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.
Not Great Men -
Gang of Four Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The strong men who have made the world
History lives on the books at home
The books at home
[Chorus]
It's not made by great men [Repeat: x4]
The poor still weak the rich still rule
History lives in the books at home
The books at home
[Chorus]
The past lives in the books at home
No weak men in the books at home
History lives in the books at home
The books at home
[Chorus]
The lyrics to Gang of Four's song "Not Great Men" criticize the notion that history is made exclusively by "great men." The first verse states that there are no "weak men" portrayed in the books at home, only "strong men" who supposedly "made the world." By contrast, the chorus repeats the line "It's not made by great men" four times, subverting the idea that history is only made by powerful individuals.
The second verse continues this critique by noting that despite the supposed progress of history, "the poor still weak the rich still rule." The third verse attempts to reclaim history by suggesting that it still "lives in the books at home," and that there are no "weak men" therein. The repeated line "the books at home" suggests that history, and by extension power, is accessible to everyday people rather than just the elite few. Overall, the lyrics to "Not Great Men" challenge assumptions about power and history, and suggest that these topics are worthy of interrogation.
Line by Line Meaning
No weak men in the books at home
The books only contain stories of strong, powerful men - there is no representation or acknowledgement of weakness or vulnerability.
The strong men who have made the world
The successful and powerful individuals in society are the ones who have had the most impact and influence on the world we live in today.
History lives on the books at home
Our understanding of past events and their significance is primarily based on what we have read in books and other written accounts.
The books at home
The books in one's personal collection or household - a reflection of the individual's knowledge and interests.
It's not made by great men
Significant changes and progress in society are not necessarily driven or initiated by those who are traditionally seen as 'great' or powerful.
The past lives on in your front room
The impact of history and past events can be felt and seen in our everyday lives, within the spaces of our homes and personal environments.
The poor still weak the rich still rule
Despite changes and progress over time, there is still a strong divide between those who have wealth and power, and those who do not, further perpetuated by societal structures and norms.
No weak men in the books at home
The books in one's personal collection or household only contain stories of strong, powerful men - there is no representation or acknowledgement of weakness or vulnerability.
History lives in the books at home
Our understanding of past events and their significance is primarily based on what we have read in books and other written accounts, especially those within our personal collection or household.
The books at home
The books in one's personal collection or household - a reflection of the individual's knowledge and interests.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVE ALLEN, ANDREW GILL, JON KING, HUGO H. BURNHAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind