The blatantly image conscious group soon secured management, fired their first drummer, and auditioned over 50 drummers before settling on Mark Laff of Subway Sect. They were photogenic and signed a worldwide long term deal to Chrysalis (also home of Blondie) and had popsmith Phil Wainman, producer of The Bay City Rollers and Sweet mix their debut album. In September 1977 they became the first punk group to "sell out" and lip synch their debut single Your Generation on TV's Tops of The Pops, and also that month performed on Marc Bolan's TV show just days before the T-Rex frontman's death. Generation X also appeared in films like DOA and in Don Letts' Punk Movie.
In October of 1978, recordings for a second Generation X album produced by Ian Hunter of Mott The Hoople followed, the resulting Valley Of The Dolls hitting the streets in 1979. Guitarist Bob Dagwood Anderson eventually quit the lineup after completing a Japanese tour and the recordings for a third album in 1979.(The final Derwood lineup LP actually doesn't resurface for almost 20 years until 1998, and was finally released on an indie against Idol's wishes as Sweet Revenge).
After a troubling two year period of uncertainty due to legal and financial battles with manager Stewart Joseph, Billy Idol and Tony James re-recruited & re-christened for their re-dubbed Gen X project. Friends, foes, pros and fellow fools then convened and attempted to get another record out. Outside the core Idol/James duo, studio collaborators like ex-Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones, ex-Clash drummer Terry Chimes, Chelsea guitarist James Stevenson, Steve New of Rich Kids, Danny Kustow of Tom Robinson Band, as well as John McGeogh later of Siouxsie & the Banshees.
With renewed spirit and producer Keith Forsey at the helm, Gen X would go on to release one more LP Kiss Me Deadly in 1981. After neither the album nor the singles "Dancing With Myself" and "Kiss Me Deadly" took the charts, the band broke up. Idol joined up with NYC based Kiss manager Bill Aucion, re-releasing "Dancing with Myself" and the rest, as they say, is history.
A one off Generation X reunion occurred in 1993 at London's Astoria. Hopes for future reunions have popped up infrequently, but, with the band members ensconced in their own projects, prospects have seemed unlikely.The group's music remains popular among punk rock, new wave, and power pop revivalists in the U.K. and elsewhere, with a cult following lasting into the new millennium.
Kleenex
Generation X Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All around me
Better watch that man
See him gun in hand
No one seems to see
No one seems to see
Better watch that man
What you gonna do next
What you gonna do now
Use a Kleenex
Wipe out sex, Kleenex
Better than love, Kleenex
John Paul George, Kleenex
Governments use Kleenex
Use a Kleenex solve world problems
Better blow your nose right now
Maybe is it you?
(Or someone who you know)
Better watch that man see him gun in hand
What you gonna do next
What you gonna do now
Use a Kleenex
Wipe out sex, Kleenex
Better than love, kleenex
Trade Unions use Kleenex
Governments use Kleenex
Oh yeah!
The opening lines "All around me, all around me, better watch that man, see him gun in hand" sets a tone of unease and danger. It focuses on an unidentified man with a gun who is the cause of apprehension and chaos. The repetitive lines of "No one seems to see, no one seems to see" bring attention to how the people around are oblivious to the presence of the man and the danger he poses. The chorus of "What you gonna do next, what you gonna do now, use a Kleenex" presents a stark contrast to the preceding verses. The use of Kleenex, a tissue brand, as an answer to the problem of gun violence jolts the listener to question the stark reality of gun-related deaths and the urge to find a quick fix.
The chorus continues with "Wipe out sex, Kleenex, better than love, Kleenex, John Paul George, Kleenex, governments use Kleenex" where the band expresses a lack of faith in the world's institutions and the ability of Kleenex to replace emotions, human nature, and individuals. The bridge "Use a Kleenex, solve world problems, better blow your nose right now" draws attention to how the issue of gun violence is a pervasive problem that needs to be solved across the world, but it also suggests that the immediate solution lies in taking action by blowing one's nose right now. The song ends with a reminder to keep an eye on the man with a gun, emphasizing the persistent fear and danger.
Line by Line Meaning
All around me
I am surrounded by danger or chaos.
Better watch that man
There is a specific threat that needs to be monitored and addressed.
See him gun in hand
The threat is armed and potentially violent.
No one seems to see
Others are not aware of the danger or are choosing to ignore it.
What you gonna do next
What action will be taken to address the situation?
Use a Kleenex
A sarcastic suggestion to solve the problem with a trivial or irrelevant solution.
Wipe out sex, Kleenex
Sexual attraction and desire can be easily eliminated or suppressed like a bodily function.
Better than love, Kleenex
The temporary relief provided by a Kleenex is more reliable and desirable than the fickle nature of love.
John Paul George, Kleenex
Even the most famous and beloved musicians can be reduced to a meaningless product like Kleenex.
Governments use Kleenex
Those in power exploit their citizens and manipulate them like disposable tissues.
Use a Kleenex solve world problems
Suggesting the ridiculous notion that all of the world's issues can be solved with a simplistic solution like using Kleenex.
Better blow your nose right now
Instead of ignoring or avoiding the problem, take action and deal with it head-on.
Maybe is it you?
The threat could be anyone, even someone you know or least suspect.
Trade Unions use Kleenex
The working class can also be reduced to a disposable commodity for the benefit of those in power.
Oh yeah!
An expression of cynicism, frustration, or disbelief at the state of the world.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BILLY IDOL, TONY JAMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind