Sham 69 released their first single, "Ulster", on Step Forward Records in August 1977, and its success in the independent charts prompted Polydor to sign the band. Their major label debut was "Borstal Breakout" in January 1978, followed by UK singles chart success with "Angels With Dirty Faces" (reaching number 19 in May 1978), "If The Kids Are United" (number 9 in July 1978), and "Hurry Up Harry" (number 10 in October 1978). The latter came from their second LP and first full studio album, That's Life.
They then started to move away from punk rock into a sound heavily influenced by classic British hard rock bands such as Mott The Hoople, The Who and The Faces, evidenced on their third album, The Adventures of the Hersham Boys. Sham 69 broke up after their fourth album. Pursey moved in a heavy metal direction after working with the remaining members of the Sex Pistols for a short time, under the name Sham Pistols. Dave Treganna joined the pioneering 1980s glam-punk-Gothic band, The Lords of the New Church, with Stiv Bators of The Dead Boys and Brian James of The Damned.
Pursey resurrected Sham 69 in the 1990s with a different line-up, but without major success. "If The Kids Are United" was used in a McDonald's advertising campaign, long after the rights to their songs had been sold. Pursey is a vegetarian, and appeared in the UK media condemning the use of one of his songs by what - he saw - as a multi-national animal and human abuser. The band gained further media attention when "If The Kids Are United" was played during UK Prime Minister Tony Blair's entrance at the 2005 Labour Party Conference. As a result of this, they were invited onto BBC TV's current affairs programme, Newsnight to sing a version of the song. Altered lyrics were sung, including "Mr. Blair / We know you care / So bring them home / Don't leave them there", referring to the troops remaining in Iraq after the the 2003 invasion.
In 2006, Virgin Radio listeners voted overwhelmingly for Jimmy Pursey to record a song to support England in the FIFA World Cup. The song was based on the Sham 69 hit, "Hurry Up Harry", and instead of the lyric being, "We're going down the pub", it was changed to, "We're going to win the cup!" The resulting single, "Hurry Up England" reached number 10 in the UK Top 40, becoming the band's first such hit for over 26 years.
In 2006 Jimmy Pursey left Sham 69, leaving guitarist Dave Parsons to carry on with a new singer. Sham 69 continues to tour in this new line up.
Angels With Dirty Faces
Sham 69 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Angels with dirty faces
Angels from nowhere places
Kids like me and you
Running fighting down the street
Ain't got no money but I don't cry
We come from places you don't wanna go
Angels with dirty faces
Angels from nowhere places
Kids like me and you
I'm never sad but sometimes lonely
Doing things someones told me
We're the people you don't wanna know
We come from places you don't wanna go
Angels with dirty faces
Angels from nowhere places
Kids like me and you
Angels with dirty faces
Angels from nowhere places
Kids like me and you
I'm a rebel stuck with a label
Trying to be someone in life
We're the people you don't wanna know
We come from places you don't wanna go
Angels with dirty faces
Angels from nowhere places
Kid's like me and you
The song "Angels with Dirty Faces" by Sham 69 highlights the struggles and realities of growing up working-class in the UK. The lyrics indicate that the "angels with dirty faces" are not literal angels, but rather the children from these "nowhere places" who have grown up in poverty, with neglect and limited resources. The song suggests that these children are often misunderstood and misjudged, as they are not traditionally seen as respectable or successful members of society.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Angels with dirty faces" to emphasize that these children are innocent and pure in their own right, despite the difficult circumstances they face. The lyrics further suggest that these children are tough and resilient, as they can endure street fights and other struggles without shedding a tear. The song speaks to the commonality of this experience, highlighting that "kids like me and you" are all struggling to make the best of their circumstances.
The final verse speaks to the feeling of being trapped in the labels that society has put upon them, and the desire to break free and be something more. Overall, the song speaks to the importance of recognizing the humanity and potential of those who may be seen as outliers in society.
Line by Line Meaning
Who's got a dirty face then
Who among us is not perfect?
Angels with dirty faces
People with goodness in their hearts even though they may not look perfect
Angels from nowhere places
People who come from disadvantaged or forgotten areas
Kids like me and you
Ordinary young people who are trying to find their place in the world
Running fighting down the street
Engaging in physical activity with others, sometimes conflict, to let off steam and assert oneself
Ain't got no money but I don't cry
Not having financial resources but still staying strong and resilient
We're the people you don't wanna know
Many people judge us without knowing us or our stories
We come from places you don't wanna go
Our backgrounds and experiences may be different from what others are used to or comfortable with
I'm never sad but sometimes lonely
I don't usually express sadness but sometimes feel isolated from others
Doing things someones told me
Following rules or expectations that others have placed on us
I'm a rebel stuck with a label
I resist conforming to society's norms but am often judged or stereotyped because of it
Trying to be someone in life
Striving to find our place and purpose in the world
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MIRANDA ELEANOR DE FONBRUNE COOPER, BRIAN THOMAS HIGGINS, TIMOTHY MARTIN POWELL, MATTHEW DEL GRAY, LISA COWLING, NICK COLER, ROBERT EDWARD BRADLEY, KIESHA KERREECE FAYEANNE BUCHANAN, MUTYA BUENA, HEIDI RANGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Angela De Santis
Who's got a dirty face then
Angels with dirty faces
Angels from nowhere places
Kids like me and you
Running fighting down the street
Ain't got no money but I don't cry
We're the people you don't wanna know
We come from places you don't wanna go
Angels with dirty faces
Angels from nowhere places
Kids like me and you
I'm never sad but sometimes lonely
Doing things someones told me
We're the people you don't wanna know
We come from places you don't wanna go
Angels with dirty faces
Angels from nowhere places
Kids like me and you
Angels with dirty faces
Angels from nowhere places
Kids like me and you
I'm a rebel stuck with a label
Trying to be someone in life
We're the people you don't wanna know
We come from places you don't wanna go
Angels with dirty faces
Angels from nowhere places
Kid's like me and you
Angela De Santis
Who's got a dirty face then
Angels with dirty faces
Angels from nowhere places
Kids like me and you
Running fighting down the street
Ain't got no money but I don't cry
We're the people you don't wanna know
We come from places you don't wanna go
Angels with dirty faces
Angels from nowhere places
Kids like me and you
I'm never sad but sometimes lonely
Doing things someones told me
We're the people you don't wanna know
We come from places you don't wanna go
Angels with dirty faces
Angels from nowhere places
Kids like me and you
Angels with dirty faces
Angels from nowhere places
Kids like me and you
I'm a rebel stuck with a label
Trying to be someone in life
We're the people you don't wanna know
We come from places you don't wanna go
Angels with dirty faces
Angels from nowhere places
Kid's like me and you
Joshua Estelle
love this band
Michael Martin
This takes me back... to 2000, when I'd put "punk mp3" into Altavista and download low-quality rips off Angelfire sites, which still took 10 minutes per song.
Amber Cartlidge
brilliant punk band
Green Man Illustrations
Amber Cartlidge the ramones did this song better
Andrew Oreilly
Pure class.
Svd Lcas
Oi band yes
Andy Mawditt
The total bollocks ✌
A Ti
This was my brother music 🤣🤣🤣🤣♥️💯👍I miss him so much 🤣🤣🤣🤣😂
Martin Bond
Takes me back to the fuel protests in the 90's.
Listening to Sham 69, heading to the BP Fuel refinery in Southampton.
Hundreds of lorries blocking the exit 🥰❤