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 Will Be a Good Boy
Gang of Four Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want to be
Everything a man should be
Their world is shrinking
But as they dance the dollar is falling
Do you love me?
Do you love me?
But as they dance the dollar is falling
Do you love me?
No longer on my own
Secure, I smile
Now I am a man
I understand
And I am complete
Their world is shrinking
But as they dance the dollar is falling
Do you love me?
Do you love me?
Their world is shrinking
But as they dance the dollar is falling
Do you love me?
Take me, dance with me
Dance
To the tension of a world on the wane
I shuffle around on wooden boards
Now no longer afraid
I will be a good boy, I said
I will be a good boy
The first stanza sets the tone for the rest of the song, as the singer pleads with the listener to accept him and dance with him. The second line is particularly interesting, as the singer claims to want to be everything a man should be. This could be interpreted in a few different ways - perhaps he is asserting his masculinity or seeking validation from the listener.
The chorus is where things get really interesting, as the singer seems to be commenting on the state of the world around him. The line "Their world is shrinking" could refer to many things - economic downturn, political unrest, environmental collapse. The fact that the world is shrinking while they dance suggests a certain level of detachment from reality or a sense that they are trying to ignore the problems around them.
The repeated line "Do you love me?" could be interpreted as a search for connection or validation in the face of these problems. It's possible that the singer is aware that the world is falling apart and is seeking comfort in the company of others.
The final stanza brings the song full circle, with the singer claiming to have achieved a sense of completeness or self-assurance through dancing and connection with others. The line "To the tension of a world on the wane" is particularly poignant, as it suggests that the singer is finding joy and meaning in spite of the challenges facing the world.
Overall, "I Will Be a Good Boy" is a complex and thought-provoking song that seems to be grappling with issues of masculinity, connection, and societal collapse. It encourages the listener to seek joy and meaning in spite of the challenges facing the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Take me, dance with me
I want to be included and accepted, so please take me and dance with me.
I want to be / Everything a man should be
I desire to embody all the qualities of a stereotypical idea of what a man should be.
Their world is shrinking / But as they dance the dollar is falling / Do you love me?
Even though their world is getting smaller and the economy is declining, they still ask for love and acceptance.
No longer on my own / Secure, I smile /Now I am a man /I understand /And I am complete
Being accepted has made me feel secure and empowered, I feel like I finally understand what it means to be a man and I am now whole.
Dance / To the tension of a world on the wane / I shuffle around on wooden boards / Now no longer afraid
Dancing is a way to cope with the stress and anxiety of a world that is slowly deteriorating. Even though it's scary, I am no longer afraid to face it.
I will be a good boy, I said / I will be a good boy
I am pledging to conform to societal expectations of being a 'good boy' in order to gain acceptance and approval.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ANDY GILL, JON KING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind