They formed in Hersham, UK in 1976. Sham 69 lacked the art school backgroun… Read Full Bio ↴They formed in Hersham, UK in 1976. Sham 69 lacked the art school background of many rock bands of the time, and brought in football chants, drinking songs and a sort of inarticulate political populism. The band had a large skinhead and hooligan following, which helped set the tone for the Oi! movement. Their concerts were notoriously plagued by violence, and the band ceased live performances after one of their gigs at Middlesex Polytechnic in 1978 was broken up by National Front skinheads fighting and rushing the stage.

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.

Give a Dog a Bone
Sham 69 Lyrics

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The writing's on the wall
Saying what are you gonna do
Now the kids are turning round
Running back over open ground

You're frustrated by a life that owns you
Everybody's bought and sold you
We're all up for sale

Where do you run and hide
When the lead has been untied
They didn't give what you need
But what you want you don't receive

You're frustrated by a life that owns you
Everybody's bought and sold you
We're all up for sale

Give a dog a bone
Then leave him on his own
Give a dog a bone
Then leave him on his own

The master knows your name
Come here you take the blame
I've seen your face before
You must be a prostitute whore

You're frustrated by a life that owns you
Everybody's bought and sold you
We're all up for sale

Give a dog a bone
Then leave him on his own
Give a dog a bone
Then leave him on his own

Give a dog a bone
Then leave him on his own
Give a dog a bone
Then leave him on his own

Give a dog a bone
Then leave him on his own
Give a dog a bone
Then leave him on his own

Give a dog a bone

Overall Meaning

The song "Give a Dog a Bone" by Sham 69 focuses on the frustration of being owned and controlled by society. The lyrics talk about how people are treated like commodities in a system where everything is up for sale. The "writing's on the wall" and everyone is asking "what are you gonna do?" The kids are running back over open ground, suggesting a sense of rebellion and resistance to this way of life.

The chorus has a cynical tone, as it talks about how people are given scraps like a dog, and then left alone to fend for themselves. The master, or those in control, know your name and hold power over you. The reference to a "prostitute whore" suggests that people are being used and exploited for someone else's gain.

The song is a commentary on the social and economic pressures of the working class in the UK during the late 70s and early 80s. It speaks to the frustration and anger that people felt towards a system that didn't care about them.

Line by Line Meaning

The writing's on the wall
It's clear what needs to be done

Saying what are you gonna do
Asking what action will you take

Now the kids are turning round
The youth are rebelling

Running back over open ground
Escaping the confines of society

Where do you run and hide
When there's nowhere left to go

When the lead has been untied
When you're no longer controlled

They didn't give what you need
The system failed to provide

But what you want you don't receive
Desires are unfulfilled

The master knows your name
The one in charge has power over you

Come here you take the blame
Being punished unjustly

I've seen your face before
Recognizing a familiar struggle