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.
Promises Promises
Generation X Lyrics
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They didn't die young, they got big waists
We got let down at the back of Earls Court
And swear that night we'd never get caught
'cause we were smarter than they were (they were)
We started out with guitars and hate
With our rooms in the clouds we could hardly wait
The stage caught fire (then?) the charts blew up
And we play more than they do (they do)
Promises Promises
Do you remember the promises promises, I do
Do you remember the promises promises, I do
We made our shirts with sprays and knives
Then we saved up for weeks for Malcolm's strides
Our hair was short we said what we thought
We'd never be scared [we'd] never be bought
Never sell out like they did, they did
Promises Promises
Do you remember the promises promises, I do
Do you remember the promises promises, I do
Soon you'll get your gear form Marks and Sparks
Punk'll take over Top of the Pops
Think you're having a real cool time?
Watch out kid you're next in line, oh yeah
Do you remember the promises promises, I do
Do you remember the promises promises, I do
Where were you in '75
When there weren't no gigs and we were jive
(Promises promises promises remember)
No one gave a shit for our Rock'n'Roll dream
Are men laughed re-release the Cream
(Promises promises promises remember)
And they thought we were stupid
And they thought we were stupid
And we promised we'd get back get back
Do you remember the Promises Promises
Do you remember the Promises Promises
What I do, what I do, what I do, what
I do, I do, I do, what I do, what I do
Promises promises promises remember
Promises promises promises remember
Promises promises promises remember
Promises promises promises remember
Promises promises promises remember
Promises promises promises remember
Promises promises promises remember
Promises promises promises remember
Promises promises promises remember
The song "Promises Promises" by Generation X reflects the frustration and disillusionment of a young generation with the broken promises of the past. The song is an indictment of the previous generation's failure to live up to its ideals and of its co-option by consumer culture. The first verse describes the mistakes of the previous generation, including getting "big waists" and failing to die young. The second verse describes the aspirations and achievements of the new generation, including starting out with "guitars and hate," and the promise of success.
The chorus, "Promises Promises, do you remember the promises," questions the sincerity and honesty of the previous generation's promises. The bridge, "Where were you in '75 when there weren't no gigs and we were jive," directly confronts and challenges the previous generation's failure to support the new generation's dreams.
The song is a commentary on the punk movement of the late 1970s and Generation X's role in it. The lyrics reflect the anger and disappointment of a new generation struggling to break free from the constraints of the past and to create a new cultural and political revolution.
Line by Line Meaning
The first last? lot make a few mistakes
Even though we were not the first to do what we do, like bands before us, we also made some mistakes.
They didn't die young, they got big waists
Contrary to the romanticized idea of rockstars dying young, many of us are still alive but have gained weight over the years.
We got let down at the back of Earls Court
We were disappointed at some point in our music career, like when we played at Earls Court and didn't get the response we wanted.
And swear that night we'd never get caught
That night, we made a promise to ourselves to never get caught up in the commercialization of music.
'cause we were smarter than they were (they were)
We thought we were smarter and more authentic than the more commercialized bands that had come before us.
We started out with guitars and hate
We began our music journey fueled by our passion for playing the guitar and our anger towards the establishment.
With our rooms in the clouds we could hardly wait
With lofty aspirations and big dreams, we could hardly contain our excitement.
Our legs apart, our amps up high
Confident in our abilities, we played with our feet wide apart and our amplifiers turned up loud.
The stage caught fire (then?) the charts blew up
Our energetic performances caught the attention of fans and the industry, leading to our meteoric rise to the top of the charts.
And we play more than they do (they do)
Proud of our success, we continue to play more shows and create more music than the bands that came before us.
Promises Promises
We keep hearing promises from the industry about fame and fortune, but we know they are empty and won't last.
Do you remember the promises promises, I do
The promises we were given early on in our career are still fresh in our minds, but we know that they were unrealistic.
We made our shirts with sprays and knives
We crafted our own band shirts with spray paint and knives to show our individuality and creativity.
Then we saved up for weeks for Malcolm's strides
We saved up for a long time to buy the same type of pants that our idol Malcolm McLaren wore.
Our hair was short we said what we thought
We had short hair and were unapologetic about speaking our minds in our music and in our lives.
We'd never be scared [we'd] never be bought
We were fearless and committed to staying true to ourselves, never compromising our values for money or fame.
Never sell out like they did, they did
We saw other bands sell out to the mainstream and vowed to never do the same.
Soon you'll get your gear form Marks and Sparks
We predict that punk fashion will soon be mass-marketed and sold in stores like Marks and Spencer.
Punk'll take over Top of the Pops
We predict that punk music will become popular enough to be featured on the influential TV show 'Top of the Pops'.
Think you're having a real cool time?
To those who are just discovering punk music and culture, we ask if they truly understand what it means to be part of this movement.
Watch out kid you're next in line, oh yeah
We warn newcomers that with the increasing popularity of punk, they may soon face the same commercialization and commodification that we did.
Where were you in '75
We ask where people were when punk emerged in 1975, questioning whether they were part of the original, authentic movement.
When there weren't no gigs and we were jive
We reminisce about the early days of punk when there were few opportunities to play live and we were still trying to find our sound.
(Promises promises promises remember)
We recall the many promises made to us over the years.
No one gave a shit for our Rock'n'Roll dream
We felt like nobody cared about our aspirations to make it in the music industry.
Are men laughed re-release the Cream
Even the record executives found our music too 'out there', preferring to re-release older, more mainstream music like Cream.
And they thought we were stupid
Many people dismissed punk music as unintelligent and lacking in substance.
And we promised we'd get back get back
We promised ourselves that we would persevere and make our mark on the industry, despite the odds against us.
Promises Promises
We reflect on how many of the promises made to us never came to fruition.
Do you remember the Promises Promises
We continue to remember the empty promises made to us throughout our career.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN PAUL WHITE, BRETT JAMES, JOE DON ROONEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind