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 Is Not Enough
Gang of Four Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Here we go again
I'd like to see something new
It's all so familiar
I wanted to be a good wife
I wonder if I've lived before this life
Or seen it on television
It is not enough
It is just a habit
Nostalgia, it's no good
Our future was in the past
(I will be good to you, if you love me true)
(I will be good to you, if you love me true)
Passion, it burns me up
It isn't how I thought it would be
I have to wait for the right moment
It always depends on him
It is not enough
It is just a habit
Nostalgia, it's no good
Our future was in the past
Have I lived before this life? [Repeat: x4]
It is not enough
It is just a habit
Nostalgia, it's no good
Our future was in the past
It is not enough
It is just a habit
Nostalgia, it's no good
Our future was in the past
It is not enough
It is just a habit
It is just a habit
The lyrics of Gang of Four's song "It Is Not Enough" speak to a feeling of dissatisfaction and repetition in life. The repeated phrase "It is not enough" suggests a yearning for something more than the current situation. The following lines highlight a desire for novelty and a break from the familiar, which is contrasted with feelings of nostalgia and a sense that the past, rather than the future, holds promise.
The lyrics also touch on themes of love and relationships, with references to being a "good wife" and needing the other person to reciprocate the singer's affection. The lines "Passion, it burns me up, It isn't how I thought it would be, I have to wait for the right moment, It always depends on him" suggest a sense of frustration and a feeling of being out of control in a romantic situation.
Overall, the lyrics of "It Is Not Enough" express a dissatisfaction with the status quo and a sense of searching for something more, while also acknowledging the difficulties and frustrations of navigating personal relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
It is not enough
The current situation falls short of what is needed or desired
Here we go again
The repetition of past experiences
I'd like to see something new
A desire for a change in the monotony and familiarity of life
It's all so familiar
A sentiment of repetition in the current state of life
I wanted to be a good wife
A past desire to fulfill the expectations of a traditional role
I wonder if I've lived before this life
Curiosity about the concept of past lives and reincarnation
Or seen it on television
Humorous speculation on the source of familiarity in life
I can't stand the repetition
A frustration with the lack of novelty in life
It is just a habit
A commentary on the cyclical nature of behavior
Nostalgia, it's no good
Reflection on the past brings no value for the present or future
Our future was in the past
The realization that persisting to live in the past inhibits future growth
(I will be good to you, if you love me true)
A conditional offer of love and care
(I will be good to you, if you love me true)
The repetition of the aforementioned conditional offer of love and care
Passion, it burns me up
The effect of uncontrollable strong emotions
It isn't how I thought it would be
The realization that reality doesn't match one's original expectations
I have to wait for the right moment
The necessity of timing circumstances to achieve desired outcomes
It always depends on him
A feeling of lack of control in the outcome of situations
Have I lived before this life? [Repeat: x4]
A repetition of the question on the concept of past lives and reincarnation
It is not enough
Reiteration of the sentiment that the current situation falls short of what is needed
It is just a habit
Reiteration of the commentary on cyclical behavior
Nostalgia, it's no good
Reiteration of the concept that reflection on the past brings no value for the present or future
Our future was in the past
Reiteration of the realization that persisting to live in the past inhibits future growth
It is not enough
Final reiteration of the sentiment that the current situation falls short of what is needed
It is just a habit
Final reiteration of the commentary on cyclical behavior
Nostalgia, it's no good
Final reiteration of the concept that reflection on the past brings no value for the present or future
Our future was in the past
Final reiteration of the realization that persisting to live in the past inhibits future growth
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ANDY GILL, JON KING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind