The Manics released their debut album Generation Terrorists in 1992. Their combination of androgynous glam punk imagery, outspoken invective and songs about "culture, alienation, boredom and despair" soon gained them a loyal following and cult status. The band's later albums retained a politicized and intellectual lyrical style, while adopting a broader alternative rock sound. Enigmatic lyricist Richey Edwards gained early notoriety by carving the words "4 REAL" into his arm with a razor blade (narrowly missing an artery and requiring seventeen stitches) in response to the suggestion that the band were less than authentic. The dark nature of 1994's The Holy Bible reflected the culmination of Edwards' instability.
Following Edwards' disappearance, Bradfield, Moore, and Wire persisted with the Manic Street Preachers and went on to gain critical and commercial success, becoming one of Britain's premier rock bands. They have had eight top ten albums and fifteen top ten singles. They have reached number one three times, with their 1998 album This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours and the singles "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next" (1998) and "The Masses Against The Classes" (2000). The Masses Against The Classes Songfacts reports that the latter was the first UK #1 of 2000. They have also won the Best British Album and Best British Group accolades at the BRIT Awards in 1997 and 1999, and were lauded by the NME for their lifetime achievements in 2008. Their ninth studio album, Journal For Plague Lovers, was released on 18th May 2009 and features lyrics Edwards had left behind to the band weeks before his disappearance.
They came together in 1986, when James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Sean Moore and rhythm guitarist Flicker formed Betty Blue in the small South Wales town of Blackwood. Two years later, Flicker had left and Nicky's friend Richey Edwards (previously the group's driver) joined in his place. Richey would later say in Vox magazine, "If you built a museum to represent Blackwood, all you could put in it would be shit. We used to meet by this opening called Pen-y-Fan. It was built when the mines closed down but now the water has turned green and slimy. They put 2,000 fish in it, but they died. There's a whirlpool in the middle where about two people die every year". A bleak image, then, but it provided the necessary fuel to drive the band.
Inspired by the passion of The Clash, and moved by Thatcher's suppression of the miners, the band's lyrics exploded with politicised anger. Their first single, the self-financed Suicide Alley, didn't make great waves, and the band moved to London. There, they found a sympathetic character in the form of Bob Stanley: later a member of St Etienne, but then a freelancer for the Melody Maker.
Stanley released a collection of their demos as the New Art Riot EP in June 1990. It caught the attention of Philip Hall, who became their publicist and co-manager.
In early 1991 Heavenly released Motown Junk, an inspired three-minute punk blast. Later that year it was followed by You Love Us, a swaggering, arrogant self-regarding slice of brilliance.
The Manics paved the way for a resurgence of guitar bands in Wales. In the press, they were forced to live with punning headlines referring to sheep, boyos and leeks - they got all the clichés out of the way so the bands of the so-called Cool Cymru would be taken more seriously.
Yet their image often overshadowed the music. On 15 May 1991 came a turning point for the Manics. Following a gig at Norwich Arts Centre, Steve Lamacq, then writing for the NME, argued with the band that they were a cartoon band - not real punks. The band refuted this, but still Lamacq persisted. Frustrated, Richey Edwards took a razor and calmly carved the words 4 REAL into his forearm. Lamacq was horrified; Richey needed 17 stitches. Six days later the Manics signed to Sony. Richey had suffered from depression for many years, and self-mutilation had become increasingly common for him. But the Norwich incident was the first time the guitarist had aired his emotional problems in public.
In February 1992 the debut album Generation Terrorists was released. Heavily influenced by Appetite For Destruction, Richey said of it, "We wanted to sign to the biggest record label in the world, put out a debut album that would sell 20 million, and then break up. Get massive and then just throw it all away". The album sold 250,000 copies worldwide. Predictably they didn't split up, but the album polarised opinion between those that saw them as the new saviours of rock and roll, and detractors who considered them contrived and insincere. Not that the Manics cared: they were off on their first American tour, shortly after the LA riots, and singles such as Slash 'N' Burn and Motorcycle Emptiness were climbing up the charts.
The second Manics album was released in June 1993. Gold Against The Soul was overproduced and less passionate, but did contain the classic songs La Tristesse Durera (Scream To A Sigh) and From Despair To Where. However, they also chose to support Bon Jovi for a string of unwise live dates. The troubles continued with the death on 7 December 1993 of their mentor Philip Hall, who had been battling cancer for two years. Meanwhile, Richey's problems were worsening. Weighing less than six stone and subjecting his body to drinking and cutting binges, he was eventually admitted to the Priory in Roehampton.
Richey's despair was documented in what is now considered the Manics' masterpiece, 1994's 'The Holy Bible'. Unremittingly bleak, the opening song Yes contained the lines "I eat and I dress and I wash and I still can say thank you / Puking, shaking, sinking / Can't shout, can't scream, I hurt myself to get pain out". The song was about prostitution, but every line emanated from Richey's fragile state of mind. He rejoined the band for tours with Therapy? and Suede (and an early incarnation of Vitriol I.D.) in Europe, and a series of frantic shows at the London Astoria in December. The final night saw them destroying 10,000 worth of their equipment. "We'll never be that good again," said Nicky after the event. It was also their last live appearance as a four-piece.
