An early version of the band formed in 1981 under the name From Eden; members included Clint Mansell, Adam Mole, Chris Fradgley, Malcolm Treece and Miles Hunt . Graham Crabb was recruited (Graham being the only respondant to replace the 'piss poor' Miles Hunt on drums). After From Eden splintered into two bands (Treece and Hunt went on to form The Wonder Stuff) Mansell, Crabb & Mole formed Wild and Wandering, recruiting Richard March on bass. They eventually became Pop Will Eat Itself in 1986, taking the name from a quote in an NME article about Pop 'eating itself' suggesting that popular music continues to recycle ideas.
The band honed their songwriting skills with a string of catchy two-minute pop songs released on EPs both as Wild and Wandering and Pop Will Eat Itself. With the help of DJ John Peel, these EPs saw some airplay and enjoyed some popularity among university students. After the band feared they had accomplished all they could with their sound, they found new influences in hip hop acts such as the Beastie Boys, Run DMC and Public Enemy. Graham soon dropped the drum sticks for a mic and was replaced by a drum machine called "Dr. Nightmare." Their style continued to develop with classics such as "There Is No Love Between Us Anymore' and the anthemic "Def Con One". As a result, PWEI were signed to major label RCA and they achieved top 40 hits with "Can U Dig It?" and "Wise Up! Sucker" off the album This Is the Day…This Is the Hour…This Is This!
RCA's larger studio budget allowed the band to develop its potential further, and they released 3 successful albums on that label. The first two (…This is This! and Cure for Sanity) were recorded with the aid of legendary producer Flood, known for his work with Nine Inch Nails, U2 and many other popular 90s groups. Cure for Sanity was perhaps PWEI's most experimental album, with a more electronic sound than previous efforts. RCA, meanwhile, was more interested chart success and so wanted the band to cut the lengthy instrumentals from their songs.
On 1992's The Looks or The Lifestyle, the band recruited a live drummer to complement their standard array of loops and pre-programmed drums and brought back some live guitars. The record was their most commercial and polished work to date, and was arguably the Poppies' high point, featuring top 20 hits like 'Karmadrome' and 'Bulletproof.' The single 'Get the Girl! Kill the Baddies!' registered as the band's biggest hit in January 1993. By this point, RCA had already grown tired of PWEI's stuborness and dropped them before the single was even released (the song went on to peak at 9 in the UK singles chart). Because of this, the band became the first ever to perform on Top of the Pops without being on a record label. The British National Party had recently caused an uproar in Tower Hamlets by winning a council seat, and it looked possible that the UK would see a revival in far right politics. In response to this, The Looks or the Lifestyle introduced a hitherto understated political angle, as the album inlay used the "red arrow" emblem of the Anti Nazi League and offered the organisation's address.
Getting dropped from RCA turned out to be a blessing for the Poppies, as the label agreed to write off the massive debts that the band had accumulated in studio fees in return for PWEI's back catalogue. After a minor bidding war, the Poppies decided to sign to Infectious Records, a label recently started by friend Korda Marshell (who had signed them to RCA in the first place but had since left the label) that offered them the artistic freedom they required.
PWEI maintained their stubbornly "cartoon like" image, despite producing thoughtful and often surprisingly dark tracks (for instance "Wake Up! Time To Die!", "88 Seconds", and "Mother").
PWEI's political stance became more explicit with the release of the single "Ich Bin Ein Auslander." A collaboration with Asian group Fun-Da-Mental, the song was scathing attack on the far right and the apathy that seemed to greet its resurgence. A different version of this song later appeared as the opening track on the 1994 album, Dos Dedos Mis Amigos.
By this time the band had toned down its garish public persona and veered off in a new and more industrial-based direction with the aid of long time fan Trent Reznor. Many fans were upset that the 'Is everybody happy?!' pogoing Poppies were gone and put off by the new direction, but the band found new popularity after signing with Reznor's Nothing Records in the US and touring with Nine Inch Nails, as well as having their songs used on the Playstation game 'Loaded'.
The following year the band released the Dos Dedos remix album Two Fingers My Friends which featured remixes by The Orb, Apollo 440, Renegade Soundwave and many more. It was about this time that Graham Crabb left the band and they recruited 'The Buzzard' of Yeah! God (who had recorded 'wild guitar' on previous albums but was never a full time member) and Clint took over full vocal duties. The band continued down the industrial route and were still recording and touring until 1996, even recording a collaboration with Orbital. Unfortunately, the band took a break before finishing production of their next album with Trent Reznor, and while not officially splitting, failed to complete the work citing boredom and musical differences. One track from this period was released, a cover of Gary Numan's "Friends," and provides some indication of the band's direction at the time.
A reunion of sorts happened in 2005 when the members performed eight gigs in the UK. Demos were also recorded during this time. However, Clint Mansell and Richard March were unable to continue with the reformation, and the remaining members have decided to pursue what the reformed PWEI started under the name Vileevils.
On February 23, 2010, a press release was issued to those on the dPulse Recordings mailing list, stating that Crabb would be discontinuing work on the Vileevils project, to concentrate on reviving Pop Will Eat Itself with a new PWEI album, new band and tour dates to be announced. On 11 May 2010, PWEI released the "Axe of Men 2010" single on a CD/DVD combination, featuring "Axe of Men 2010", a remastered "Sonic Noise Byte", and a DVD with Vileevils material.
In July 2011, a new line-up was announced, featuring Graham Crabb as the only original member, and Mary Byker undertaking co-vocalist duties. On October 3rd 2011 the album, New Noise Designed By A Sadist, was released on Cooking Vinyl, followed by a UK tour.
TBC
Can You Dig It
Pop Will Eat Itself Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We like the music, we like the disco sound...hey!
