Shortly after, they recruited their good friend and photographer Glenn Gregory on vocals to complete their lineup for Heaven 17. Contrary to popular belief, they were not 'New Romantics' per se and had different visual characteristics than groups such as Spandau Ballet and the Culture Club. Like The Human League, Heaven 17 heavily used synthesizers and drum machines while taking influence from the minimalist electronica music of the 70s.
They had a few minor hits in their early days, including the song "Play To Win" that featured on the album 'Penthouse and Pavement'. Their debut single '(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang' from the same album attracted some attention, became a left-wing anthem for a while, and was banned by the BBC because of its overtly political lyrics, but it still reached number 45 in the UK singles chart.
Major chart success eluded them until the single 'Temptation' (in which they were augmented by the vocalist Carol Kenyon) reached number 2 in the UK charts in summer 1983. Other songs from the same album, The Luxury Gap, also charted though not as high - 'Come Live With Me' reached number 5 in the UK, 'Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry' reached number 17, and 'Let Me Go', reaching 41 in November 1982. The album itself charted at their best ever position, number four.
At the end of 1983, the band helped re-launch Tina Turner's solo career, producing and providing backing vocals on her debut hit 'Let's Stay Together'. 1984 featured the release of the moderately successful How Men Are, which reached number 12.
The band also worked on the Band Aid single at the end of 1984, with Gregory supplying vocals alongside Midge Ure and Sting. However, they did not perform at Live Aid the following year.
Pleasure One (featuring the single 'Trouble') appeared in 1986 and it was followed up in 1988 with Teddy Bear, Duke & Psycho (featuring the single 'Train Of Love In Motion'). The early 90's were a quiet period for the band and they wouldn't work together as Heaven 17 until 1996's Bigger Than America. In the preceding years, Marsh and Ware produced a second B.E.F. album to 1981's original Music of Quality and Distinction and Gregory formed the band Ugly. Ware became an in-demand producer, working for the likes of Terence Trent D'Arby, Alison Moyet and Erasure. 2005 saw the release of the long-awaited Before After; the album having a much more contemporary dance sound compared to previous albums.
Let's All Make A Bomb
Heaven 17 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All you can do is sit and cry
You've only got yourself to blame
Don't try to stop me; it's too late
My mind's made up; this job won't wait
There's nothing left for me to say
It's time to designate your fate
Take the M out of M.A.D.
Let's all make a bomb
Take one hundred scientists or more
Place in a room and lock the door
Let them confer for half their lives
Unlock the door; go in and see
What they have made for you and me
A brand new toy to idolize
(chorus)
Although the war has just begun
Ignore the sirens; let's have fun
Put on your best; go out in style
Although our future's looking black
We'll go downtown and join the pack
Let's celebrate and vapourize
The lyrics to Heaven 17's song "Let's All Make A Bomb" are a commentary on the nuclear arms race and the seeming inevitability of mutually assured destruction (M.A.D.). The first verse suggests that the people who will suffer the most from a nuclear war are the ones who did nothing to stop it, and that individuals who have the power to make a difference will ultimately be powerless. The singer in the song has made up his mind to go ahead and participate in the nuclear arms race, despite the terrible consequences it will have. He encourages others to join him in his fatalistic attitude, believing that the only way to survive is to embrace the absurdity of it all.
The second verse describes the process of making a bomb, using scientific jargon to obscure the horror of what is being created. The scientists confer for "half their lives" to make something "for you and me", suggesting that the bombs are being made for the benefit of society rather than for destruction. This ironic tone is echoed in the chorus, where the phrase "Let's all make a bomb" is presented as a celebratory slogan, encouraging people to take part in the destruction of their own world. The final verse encourages people to ignore the warnings of impending doom and focus on enjoying life, even as the world comes to an end.
Line by Line Meaning
And as the low aggress the high
As the weaker ones attack the stronger ones
All you can do is sit and cry
It's frustrating to watch and not be able to do anything to help
You've only got yourself to blame
There's no one else to hold responsible for your inaction
Don't try to stop me; it's too late
It's useless to try to convince me otherwise
My mind's made up; this job won't wait
I'm determined to carry out this task, and it can't be delayed
There's nothing left for me to say
I've already made my decision, so further discussion is pointless
Hey! There's no need to debate
There's no point in discussing the matter further
It's time to designate your fate
It's time to decide what will happen to you
Take the M out of M.A.D.
Remove the 'Mutually Assured Destruction' aspect of nuclear warfare
Let's all make a bomb
Let's create a powerful weapon
Take one hundred scientists or more
Gather a large number of intelligent people
Place in a room and lock the door
Put them in a room without any distractions
Let them confer for half their lives
Allow them to work on this project for many years
Unlock the door; go in and see
Open the door to reveal what they've created
What they have made for you and me
The outcome is a creation for humanity to enjoy
A brand new toy to idolize
This invention will become something people view as exciting and impressive
(chorus)
Refrain with repeating lyrics
Although the war has just begun
Even though a war has started
Ignore the sirens; let's have fun
Pretend like the war isn't happening and enjoy ourselves anyway
Put on your best; go out in style
Dress up and make sure you look good before going out
Although our future's looking black
Despite a situation appearing grim
We'll go downtown and join the pack
We'll go to popular urban areas and join the crowd
Let's celebrate and vapourize
Let's celebrate by creating vapor with the bomb
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GLENN GREGORY, GLENN PETER GREGORY, IAN CRAIG MARSH, MARTYN WARE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind