In October 2006, following extensive touring and having built up a hardcore fanbase, the band signed to Wall of Sound records. Their first single "Heavyweight Champion of the World" recieved good airplay on Radio 1 and hit the UK Top 10, and has become of this summer's anthems for many clubbers and festival goers alike, appealing to fans of both dance and indie.
Another single (He Said He Loved Me) is to be released at the end of August, alongside an album (State Of Things) in September.
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Hidden Persuaders
Reverend and the Makers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are gonna infiltrate us
Till babes in consumer land
Can supply and demand
And the spending's contageous
Do you reckon it's outrageous
That they're paying the entertainers,
That you don't really need
From the fashion dictators?
Coz they're all trying to make me compromised
To these one a dollar conners telling lots of lies
Am I as bad as them
And you just realise that it's true
Coz you're free,
To do as we tell you
And you're free
To do as we say
And you're free
To do as we tell you
And you're free
To do it today
We've been at it for ages
Creating black holes from wages
To get you all hypnotised by the big dollar signs
Of the manipulators
The hidden persuaders
Are gonna infiltrate us
Till babes in consumer land
Can supply and demand
And the spending's contageous
They call it product placement in the industry
Coz it's designed to get you buying all the things you see
Do you think they're hoodwinking society and you?
Coz you're free,
To do as we tell you
And you're free
To do as we say
And you're free
To do as we tell you
And you're free
To do it today
And you're free,
To do as we tell you
And you're free
To do as we say
And you're free
To do as we tell you
And you're free
To do it today
The song "Hidden Persuaders" by Reverend and the Makers is a commentary on the power and influence of advertising and consumerism. The lyrics suggest that companies and corporations use hidden tactics and strategies to persuade people to buy their products or services. The "hidden persuaders" refer to these tactics, and the repetition of the phrase throughout the song creates a sense of unease and suspicion.
The lyrics also critique the role of entertainers and fashion figures in promoting consumerism. They suggest that these figures are being paid by corporations to promote products that people don't really need, creating a cycle of compulsive spending. The chorus, which repeats the phrase "you're free to do as we tell you," highlights the idea that people are being manipulated into making choices that benefit corporations rather than themselves.
Overall, "Hidden Persuaders" is a call to action for people to be more aware of the ways in which they are being influenced by advertising and consumer culture, and to resist the pressure to buy into it. The song suggests that true freedom comes not from blindly following the dictates of corporations, but from making conscious and deliberate choices based on one's own values and needs.
Line by Line Meaning
The hidden persuaders
The people who manipulate and control us through hidden messages
Are gonna infiltrate us
They will enter into our minds and influence our decisions without us knowing
Till babes in consumer land
Until even babies in our consumer-driven society are affected
Can supply and demand
When even babies understand what products they want and need
And the spending's contagious
When buying things becomes an unstoppable, infectious activity
Do you reckon it's outrageous
Do you think it's absurd?
That they're paying the entertainers,
That the manipulators are bribing the celebrities
To get you buying the jeans
To convince you to buy clothes that you don't really need
That you don't really need
Clothes that are not necessary for your survival or daily life
From the fashion dictators?
From the people who control the fashion industry and trends
Coz they're all trying to make me compromised
Because they are all attempting to manipulate me into doing something against my will
To these one a dollar conners telling lots of lies
To these manipulators who are deceiving me with false information
Am I as bad as them
Am I also guilty of manipulating others?
And you just realise that it's true
And you come to the realization that this is indeed what's happening
Coz you're free,
Because you have the freedom to choose
To do as we tell you
But you are also being influenced to follow what is being suggested
And you're free
You have the power to make your own decisions
To do as we say
But you are being pressured to do what they want
We've been at it for ages
They have been manipulating us for a long time
Creating black holes from wages
Exploiting our hard work and taking away our hard-earned money
To get you all hypnotised by the big dollar signs
To mesmerize us with the prospect of wealth and materialism
Of the manipulators
Of the people who control and sway our decisions without us realizing it
They call it product placement in the industry
They refer to this manipulation as 'product placement' in the advertising industry
Coz it's designed to get you buying all the things you see
Because it is created to convince you to buy all the things you come across
Do you think they're hoodwinking society and you?
Do you believe that they are fooling society and you personally?
And you're free
You have agency and freedom
To do as we tell you
But you are also being heavily influenced to follow their agenda
And you're free
You can make choices for yourself
To do as we say
But they want you to do things their way
And you're free
You have your own free will
To do as we tell you
But they want you to follow their suggestions
And you're free
You have autonomy
To do it today
But they want you to do it immediately
Contributed by Alexander W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Charlotte Harris
This band is amazing! Only just discovered them...Cant get enough. He's such a cool guy too!
ritaedu1
Can't wait to see the Revs at the Forum in November...one of my fave bands at the moment along with the mighty Pendulum.
Stuart Telfer
Ace Tune, have to say "No Soap In A Dirty War" for me. Love "The Rev" There all great, 1st and 2nd album. LOVE IIIT!!!!!
laffey31
BEST SONG ON THE ALBUM FOR ME!!
Sina
Nice song ... with great Lyrics... thank you Kaysho... smile
Biddle de bong
Lyrics are even more relevant today.
Sonia Felizardo
GORGEOUS.
dikkejos
The song reminds me of Muse.
Jake Lawton
@hobobuckettre69 Haha its fine! i seem to be one of the very few people who have uploaded the songs!
Stuart Telfer
you got the album too. ;-) lol