We like the music, we like the disco sound...hey!
We like the music, we like the disco sound...hey!
We dig TV we dig remote control,
We dig the Furry Freak Brothers and the Twilight Zone,
We dig Marvel and D.C., we dig Run-DMC,
(Can U dig it?)
CHORUS
Bruce Wayne auf weidersehn,
Dirty Harry, "Make my day,"
Terminator, hit the north,
Alan Moore knows the score,
Riffs? Yeah! Can U dig it?
Riffs? Yeah! Can U dig it?
We dig Optimus Prime and not Galvetron,
We dig "The Leader of the Pack" and the "Do-Run-Run",
Spinderella and Bruce Lee, "The Bad and the Ugly",
"V for Vendetta" and "Into the Groovy".
(Can U dig it?)
CHORUS
We like the music, we like the disco song...hey!
We like the music, we like the disco song...hey!
The lyrics of Pop Will Eat Itself's song "Can U Dig It" reflects the band's appreciation for various forms of entertainment culture. It is a homage to disco, television, comics, music, and movies that have left an indelible mark on society. The opening verse "We like the music, we like the disco sound...hey!/ We dig TV we dig remote control," speaks to the band's affinity to a variety of media. The repetition of the phrase, creates a chant-like quality to hook listeners in, and emphasize the band's love of music and other forms of entertainment.
The second verse showcases the band's admiration of comics, movies, and music stars. They mention Bruce Wayne (Batman), Dirty Harry, Terminator, and Alan Moore (the creator of V for Vendetta and Watchmen) to signify these iconic pop culture figures. The chorus, repeating the line "Riffs? Yeah! Can U dig it?" further emphasizes the band's love for music, which is punctuated by a repetitive guitar riff in the background.
Finally, the last verse of the song highlights the band's deep appreciation for martial arts (Bruce Lee), Spinderella (member of Salt-n-Pepa), and V for Vendetta (graphic novel by Alan Moore). The song ends with the repetition of the opening verse, the band's way of underscoring their love of disco music as a cohesive form of entertainment.
Line by Line Meaning
We like the music, we like the disco sound...hey!
We enjoy disco and its associated music.
We dig TV we dig remote control,
We appreciate television and the ability to control it remotely.
We dig the Furry Freak Brothers and the Twilight Zone,
We enjoy both comic book characters and sci-fi television series.
We dig Marvel and D.C., we dig Run-DMC,
We appreciate both comic book publishers and an influential rap group.
We dig Renegade Soundwave and AC/DC (Can U dig it?)
We enjoy a diverse range of musical styles, including electronic and rock.
Bruce Wayne auf weidersehn, Dirty Harry, "Make my day," Terminator, hit the north, Alan Moore knows the score, Riffs? Yeah! Can U dig it?
We relate to and appreciate various pop culture icons, including comic book writers, movie characters, and musicians.
We dig Optimus Prime and not Galvetron,
We favor one Transformers character over another.
We dig "The Leader of the Pack" and the "Do-Run-Run",
We enjoy classic rock and pop songs.
Spinderella and Bruce Lee, "The Bad and the Ugly", "V for Vendetta" and "Into the Groovy". (Can U dig it?)
We appreciate a diverse range of cultural references, including musicians, actors, and films.
We like the music, we like the disco song...hey!
We still enjoy disco and its associated music.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Written by: CLINTON DARRYL MANSELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@phillipwalklett9466
What a smart bunch these guys were ,
Def Con One. sample's
1 The Osmonds
2,The Creatures
3. Iggy Pop
4Lips Inc
5 Sex Pistols
an a funky drum roll from somewhere !!!
And it's a anti War,,U S A ,,shit fast food ,piss take. And funny as fuck
@davorcolic
We like the music, we like the disco sound...hey!
We like the music, we like the disco sound...hey!
We like the music, we like the disco sound...hey!
We like the music, we like the disco sound...hey!
We dig TV we dig remote control,
We dig the Furry Freak Brothers and the Twilight Zone,
We dig Marvel and D.C., we dig Run-DMC,
We dig Renegade Soundwave and AC/DC
(Can you dig it?)
Bruce Wayne auf weidersehn,
Dirty Harry, Make my day,
Terminator, hit the north,
Alan Moore knows the score,
Riffs? Yeah! Can you dig it?
Riffs? Yeah! Can you dig it?
We dig Optimus Prime and not Galvetron,
We dig The Leader of the Pack and the Do-Run-Run,
Spinderella and Bruce Lee, The Bad and the Ugly,
V for Vendetta and Into the Groovy.
(Can you dig it?)
We like the music, we like the disco song...hey!
We like the music, we like the disco song...hey!
@NikCarterNYC
These guys were ten years too early, people were not ready for this shit. this and "def Con One" are just classics!
@Scotty-P
Some of us were already well like this, long before this.
@Paygyn
....Some of us were ready
@mrvampire7577
Some of us were not ready for the star pattern turtleneck
@watercolourmark
I was more than ready for this, perfect timing. And 21 years after Clint Mansell did Lux Aeterna, on the Requiem For A Dream soundtrack, likely the greasiest soundtrack ever - so good it was stolen for the LOTR: Two Towers trailer. Without this failing he wouldn’t have become the great composer he is today. Everything has a time and place.
@clockface1951
@@watercolourmark I've heard all that before, it is mad though 😁
@pyenapple
The lead singer is now the most sought after film composer in the world
@DougOrleans
Well, him and the guy from the Buggles video.
@dougdrake6637
And lead singer from Oingo Boingo Danny Elfman
@RebelScum312
Still a banging classic & hits just as hard from the first time I heard it from this video on a late night show, hit hard as anything from 1989 or any time. What a freaking single & a time machine dream, thank you for having this on yt!!!