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.
Family Life
Sham 69 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Does she tell you what to do
I can get by I can get by
Do you always stay out late
Does she say you look a state
I can get by I can get by
'cause it's better than getting chucked out
'cause it's better than growing up fed up
Does she tell you not to swear
How to comb your hair
I can get by I can get by
Is your sister on the pill
How does your mum feel
I can get by I can get by
'cause it's better than getting chucked out
'cause it's better than being alone
'cause it's better than growing up fed up
Does your brother wear your clothes
Is he always up your nose
I can get by I can get by
'cause it's better than getting chucked out
'cause it's better than being alone
'cause it's better than growing up fed up
The lyrics of "Family Life" by Sham 69 touch upon the struggles of living with family members who often criticize, control, and invade personal space. The first verse is about a mother figure who is constantly shouting and telling the singer what to do. The singer confesses that they can "get by" even with such behavior, possibly indicating that they have learned to accept it as part of their life. The next verse describes a scenario where someone stays out late and looks disheveled, possibly due to partying. The mother then criticizes them, but again, the singer claims that they can get by even with the scrutiny.
The final verse touches upon more personal and intimate issues within a family. The mother might disapprove of swearing and instruct on combing hair. The singer also mentions the sister being on birth control and wonders how the mother feels about it. The final line of the verse is "I can get by," repeating the phrase for the third time in the song. The repeated phrase throughout the song suggests that the singer is accustomed to the family's flaws and problems.
The chorus repeats the phrases "it's better than getting chucked out," "it's better than being alone," and "it's better than growing up fed up." These lines suggest that despite the struggles and difficulties of living within a family unit, it is still better than being without a family or growing up unhappy.
Line by Line Meaning
Does she always shout at you
Does your mother always yell and criticize you?
Does she tell you what to do
Does she give you orders and dictate your decisions?
I can get by I can get by
I can handle it or tolerate it without much trouble.
Do you always stay out late
Do you often come home late at night?
Does she say you look a state
Does she comment on your messy or disheveled appearance?
'cause it's better than getting chucked out
Because it's preferable to not being kicked out of the house.
'cause it's better than being alone
Because it's better than feeling lonely and isolated.
'cause it's better than growing up fed up
Because it's better than constantly feeling disillusioned and unhappy.
Does she tell you not to swear
Does she forbid you from using bad language?
How to comb your hair
Does she micromanage your grooming habits and how you style your hair?
Is your sister on the pill
Is your sister taking birth control pills?
How does your mum feel
What does your mother think about it?
Does your brother wear your clothes
Does your brother borrow or steal your clothes?
Is he always up your nose
Is he always bothering you or annoying you?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
saspunx
"too bloody big for your boots" lol, always makes smile when I hear that part.
Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta
My favorite Sham 69 song!!
emkabrate
love this song..
TerryMarineBMF
spirit of '77
vinto34
Will get a bloody clout round the ear mate!
Nick Leone
This song, I like this song cause its finally a British punk song not about being a British punk band :p I listen to a lot of British but. They spend to much time on the divide, in reality, an ocean and an accent are the only difference between us :D anarchy.
SuperStoneyboy1
one of their best
ivanafterfive
Me three :)
aloschicosdemibarrio
@emkabrate me too
Dr Parnassus
Who's that playing Jimmy's mum? Years ago I read it was Wendy Richard, but it's clearly not.