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.
You'll Never Pay For The Farm
Gang of Four Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Someone's the alarm,
I think you're losing the charm,
You can't do all the harm,
You can't regret what you get,
You can't get back what you bet,
You can't depend on your faith,
You're lying drunk and awake,
When I will show you what you don't know!
Don't want you to die upon your feet,
You'll always want to keep the seat!
[Chorus]
Never pay, never pay for the farm!
They think you're a winner!
Change the locks,
Change your life!
They think you're a winner!
Never pay, never pay for the farm!
They think you're a winner!
Change the locks,
Change your life!
You never aimed what you asked,
You can't get thoughts of your chest,
I think you lost the romance,
You walk around in a trance,
You got the cause to have regrets,
You stopped and faced a new world,
You dream
[Chorus]
The song "You'll Never Pay For The Farm" by Gang of Four, a British post-punk band, starts with a sarcastic title that means: you'll never own anything, nothing lasts forever, and everything is temporary. The lyrics reflect on the idea that life is a gamble, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes you're just a pawn in someone else's game. The first verse seems to address someone who thinks they're invincible, but they're not. They're losing their charm and hurting people in the process. The singer acknowledges that you can't undo what's already happened, and you have to face the consequences of your actions. The verse ends with a reminder that we're all alone in this world, and even our closest friends can't save us from ourselves.
The chorus is a direct statement to the person the singer is addressing: you're not going to pay for the farm, and you're not a winner. Change the locks and your life; don't let others take advantage of you. The second verse delves deeper into the idea of regret and unfulfilled aspirations. The singer can't get the thoughts out of their head, and they've lost their zest for life. They're walking around in a trance, unable to face the reality of their situation. However, there's still hope as the chorus repeats the idea that you don't have to be a victim, and you can take control of your life.
Line by Line Meaning
You'll never pay for the farm,
You will never be able to fully own or possess something as big and valuable as a farm.
Someone's the alarm,
Someone is warning you about the dangers or risks of pursuing this thing.
I think you're losing the charm,
I think you are losing the appeal or attraction of this thing due to its challenges or consequences.
You can't do all the harm,
You must avoid causing harm or damage to others or yourself while pursuing this thing.
You can't regret what you get,
You cannot change or undo what you have already obtained or achieved in this thing.
You can't get back what you bet,
You cannot recover or regain what you have lost or invested in this thing.
You can't depend on your faith,
You cannot rely solely on your beliefs or convictions without taking practical actions or precautions.
You're lying drunk and awake,
You are restless, confused, and vulnerable due to your excessive desires, fears, or doubts about this thing.
Remember what is to live alone,
Reflect on the experience of being independent, self-reliant, and responsible before committing to this thing.
When I will show you what you don't know!
When I can reveal to you the hidden, unknown aspects or consequences of this thing.
Don't want you to die upon your feet,
I do not want you to suffer or fail tragically while pursuing this thing.
You'll always want to keep the seat!
You will always crave or cling to the status, power, or privilege that this thing can provide.
Never pay, never pay for the farm!
Never sacrifice or risk everything for something that you may never fully obtain or enjoy.
They think you're a winner!
They perceive you as successful or accomplished in your pursuit of this thing.
Change the locks,
Alter or protect your environment or mindset to prevent unwanted or harmful influences or forces.
Change your life!
Transform your habits, beliefs, values, or goals to align with what truly matters or fulfills you.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ANDY GILL, JON KING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bill Walsh
I have been following Gang Of Four for 25 years. One of my favorite bands and really happy to see and hear them around again. Real music for the people to hear. Pay attention! Bill Walsh, Brooklyn, New York.
Stefan Schmitz
Solid Punk Rock - 30 years after their initial success, and they still got it!
Don Cohen
Love it! Nothing hits the spot like the Gang. Everytime I put on Entertainment, Songs of the Free, etc. I marvel at how good it sounds. Glad to have new songs. Come to Detroit!
therealsoulproduct
Hell yeah, that rocked! Love this band, now and forever. Can't wait to see them in concert next month!
YouzTube99
Great to hear The Gang again! Unique sound . . . and to hell with poverty!
Anthony Greenwood
I was one of the cameramen on this video shoot. Great tune!
J Nanian
THANKYOU ! great work you did !!
xtrafoot
Sounds great to me. Love these guys! I will buy this album.
Too Much Rock
We'll never get Entertainment! again but this is pretty good. Saw the band live at the first reunion tour and it was one of the best shows of the year. I'm looking forward to the band touring on this new album.
bonnieyouth
Great stuff. I bought the album "Entertainment" when it came out. Damn I'm old.