Portion Control first formed in 1980 and the original incarnation of the group existed until 1987. They released a variety of seminal recordings on a variety of indie labels, some self-produced but mainly on Illuminated Records, as well as Rhythmic Records and Dead Man's Curve. In 1984 the band supported Depeche Mode on their UK and European tour. In early 1987 Portion Control joined the management roster of Tom Watkins and signed a record deal with London Records and promptly vanished. They reformed a few years later as Solar Enemy which survived from 1990 to 1993. Portion Control weren't seen again until 2002 when fansite 319 Online announced a resumption of activities by the band resulting not long after in a free downloadable software demo featuring graphics, a rare remix of an old track, and samples of new material. Nothing else was released by them, however, until early 2004 with the release of the critically acclaimed double album Wellcome (the title inspired by the work of Sir Henry Wellcome).
Since then Portion Control have been active with concert and festival appearances as well as multiple releases on a variety of formats.
The Great Divide
Portion Control Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't believe it's true
Can't take away my freedom
I know it's nothing new
It doesn't touch your conscience
To jumble up my mind
A two-way stretch, it's not perfect
No matter what you find
The feeling is relentless
There's nothing you can prove
I'm meeting with the roughnecks
Forget about the smooth
When everything's permitted
Authority to kill
A sudden way to cultivate
Destruction over will
Could've been a contender
Though the chances were slender
You gave me the gun
The man has no time
When sweet things go sour
Keep your colonels in power
Now that's what I call the great divide!
I'm looking for a reason
I'll help you let me go
Don't bite the hand that feeds them
If you've nothing more to show
With every step that's taken
You're nearer to the end
A void that's smart and full of heart
A nation to defend
It seems to get me going
But maybe I'm a fool
I've hurt you without knowing
Stop it's showing as a rule
Accept your points are valid
Run away from one to ten
Ignore it or try not to force
Step forward once again
Could've been a contender
Though the chances were slender
You gave me the gun
The man has no time
When sweet things go sour
Keep your colonels in power
Now that's what I call the great divide!
I hope you're only joking
I can't believe it's true
Can't take away my freedom
I know it's nothing new
It doesn't touch your conscience
To jumble up my mind
A two-way stretch, it's not perfect
No matter what you find
The feeling is relentless
There's nothing you can prove
I'm meeting with the roughnecks
Forget about the smooth
When everything's permitted
Authority to kill
A sudden way to cultivate
Destruction over will
Could've been a contender
Though the chances were slender
You gave me the gun
The man has no time
When sweet things go sour
Keep your colonels in power
Now that's what I call the great divide!
"The Great Divide" by Portion Control touches upon the theme of personal freedom, authority, and destruction. The lyrics suggest that the singer is being manipulated or controlled by someone who is interfering with his or her freedom. The use of the phrase "two-way stretch" contributes to the idea of being held back, pulled apart from multiple directions, and unable to move freely.
The lyrics also mention "roughnecks" and "smooth" which could be interpreted as those who have power versus those who do not. The singer seems to be siding with the roughnecks or those who have less power and are facing destruction. The phrase "authority to kill" further emphasizes this idea of power and control.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Could've been a contender, though the chances were slender, you gave me the gun." This implies that perhaps the singer had potential or hope, yet something or someone has caused an interference in their path. The phrase "the man has no time" suggests that there is a lack of empathy or concern for the singer's struggles.
Overall, "The Great Divide" by Portion Control speaks to issues of personal freedom, authority, control, and the potential for destruction.
Line by Line Meaning
I hope you're only joking
I hope you're not serious
I can't believe it's true
I find it hard to believe
Can't take away my freedom
Don't try to prevent me from doing what I want
I know it's nothing new
I'm used to hearing this argument
It doesn't touch your conscience
You don't feel guilty about it
To jumble up my mind
To confuse me
A two-way stretch, it's not perfect
It's not an ideal situation
No matter what you find
Regardless of what you discover
The feeling is relentless
The emotion is intense and unyielding
There's nothing you can prove
You can't provide any evidence
I'm meeting with the roughnecks
I'm dealing with the tough guys
Forget about the smooth
Don't worry about the easy things
When everything's permitted
When anything can happen
Authority to kill
Permission to take a life
A sudden way to cultivate
An abrupt method of promoting
Destruction over will
Damage rather than desire
Could've been a contender
I could have been a competitor
Though the chances were slender
Even though the likelihood was low
You gave me the gun
You provided me with the ability to cause harm
The man has no time
The person is very busy
When sweet things go sour
When pleasant situations turn unpleasant
Keep your colonels in power
Maintain the leaders in control
Now that's what I call the great divide!
That's what I consider a significant difference
I'm looking for a reason
I'm searching for an explanation
I'll help you let me go
I'll assist you in releasing me
Don't bite the hand that feeds them
Don't turn against those who provide for you
If you've nothing more to show
If you don't have anything else to prove
With every step that's taken
With each action that's performed
You're nearer to the end
You're closer to the finish line
A void that's smart and full of heart
An emptiness that's intelligent and passionate
A nation to defend
A country to protect
It seems to get me going
It appears to inspire me
But maybe I'm a fool
But possibly I'm unintelligent
I've hurt you without knowing
I've caused you pain unintentionally
Stop it's showing as a rule
Stop, as it's becoming a habit
Accept your points are valid
Agree that your opinions are reasonable
Run away from one to ten
Avoid facing your problems
Ignore it or try not to force
Pay no attention to it or avoid being pushy
Step forward once again
Move forward and try again
Contributed by Avery V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@awfulwarlock91
A musician friend sent me here...I am not disappointed!
@joannebarlow3012
I saw them support Depeche Mode back in the 80s.
@kaputalist1971
I had this on a mix tape in BC, Canada in 1985. Still try and find them...thanks for sharing this video. Skinny Puppy, Front 242 Nettwerk, Wax Traxx
@stino9709
one of the best tracks i heard in a while
@TheRatworld
Opossum music
@piperfox74
Total masterpiece.
@lucifersatan807
Stumbled on this as a rando mp3 , many years ago. I’m soo glad you put this out there
@jesusperez3623
Super track
@keithrooks4567
Life changing upon first listen....musical direction....and life in general
@macamo9991
Man been tryn to find this song for years. Didn't know the title or artist who made it. Used to listen to it on an old chicago house mixtape.