Kelly Johnson and Denise Dufort later joined and in April 1978 they changed their name to Girlschool.
Their first single Take it all away was released on the City Records label which led to them gaining a Motörhead support slot on the Overkill tour in 1979.
Having signed with Lemmy´s record company Bronze later that year, the band released their first album Demolition in 1980.
After touring Japan in 1982, Enid left and was replaced by Gil Weston of The Killjoys and Girlschool recorded their third album Screaming Blue Murder.
When Kelly left to live in L.A. she was replaced by Cris Bonacci on lead guitar and singer Jackie Bodimead on lead vocals for the 1985 album Running Wild.
After many more line-up changes and releases on various labels, the original bassist/vocalist Enid rejoined the band in 2000, together with Jackie Chambers. In 2002 the band released the 21st Anniversary: Not that Innocent album.
Their 12th and latest output is the re-recorded Hit and Run: Revisited. Girlschool continued to tour Europe and South America in 2011-12 and returned in Japan in 2013. In early 2015, they recorded a new album titled 'Guilty as Sin' with producer Chris Tsangarides, which was released on 13 November 2015. On 30 January 2019, it was announced on the band's website that "Girlschool have parted ways once again with bassist Enid Williams" and that Tracey Lamb would return to replace her.
In 2023, Girlschool, now consisting of Kim McAuliffe on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Denise Dufort on drums, Tracey Lamb on bass and Jackie Chambers on lead guitar have unveiled a video for their new single “Are You Ready?” from their upcoming studio album WTFortyfive?, which will be released on July 28, 2023.
--Discography--
Demolition (1980)
Hit and Run (1981)
Screaming Blue Murder (1982)
Play Dirty (1983)
Running Wild (1985)
Nightmare at Maple Cross (1986)
Take a Bite (1988)
Girlschool (1992)
21st Anniversary: Not That Innocent (2002)
Believe (2004)
Legacy (2008)
Hit and Run - Revisited (2011)
Guilty as Sin (2015)
WTFortyfive? (2023)
Going Under
Girlschool Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An easy game
About tomorrow it’s all the same
Should I scream and break away
Or should I tell you
I won't fade away, fade away
Help me
No time to stay
I gotta run
Help me
I think I’m going under
Drive to this trawl
I can’t hold down much longer
So will they promise
Of pretty lights
I found a city that burns my eyes
Silent scream, I’ll break away
I’m gonna tell you
I won’t fade away
Fade away
Help me
I think I’m going under
No time to stay
I gotta run (3x)
Help me
I think I’m going under
Drive to this trawl
I can’t hold down for long
I can’t hold on much longer
Help me
I think I’m going under
No time to stay
I gotta run (2x)
Help me
I think I’m going under
The lyrics to Girlschool's song Going Under depict the struggle of the singer to maintain a facade of being content with their life, while in reality, they feel trapped and suffocated. The song begins with the lines "They said we'd be living an easy game, about tomorrow, it's all the same," which suggests that society or external factors have conditioned the singer to believe that life should be effortless and predictable. However, as the song progresses, the singer reveals their true feelings, saying "Should I scream and break away, or should I tell you, I won't fade away?" They feel overwhelming pressure to conform to society's expectations and fear that if they don't, they'll disappear, hence the metaphor of "fading away."
The chorus of "Help me, I think I'm going under" represents the singer's plea for assistance from someone, anyone who can help them escape their current circumstances. They feel like they're drowning and can't breathe, and they need someone to throw them a lifeline. However, despite their desperation, they acknowledge that they must be the ones to take action, saying "I gotta run, drive to this crawl, I can't hold on much longer." The singer recognizes that they have to take responsibility for their life and make the difficult decision to break away from what's holding them back.
Overall, the song's message is an all-too-familiar one of feeling trapped and lost, but it also carries a message of hope. The singer knows that they have to take action, but they're not alone in their struggles. The chorus's repetition emphasizes that the singer's cry for help is not in vain and that there's always someone who can help them in their time of need.
Line by Line Meaning
They said we’d living
They promised us an easy life
An easy game
A life without challenges, where everything is effortless
About tomorrow it’s all the same
They said tomorrow would be just like today, with no surprises or changes
Should I scream and break away
Should I rebel and fight against the system
Or should I tell you
Or should I conform to their rules
I won't fade away, fade away
I won't give up or give in to their expectations
Help me
I need assistance
I think I’m going under
I feel like I'm drowning, overwhelmed by everything around me
No time to stay
I can't linger or hesitate
I gotta run
I need to escape, to flee from this situation
Drive to this trawl
I'm trapped, caught in a dangerous situation
I can’t hold down much longer
I'm reaching my breaking point, and can't keep going like this
So will they promise
They made more empty promises
Of pretty lights
Of flashy, alluring distractions
I found a city that burns my eyes
I discovered a place that's harmful to me, that I can't tolerate
Silent scream,
An internal cry of despair
I’ll break away
I'll find a way to break free from this place
Contributed by Adam P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.