Although they had never found transatlantic success, at the beginning of 1995 they were preparing to give America one last try. However, on 1 February Richey walked out of the Embassy hotel in London and never returned. His passport and money were found in his Cardiff Bay flat, and two weeks later his car was discovered beside the Severn Bridge - a notorious local suicide spot. The file on his disappearance remains open.
"We decided to carry on in April," said Nicky Wire in The Guardian, "after two months of waiting by the phone and feeling ill and exhausted. We thought we'd been so close, and in the end we couldn't do anything for him." September saw the band record a cover of Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head for the War Child "Help" album, and by January 1996 the Manics were recording their comeback album 'Everything Must Go'. It was released on 20 May to critical acclaim, went double platinum and yielded four top ten singles: 'A Design For Life', the title track, 'Kevin Carter' and 'Australia'. The sound represents a cross between the heavy rock of 'Gold Against The Soul' and a new, less agressive, almost Britpop like sound.
Two Brit Awards later, they released the LP This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours which gave the band their first number one single in If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next, perhaps the only song that references the Spanish Civil War to ever appear on Top of the Pops.
On December 31st 1999 the band said goodbye to the 20th Century with a gig at Cardiff Millennium Stadium, attended by upwards of 50,000 people. This was followed by their second number one single, The Masses Against The Classes, which hit the top spot despite not having a video or marketing support from their record company.
Shortly afterwards, Nicky stated that "the fourth era of the Manics is beginning".
The fourth era, so far, has involved an audience with Fidel Castro in Cuba, the 2001 album Know Your Enemy, and continuing success. Their long awaited greatest hits collection, Forever Delayed, appeared in October 2002, followed in 2003 by Lipstick Traces, a two-disc collection of covers, B-sides, and outtakes including the last song recorded with Richey, 'Judge Yr'self'.
The Manics returned in November 2004 with the more reflective Lifeblood, which featured the singles The Love Of Richard Nixon and Empty Souls, both of which went straight in at number two in the charts.
Not to rest on their laurels, the band released a 10th anniversary edition of The Holy Bible in December 2004 which included a digitally remastered version of the original album, a never before heard U.S mix and a DVD of live performances and extras.
In April 2005 the Manics released a limited 3 track E.P. titled God Save The Manics as a free download but with hard copies distributed also without cost at the final date of their small, intimate 'Past Present and Future' tour at Hammersmith Apollo, London - their last show before a two year hiatus.
Later that year the band contributed the new track Leviathan to September's War Child charity album Help: A Day in the Life, becoming one of the few bands to contribute tracks to both albums.
2006 saw both James Dean Bradfield and Nicky Wire releasing solo albums, The Great Western and I Killed the Zeitgeist respectively. But both insisted that this in no way meant an end to the Manics and in December the band headlined XFM's Winter Wonderland gig in Manchester.
2007 sees the band enter yet another era with their 8th studio album, Send Away The Tigers, which was released on May 7th.
The album Journal For Plague Lovers was released in May 2009 and features lyrics left to the band by Richey before he disappeared. They released several different versions of the album, including a special edition, which has a book featuring copies of the original typed lyrics and pictures that went with them, and a bonus disc with all the original demos, recorded at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, which they say is one of their favourite studios.
Their 10th studio album, Postcards from a Young Man, was released in September 2010. The album features several guest artists: Duff McKagan on A Billion Balconies Facing the Sun, John Cale on Auto-Intoxication and Ian McCulloch on Some Kind of Nothingness. A deluxe edition was also released containing a bonus disc with the original demos on it.
In 2011 the band released their second compilation National Treasures- The Complete Singles Collection, a release preceded by new single This Is The Day a cover of a ´¨The The song. The collection featured every single released since and including Motown Junk.
