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.
Is it Love
Gang of Four Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The men who own the city make more sense than we do
Their actions are clear, their lives are their own
But you, went behind glass
Don't let this boy go, don't let this boy go
So long to the city, we'll retell the story they wrote
My lips part to talk but I forgot what I was trying to remember
[Chorus]
Is it love, love that's on your mind
Love, not just of a certain kind
Love, no no not just of a certain kind
Is it love, love that's on your mind
The men who own the city make more sense than we do
But you, went behind glass
Ain't what we do without consequence
I'm saying it, I'm saying it
My lips part to talk but I forgot what I was trying to remember
And that will remain unsaid
The Gang of Four's "Is it Love" is a song with heavy political and social commentary. The lyrics reveal the band's skepticism towards the wealthy and the system that perpetuates inequality. The lines "no one lives in the future, no one lives in the past" suggest a present-focused society that is unconcerned with planning for the future or learning from the past. Instead, they are constantly chasing the present moment and what will bring them immediate pleasure. The men who own the city, i.e., the wealthy elite, are said to make more sense than the rest of society. Despite the harm they may be causing or their questionable actions, they have clarity and purpose. In contrast, the rest of society is confused and struggling to find meaning.
The next set of lines, "but you, went behind glass," could be a reference to the idea of the "glass ceiling," where certain groups of people are prevented from reaching the upper echelons of society. This could also be interpreted as someone isolating themselves from the world and observing from a distance. The repetition of "don't let this boy go" could be a plea or a warning not to let someone be corrupted by the system or to not let them fall victim to it. The chorus, with its repetition of "is it love" suggests that even though there may be love on someone's mind, it's not just the romantic kind. The love could be for a system or power that they're trying to attain.
The verse, "ain't what we do without consequence," suggests that everything has consequences, whether we see them immediately or not. The line "my lips part to talk but I forgot what I was trying to remember, and that will remain unsaid" could be interpreted as a moment of hesitation or a realization that speaking up may not always be the right thing to do. The song leaves the listener questioning what love really means, whether it applies to everyone equally or if it's just another tool for those in power to maintain their status.
Line by Line Meaning
No one lives in the future, no one lives in the past
We cannot live in time periods that are not in the present, and we should focus on the present time instead of dwelling on the past or future.
The men who own the city make more sense than we do
The wealthy individuals who are in control of the city have more power, influence, and sense of purpose than we do as common people.
Their actions are clear, their lives are their own
The actions that the powerful individuals take are transparent, and they have the ability to pursue their own lives as they please.
But you, went behind glass
However, you chose to isolate yourself from the world by placing a barrier between you and others.
Don't let this boy go, don't let this boy go
Don't allow the opportunity to slip away to keep this young man in your life.
So long to the city, we'll retell the story they wrote
We are leaving the city behind and will tell the story that has already been written by those in power.
My lips part to talk but I forgot what I was trying to remember
I intended to say something, but I am unable to recall what it was that I wanted to share.
And that will remain unsaid
I will not be able to express the thing I wanted to share since I cannot remember it.
Is it love, love that's on your mind
Do you have love on your mind that you are thinking about?
Love, not just of a certain kind
This love is not limited to any specific type or form.
Love, no no not just of a certain kind
This love is not restricted to any particular category or group.
Ain't what we do without consequence
Our actions always have consequences.
I'm saying it, I'm saying it
I am speaking out loud and conveying what is on my mind.
My lips part to talk but I forgot what I was trying to remember
I intended to say something, but I am unable to recall what it was that I wanted to share.
And that will remain unsaid
I will not be able to express the thing I wanted to share since I cannot remember it.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN ROSS LANG, STEVE GEORGE, RICHARD JAMES PAGE, PAT MASTELOTTO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Doctor POO
This will always be my favorite Gang of Four record of all time. Sara Lee’s bass playing on this record is incredible.
Daniel Marquis
Rest in peace to Andy Gill. I discovered Gang of Four late, but better late than never. They have a phenomenal sound! “Is it love” is my favorite song by Gang of Four and EASILY makes my 80’s top 5 (especially for New Wave).
phillip pino
I LOVE this song. Surprised at how few have been here. Is it possible that so few are familiar with this choon?
Pleasure Victim
It might be that the GO4 purists turned on them, upon the release of this album and the new sound. I still think Hard is fantastic from start to finish! 🖤
John St John
Nah, someone else had uploaded it before GoF.
Their upload had LOTS of views
marc dj
its a top song
Toyota Kawasaki
Choon?
PJ Alex
totally under rated ..
Toyota Kawasaki
One of my favorite GOF albums!
1967sfoman
This song always felt very Human League to me. Loved it.