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.
The Untouchables
Generation X Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hung around, to escape
In the days of gold fire,
Drugs and desire
Past the nights
Syncopated sound
Then its time we got along
Where the skins aren't out
But it was okay
Yeah it was all right
We were, we were
The untouchables at night
You and me while we're
Waitin' on a corner
Share a pack and a joke
With only fools to save us
We laughed and cried,
Split our sides
At what they told us
That it would be ok
That it would be alright
We were, we were
The untouchables at night
I've colored my life,
With voodoo and ice colors
All my life
But time strikes against us
It takes some of us home
Will make my soul
Turn up in you, What set me free
Oh friends young and new
What'll I do, when you're gone too
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah,
Ah-ha-ha-ha, haha-haha
It'll be alright
It'll be ok
If I believe tonight
If I believe, we're right
And then we'll be
We will clearly be
The untouchables at night
Whoa-oo ho-oo-oo
Whoa-oh-ho
Whoa-oo ho-oo-oo
The untouchables at night
Whoa-oh-ho
Whoa-oo ho-oo-oo
Whoa-oh-ho
The untouchables at night
Woo-oh-ho
Woo-oo ho-oo-oo
We'll know that color
We'll meet then
Oh-woah-oo
The lyrics of "Untouchables" by Generation X reflect the nostalgia for a wild and free youth lived in the night, surrounded by dangerous pleasures and vivid colors. The first stanza introduces the context of the song: two people escaping from a mundane reality to a world of music, drugs, and rebellion. The second stanza focuses on the bond between them, and how they share laughs and emotions despite the risks they take. The chorus repeats the phrase "we were the untouchables at night," emphasizing the idea of a subculture that lives outside the rules, only existing in the moment.
The third stanza changes the tone, as the singer acknowledges the passing of time and how it affects his/her generation. The reference to voodoo and ice colors suggests a life full of magical experiences, but also one that is threatened by the harsh realities of aging and mortality. However, the optimistic chorus returns in the final stanza, as the singer hopes to meet with their friends again to relive their rebellious past.
Line by Line Meaning
You and me
The singer is addressing their companion and acknowledging their shared experience.
Hung around, to escape
The singer and their companion spent time together in order to avoid reality or difficult situations.
In the days of gold fire,
The singer is referring to a time in the past that was bright and full of potential.
Drugs and desire
During this time, the artist and their companion were heavily influenced by substances and their own passions.
Past the nights
The artist and their companion spent many evenings together.
Syncopated sound
They were likely attending concerts, shows, or listening to music that had complex rhythms and beats.
Then its time we got along
The singer is suggesting that it's time for them to leave or do something else.
Where the skins aren't out
The artist is looking for a place where they can relax without interruption or distraction.
But it was okay
Despite any difficulties they may have faced, the artist is reflecting on their past experiences as positive overall.
Yeah it was all right
The artist confirms that things were good.
We were, we were
The singer continues to include their companion in reminiscing about the past.
The untouchables at night
The artist felt like they were part of a separate, unique group of people who could escape reality at night.
You and me while we're
The singer is continuing to address their companion in recalling their shared experiences.
Waitin' on a corner
They spent time together in public spaces, likely waiting for something to happen or someone to arrive.
Share a pack and a joke
The singer and their companion were comfortable enough with each other to share things like cigarettes and humor.
With only fools to save us
The artist and their companion felt like outsiders who only had each other for support, seeing others around them as foolish.
We laughed and cried,
Their experiences together were emotional and memorable.
Split our sides
They laughed so hard that they felt physical pain.
At what they told us
The singer is referring to the things others said to them that they found funny or ridiculous.
That it would be ok
Despite challenges, the artist reassures themselves and their companion that things will be alright.
That it would be alright
Repeating the previous line, the artist emphasizes their belief that things will get better.
We were, we were
The artist's use of repetition creates a sense of unity with their companion in these memories.
The untouchables at night
Continuing from earlier in the song, the singer is reflecting on how they felt like they were part of a select group of people who were untouchable at night.
I've colored my life,
The artist is reflecting on their own personal history.
With voodoo and ice colors
They are suggesting that their experiences have been marked by dark magic and destructive behaviors.
All my life
This has been a pervasive part of their life, not just a temporary phase.
But time strikes against us
The singer is acknowledging that as time goes on, life gets harder for everyone.
It takes some of us home
People they care about have passed away.
Will make my soul
The experiences they've had in the past will have a lasting impact on them.
Turn up in you,
Their companion will remind them of these past experiences.
What set me free
In the past, their experiences gave them freedom from the realities of life, and these memories will continue to be important now.
Oh friends young and new
The artist is addressing both old and new friends.
What'll I do, when you're gone too
The artist is acknowledging that even close friends will eventually pass away or move on.
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Repeating sounds create a melancholic tone.
Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah,
More repetitions, suggesting fear or sadness.
Ah-ha-ha-ha, haha-haha
Even more repetition, suggesting some sense of irony or dark humor.
It'll be alright
The singer is reassuring themselves that things will be okay.
It'll be ok
Repeating the previous line using slightly different wording, the singer emphasizes their belief that things will improve.
If I believe tonight
They are reminding themselves that belief and hope are important in difficult times.
If I believe, we're right
They continue to rely on the power of belief and suggest that if they believe in themselves and their friends, they will be alright.
And then we'll be
The artist is imagining a future state after they've overcome challenges together.
We will clearly be
Their vision for this future is specific and clear.
The untouchables at night
Repeating a line from earlier in the song, the singer envisions this moment of freedom and community again in the future.
Whoa-oo ho-oo-oo
A wistful, nostalgic sound.
Whoa-oh-ho
Intensifying the previous line with this repetition.
The untouchables at night
Repeating an earlier lyric, emphasizing its importance to the artist.
Whoa-oh-ho
Repeating sounds for emphasis and dramatic effect.
Whoa-oo ho-oo-oo
More repetition for the same purposes.
Whoa-oh-ho
Continuing the previous repetitions, building to a crescendo.
The untouchables at night
Returning to an earlier phrase to create a sense of shared identity and community for the listener.
Woo-oh-ho
One final sound to bring the song to a close.
Woo-oo ho-oo-oo
A final repetition of previous sounds.
We'll know that color
The artist is referencing an earlier line about the colors of their life that they've either embraced or experienced.
We'll meet then
The singer is saying that when they get to this moment, they'll finally meet the untouchables from their memories.
Oh-woah-oo
A final, nostalgic sound.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Written by: CARY RYAN BARLOWE, NATHAN LAMAR BARLOWE, TOMMY LEE JAMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind