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.
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Gang of Four Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At home he feels like a tourist
He fills his head with culture
He gives himself an ulcer
He fills his head with culture
He gives himself an ulcer
Down on the disco floor
They make their profit
To help you cob off
And the rubbers you hide
In your top left pocket
At home she's looking for interest
At home she's looking for interest
She said she was ambitious
So she accepts the process
She said she was ambitious
So she accepts the process
Down on the disco floor
They make their profit
From the things they sell
To help you cob off
And the rubbers you hide
In your top left pocket
Two steps forward
(Six steps back) [Repeat: x4]
Small step for him
(Big jump for me) [Repeat: x4]
At home she feels like a tourist
At home she feels like a tourist
She fills her head with culture
She gives herself an ulcer
Why make yourself so anxious
You give yourself an ulcer
The Gang of Four's At Home He's A Tourist depicts the struggles of finding one's identity and a sense of belonging in a society where they feel alienated. The lyrics of the song describe the process that the singer goes through in his search for cultural enlightenment, and the toll it takes on him. The line "At home, he feels like a tourist" is repeated throughout the song, highlighting the theme of displacement and the sense of not belonging in one's own culture. The singer fills his head with culture that he doesn't truly feel a part of, leading him to give himself an ulcer.
The song also tackles the themes of sexuality and commerce, where the disco floor becomes a place where people can satisfy their desires through buying objects like rubbers they can hide in their pocket. The chorus line "Two steps forward, six steps back" references the contradicting desires that the singer experiences, between wanting to move forward and be a part of the culture he's surrounded by, while simultaneously feeling like he's taking steps backward in terms of his own identity. The following lines "Small step for him, big jump for me" allude to the singer being held back by society, and not having the same opportunities as others in regards to their identity.
Overall, At Home He's A Tourist can be interpreted as a criticism of society for its uninviting nature towards those who aren't born into the culture, and for those who are held back by unfair societal norms regarding sexual and gender expression.
Line by Line Meaning
At home he feels like a tourist
He doesn't feel completely comfortable in his own home and surroundings
He fills his head with culture
He tries to immerse himself in different cultures and gain knowledge on them
He gives himself an ulcer
His obsession with culture and knowledge is causing him stress and health problems
Down on the disco floor
At the night club
They make their profit
The club owners make money
From the things they sell
From the items they offer for sale
To help you cob off
To assist in hooking up with someone
And the rubbers you hide
Condoms that you conceal
In your top left pocket
Kept in the pocket of your clothing
At home she's looking for interest
She's searching for something intriguing to occupy herself with at home
She said she was ambitious
She claimed to be highly motivated
So she accepts the process
She agrees to the usual routine or way of doing things to reach her goals
Two steps forward (Six steps back) [Repeat: x4]
Progress is hindered by setbacks and obstacles
Small step for him (Big jump for me) [Repeat: x4]
Something that is easy for one person can be a major accomplishment for another
At home she feels like a tourist
She doesn't quite fit in and is uncomfortable in her own home and surroundings
She fills her head with culture
She is becoming knowledgeable on diverse cultures and customs
She gives herself an ulcer
Her desire for cultural understanding is causing her anxiety and health issues
Why make yourself so anxious
What's the point of causing yourself stress?
You give yourself an ulcer
The anxiety-inducing behaviors you do are the cause of your health problems
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVE ALLEN, HUGO H. BURNHAM, ANDREW GILL, JON KING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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At home he feels like a tourist
At home he feels like a tourist
He fills his head with culture
He gives himself an ulcer
He fills his head with culture
He gives himself an ulcer
Down on the disco floor
They make their profits
From the things they sell
To help you cover
And the rubbers you hide
In your top left pocket
At home she's looking for interest
At home she's looking for interest
She said she was ambitious
So she accepts the process
She said she was ambitious
So she accepts the process
Down on the disco floor
They make their profits
From the things they sell
To help you cob off
And the rubbers you hide
In your top left pocket
Two steps forward
(Six steps back)
(Six steps back)
(Six steps back)
(Six steps back)
Small steps for him
(Big jump for me)
(Big jump for me)
(Big jump for me)
(Big jump for me)
Two steps forward
(Six steps back)
(Six steps back)
(Six steps back)
(Six steps back)
Small steps for him
(Big jump for me)
(Big jump for me)
(Big jump for me)
(Big jump for me)
At home she feels like a tourist
At home she feels like a tourist
She fills her head with culture
She gives herself an ulcer
Why make yourself so anxious?
You give yourself an ulcer
Patrick Stocks
At home 🏠 he feels like a tourist
At home 🏠 he feels like a tourist
He fills his head with culture
He gives himself an ulcer
He fills his head with culture
He gives himself an ulcer
Down on the disco 💃 floor
They make their profits
From the things they sell
To help you cover
And the rubbers ✏️ you hide
In your top left pocket
At home 🏠 she’s looking for interest
At home 🏠 she’s looking for interest
She said she was Ambitious
So she accepts the process
She said she was Ambitious
So she accepts the process
Down on the disco 💃 floor
They make their profits
From the things they sell
To help you cob off
And the rubbers ✏️ you hide
In your top left pocket
2 steps forward
(6 steps back)
(6 steps back)
(6 steps back)
(6 steps back)
Small steps for him
(Big jump for me)
(Big jump for me)
(Big jump for me)
(Big jump for me)
2 steps forward
(6 steps back)
(6 steps back)
(6 steps back)
(6 steps back)
Small steps for him
(Big jump for me)
(Big jump for me)
(Big jump for me)
(Big jump for me)
At home 🏠 she feels like a tourist
At home 🏠 she feels like a tourist
She fills her head with culture
She gives herself an ulcer
Why make yourself so anxious 😟?
You give yourself an ulcer
Kenneth Jaworski
Andy Gill's guitar on this one - fighting in protest, stops and starts against the galloping bass line- was absolutely game-changing. One of the best songs ever.
Derek Baker
This may sound strange, but Gill's guitar in the intro always made me thing of David Gilmour's playing, but with a punk attitude, rather than blues.
Nicolás Moreno
@Derek Baker that's right o:
maidenhead videos
rest in peace
Philip Halpenny
Sad night Kenneth...
NewFastAutomatic
Great description, galloping bass line!
MrRugbyloosehead
This album "Entertainment" was one of the best of the Punk/Post Punk generation ,and highly influential! I never grew tired of this album, and now he's gone, Andy Gill was a underrated talent ,but his playing was inspired and made that music great! R.I.P. Andy...
Shinybeast
One of the best albums period.
Rodney West
This came out in that golden age of indie music. 1979-1982. I had never heard anything even vaguely like this at the time. It was a cacophany of dischordant noise, yet it makes perfect sense. Even today.
VincentRE79
Agree, but did not enjoy any of their albums after this.