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.
It’s Her Factory
Gang of Four Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Subject story on the front page suffering from suffrage
Title unsung heroine of Britain position to attain
Housewife heroines addicts to their homes
It's her factory it's her duty it's her factory
Paternalist journalist
He gives them sympathy because they're not men
Scrubbing floors they're close to the earth
In a man's world because they're not men x4
In a man's world in a man's world
A little of a lot keeps them happy
Avoid the answers but keep them snappy
That's all
The lyrics of Gang of Four's It's Her Factory critique the way in which society undervalues and suppresses the contributions of women. The lyrics take on the form of a news report, with references to daily press and front page stories. The "unsung heroine" referred to in the lyrics is a woman who has achieved a position of influence, but is still held back by societal attitudes towards women. The song highlights the fact that housewives and homemakers, who are often dismissed as unimportant, are in fact crucial to the functioning of society. The lines "It's her factory it's her duty it's her factory" suggest that women are the ones responsible for keeping things running smoothly, even though their contributions are often ignored or undervalued.
The lyrics also criticize the paternalistic attitudes of male journalists, who offer "sympathy" to women for not being men. The line "In a man's world they're not men" emphasizes the fact that women are marginalized in a society that values masculinity above all else. The lyrics also suggest that women are expected to be content with small pleasures, as long as they avoid asking difficult questions. The line "A little of a lot keeps them happy / Avoid the answers but keep them snappy" suggests that women are expected to be satisfied with superficial solutions to their problems.
Line by Line Meaning
Items daily press views to suppress
The media chooses which news items to present, often censoring important stories in favor of other issues.
Subject story on the front page suffering from suffrage
The news often focuses on marginalized groups and their suffering, but fails to truly address their problems or give them proper attention.
Title unsung heroine of Britain position to attain
Women often go unrecognized for their contributions to society, despite their ability to attain influential positions if given the opportunity.
Housewife heroines addicts to their homes
Society often portrays women as fulfilled by being domestic caregivers and housewives, while failing to recognize their desire for independence or recognition outside of the home.
It's her factory it's her duty it's her factory
Women are often the backbone of industry and labor, yet are not given proper recognition or compensation for their contributions.
Paternalist journalist
Journalists, often men, can have condescending attitudes towards women, perpetuating sexist attitudes and beliefs.
He gives them sympathy because they're not men
Men often feel sorry for women because they perceive them as weak and helpless.
Scrubbing floors they're close to the earth
Women who perform menial labor are often perceived as being closer to nature or their physical bodies, rather than being recognized for their intellect or skill.
In a man's world they're not men
Society's standards are often built around masculine ideals, leaving women to feel inferior and unseen.
In a man's world because they're not men x4
Society's standards are built around masculine ideals, which women are not able to fully meet, leading to feelings of inferiority and a lack of recognition for their contributions.
In a man's world in a man's world
The patriarchal structure of society touches every aspect of a woman's life, leaving them feeling trapped and powerless.
A little of a lot keeps them happy
Women are often placated by small gestures or concessions made by men, rather than being given equal respect and recognition.
Avoid the answers but keep them snappy
Society often values superficial responses over meaningful dialogue when it comes to addressing issues of gender inequality.
That's all
In summary, women are undervalued and overlooked in society, leaving them feeling powerless and unseen despite their many contributions.
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVE ALLEN, ANDREW GILL, JON KING, HUGO H. BURNHAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Neil Wilson
Gang of Four unexpectedly still good in 2019. Who knew.
Paul Williams
I did
Ian
Wine fine Neil
Noeme
Holy crap! One of the best things I've ever heard.
Richard Escarcega
BRILLIANT!!!
Terry Southcott
One of the few punk songs featuring the melodica
Terry Southcott
@Spectrescup How about "one of the few punk bands that feature the melodica"? Nit pick much? And it's not my definition, it's just an observation, cheers
Spectrescup
Except for the other Gang of 4 songs that do, even by your own definitions.
doomedhuman
Just fucking awesome!
Spencer's Music
yea man this shit jus fucking balls to the wall amazing.