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Ifwhiteamericatoldthetruthforonedayit
Manic Street Preachers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Grenada, Haiti, Poland, Nicaragua
Who shall we choose for our morality
I'm thinking right now of Hollywood tragedy
Big Mac, smack, Phoenix are, please smile y'all
Cuba, Mexico can't cauterize our discipline
Your idols speak so much of the abyss
Yet your morals only run as deep as the surface
Cool, groovy, morning, fine
Tipper Gore was a friend of mine
I love a free country
The Stars and Stripes and an apple for mommy
Conservative say there ain't no black in the Union Jack
Democrats say there ain't enough white in the Stars and Stripes
Compton, Harlem, a pimp fucked a priest
The white man has just found a new moral saviour
Vital stats, how white was their skin
Unimportant, just another inner-city drive-by thing
Morning, fine, serve your first coffee of the day
Real privilege, it will take your problems all away
Number one, the best, no excuse from me
I am here to serve the moral majority
Cool, groovy, morning, fine
Tipper Gore was a friend of mine
I love a free country
The Stars and Stripes and an apple for mommy
Zapruder the first to masturbate
The world's first taste of crucified grace
And we say there's not enough black in the Union Jack
And we say there's too much white in the Stars and Stripes
Fuck the Brady bill
Fuck the Brady bill
If God made man they say
Sam Colt made him equal
The lyrics to Manic Street Preachers’s song Ifwhiteamericatoldthetruthforonedayit explore the hypocritical nature of American society, particularly in regards to their morality and values. The first verse presents a range of conflicts and issues around the world, such as Grenada, Haiti, Poland, and Nicaragua, alluding to the violence and destruction caused by the United States in these countries. The reference to Hollywood tragedy speaks to America’s obsession with celebrity culture and the superficiality of their moral values. The second verse references the conservative and democratic ideologies, highlighting the racial tension and hypocrisy present in American politics. The line “there ain't no black in the Union Jack” refers to the British Union Jack flag, while “there ain't enough white in the Stars and Stripes” refers to the American flag, indicating that both countries have problems with race and inequality. The third verse delves deeper into American society, referencing inner-city violence, privilege and the “moral majority”, and the conflicting views on gun laws (“If God made man they say, Sam Colt made him equal”).
The song’s title is a play on the phrase “what if”, suggesting that if only America was honest with itself for one day, it would reveal a very different society. The lyrics challenge the excess and hypocrisy that America is known for, bringing attention to the need for genuine values and ethical standards.
Line by Line Meaning
Images of perfection, suntan and napalm
The media portrays an ideal of perfection that involves tanning and war.
Grenada, Haiti, Poland, Nicaragua
These countries have all been affected by US intervention and are examples of American imperialism.
Who shall we choose for our morality
Who decides what is right and wrong in society?
I'm thinking right now of Hollywood tragedy
The unrealistic nature of Hollywood and its portrayal of glamour and prestige can lead to tragedy.
Big Mac, smack, Phoenix are, please smile y'all
Consumerism, drugs, and celebrity culture distract from deeper societal issues and manipulate people into being content with superficial things.
Cuba, Mexico can't cauterize our discipline
Neighboring countries cannot control or change American society through discipline or influence.
Your idols speak so much of the abyss
Celebrities and those in power often talk about darker issues, but often fail to take any real action to address them.
Yet your morals only run as deep as the surface
Despite appearing to address deeper issues, society and its morals only scratch the surface and do not truly tackle underlying problems.
Cool, groovy, morning, fine
Society values coolness and superficiality, over genuine emotional connection or critical thought.
Tipper Gore was a friend of mine
Tipper Gore was known for promoting censorship in music, as well as pushing for parental advisory labels on albums deemed explicit.
I love a free country
America is known for its freedom, yet this freedom is limited to certain groups of people and comes at a cost to others.
The Stars and Stripes and an apple for mommy
The American flag and apple pie are symbolic of American culture and values, like patriotism and family.
Conservative say there ain't no black in the Union Jack
Conservatives believe that Britain does not have the same racial issues as America, denying or ignoring any problems of racism in their own country.
Democrats say there ain't enough white in the Stars and Stripes
Democrats believe that America has not done enough to address issues of systemic racism and oppression.
Compton, Harlem, a pimp fucked a priest
These places and professions allude to the darker, seedier side of American society and its deep-rooted issues of corruption and exploitation.
The white man has just found a new moral saviour
Society has a history of white men in power attempting to control or 'save' marginalized groups, instead of allowing them to speak for themselves.
Vital stats, how white was their skin
Society places value on whiteness and often prioritizes it over other characteristics, like competence or qualifications.
Unimportant, just another inner-city drive-by thing
Society often dismisses and trivializes violence in inner-cities, treating it as an insignificant or unavoidable fact of life.
Morning, fine, serve your first coffee of the day
Society values productivity and a fast-paced lifestyle over self-care and taking time to enjoy the simple things in life.
Real privilege, it will take your problems all away
Privilege allows certain groups to avoid facing the same problems and struggles that others must confront daily.
Number one, the best, no excuse from me
Society values competition and winning over cooperation and compassion, leading to a lack of accountability and responsibility for actions.
Zapruder the first to masturbate
This line alludes to the assassination of JFK and the obsession with violence and sex in media, as well as society's desire for sensationalism and scandal.
The world's first taste of crucified grace
The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is seen as an act of grace, yet society often loses sight of the true meaning and value of Christianity in everyday life.
Fuck the Brady bill
The Brady Bill, named for James Brady who was shot during the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan, mandated background checks on firearm purchases, which this line is rejecting.
If God made man they say
This line alludes to the belief in a higher power and the question of divine purpose and free will.
Sam Colt made him equal
This line referencing the inventor of Colt firearms claims that the right to bear arms is integral to creating a society with equality.
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