived
Back from the front, he's going to have some fun
After serving on the front lines, the soldier is looking to enjoy himself
Holding rubbers and a gun
The soldier carries both condoms and a weapon
The grunt will grunt & the girl will take a raincheck
The soldier will make his desires known, but the woman will likely turn him down
He ain't going to be the first / G.I. on a two day pass
The soldier is not the first American serviceman on leave in this area
A G-string separates the words / Writ in lipstick across her ass
The woman has written a message on her backside using lipstick and wears a thong
In this freefire zone he wants to be unseen
The soldier wants to remain invisible in an area where there is constant danger
Acid, junk, and speed help his heart freeze
Drugs aid in numbing his emotions as he deals with the trauma of war
He wants a woman to do him on her knees
The soldier desires a submissive sexual experience with a woman
Says 'No blue eyed blondes back home believe in me'
The soldier feels that he is not understood by people back in the United States
He needs the gook girl / While she spills his seed
The soldier seeks out a Vietnamese woman to fulfill his sexual needs
She says 'If I weren't doing you I'd be V.C.'
The woman suggests that if she weren't with him, she would be fighting against him as a member of the Viet Cong
Yo. I come from Detroit. Motor City? Yeah.
I am an American soldier from Detroit, which is known for its automobile manufacturing
I never had nothin'. / Shit. Probably won't live that long
I come from a poor background and don't expect to live much longer due to the dangers of war
It's the Brothers get most combat missions / Putting our asses on the line
African American soldiers like myself are often given the most dangerous missions on the front lines
While all the rich kids finish college / But we party / Yeah we get R + R.
We, who come from poor backgrounds, are fighting in the war while wealthy individuals are able to attend college. However, we try to make the most of our R&R time
We party seriously man - / Stoned out of our fucking trees
We take partying very seriously and often get highly intoxicated
Hunting that Saigon Poontang, / You know what I mean / Them bitches are fucking wild.
We are looking to have sexual encounters with Vietnamese women, who we perceive to be highly sexually available and uninhibited
Contributed by Callie M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.