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.
I Parade Myself
Gang of Four Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Brand new me, dig my mine
I parade myself
One on one, I am nouveau
Here I come, there I go
I parade myself
I'm not shy, touch me there
I parade myself
I win
When
I invent myself again
I parade myself
I win
When
I make myself again
I parade myself
Ain't I ripe, what a peach
Everything is in my reach
I parade myself
Now I accuse, face to face
The one to lose this one man race
I parade myself
I win
When
I invent myself again
I parade myself
I am civilized
I live wall to wall
But I ain't shy
Don't avoid my eyes
Hid some razor blades
In the wedding cake
I walk on by
Singing bye, bye, bye
I parade
I parade myself
bye, bye, bye
I parade
"I Parade Myself" is a uptempo song by Gang of Four from their 1981 album "Solid Gold". The lyrics of the song underscore the concept of displaying oneself to the public in order to impress them. The song's chorus, "I win when I invent myself again. I parade myself," suggests that self-invention is paramount in achieving success in this sense. The lyrics convey the idea of a person who is confident and unafraid to show off their achievements.
The verses illustrate the singer's identification with modernism, as he continually portrays himself as a “new man” or “nouveau.” The "one man race" in the song could serve as a critique of society, which is dominated by powerful individuals who have reached the top of the societal chain. The line "I am civilized / I live wall to wall / But I ain't shy / Don't avoid my eyes" shows the ambiguity of being civilized or modern as it may also imply forms of violence or aggression in the society.
The last two lines “I walk on by / Singing bye, bye, bye” may reflect the idea of the singer moving away from this superficial world and leaving behind the people who judge others based on their appearance.
Line by Line Meaning
Look at me, ain't I fine
I demand your attention and admiration, don't you see how impressive I am?
Brand new me, dig my mine
I'm constantly reinventing myself and have achieved a new level of excellence, take note of my accomplishments.
I parade myself
I am showing off my greatness and making sure everyone knows how important I am.
One on one, I am nouveau
When I'm alone, I am constantly reinventing myself and coming up with new ideas to stay ahead of the game.
Here I come, there I go
I am always on the move, constantly seeking new experiences and opportunities to showcase my talents.
I parade myself
I am bringing attention to myself and making sure the world knows about my greatness.
Catch my eyes, aren't we a pair
I am confident and alluring, don't you want to be associated with someone as impressive as me?
I'm not shy, touch me there
I am provocative and daring, unafraid to push the boundaries and take risks to get what I want.
I parade myself
I am making sure everyone sees and recognizes my greatness.
I win
When
I invent myself again
I parade myself
My constant reinvention and pursuit of excellence are what make me successful, and I will continue to push boundaries and evolve to stay ahead.
Ain't I ripe, what a peach
I am delicious and desirable, impossible to resist.
Everything is in my reach
I am confident and know that I can achieve anything I set my mind to.
I parade myself
I am making sure everyone knows how incredible I am.
Now I accuse, face to face
I am confrontational and not afraid to get into disputes to get what I want.
The one to lose this one man race
In any competition or situation, I am always the one who comes out on top.
I parade myself
I am showing the world how amazing I am, and nothing will stop me from achieving greatness.
I win
When
I invent myself again
I parade myself
My constant drive to reinvent myself is what allows me to stay ahead and win in every situation.
I am civilized
I may seem polished and cultured, but underneath the surface, I am driven by ambition and a relentless pursuit of greatness.
I live wall to wall
I am constantly surrounded by people and opportunities, always pushing to take advantage of every situation.
But I ain't shy
I am bold and unafraid, always willing to take risks to further my success.
Don't avoid my eyes
I am demanding of attention and respect, and I won't stand for being ignored or overlooked.
Hid some razor blades
I may seem polished and put-together, but there is a darker side to me that I am willing to unleash to get what I want.
In the wedding cake
Even in traditionally joyful and celebratory situations, I am always thinking of ways to get ahead and gain an advantage.
I walk on by
Singing bye, bye, bye
I parade
I am constantly moving forward, shedding old versions of myself and staying focused on achieving greatness. I am unstoppable.
Contributed by Gabriel G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Andrea Prodan
Truly a band that SEARCHED. This whole album went unobserved. It's brilliant.
A. M.
I LOVE THIS SONG TOO , GREAT GUITAR AND BASS TOGETHER
Neil van Niekerk
Hearing about Andy Gill's passing is a moment of great sadness for me, for we shall never see him or his equal again.
John Burke
RIP ANDY ..we will miss you buddy
Mark Laviolette
Gang of 4 are legendary It took me a wile to warm up to the ‘later’ line up but now I get it.. 🙂🏴
pointless_walks
Not sure how this is the "official video", being a live version of a 26 year-old album track (re-released in 1998 as an 'Alan Moulder Catwalk Club Mix' on '100 Flowers Bloom') with a different vocalist. 'Shrinkwrapped' was the last great Gang Of Four album for me; I'd put it in their top 5. 'Content' had its moments too but after Jon King's exit Andy Gill should have dropped the Go4 moniker imho. Well, now he's gone so it's all about memories...and some fantastic recordings to enjoy and pass on to new generations. RiP Andy.
Frank Albin
Andy Gill we loved you.
Daniel Munday Seguel
Amazing band!... Huges from Chile!
A. M.
OH YEAH AND ANDY WAS ONE OF A KIND GUITARIST ,SURELY MISSED AND LOVED...
Charlie Schmitt
Gang of four: a bass players dream!