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.
What Have We Got
Sham 69 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've got you
What have I got
I got you
What have I got
I got you
What have I got
I've always got you
They can take everything I've got
They can chuck it all away
But I will always say I've had a good day
What have we got
We've got you
What have we got
We've got you
What have we got
We've got you
What have we got
We've got you
Some things you need
Your days are over son
You'll have to runaway
I said no I've been here anyway
What have I got
I've got you
What have I got
I got you
What have I got
I got you
What have I got
I've got you
Take me as you are
Or leave I don't care
Cos I'll always do to the best
That I know I'll do for you
And I want to say thankyou
Thankyou
"What Have We Got" by Sham 69 is a song that talks about the significance of having someone significant in our life. The singer poignantly expresses how having someone close to them means more than any materialistic possession they may have. The lyrics revolve around the idea of love and loyalty towards a person who the singer knows will always be there for them, even in times of strife. The song is an ode to that person, thanking them for always being there and standing by their side. The chorus is a repetition of the lines "What have we got, we've got you," which is a testament to the singer's gratitude towards the person.
The lines "Some things you need, your days are over son, you'll have to runaway, I said no I've been here anyway," suggest that the person may have been a support system for the singer during challenging times. The singer may have had to make tough choices in their life, but the person has supported them throughout everything. The song highlights the value of human connections in a world that can be tough and unyielding.
In conclusion, "What Have We Got" by Sham 69 is a beautiful reminder of the importance of love, loyalty, and having someone close in our lives, who supports us through our ups and downs.
Line by Line Meaning
What have we got
Questioning what possessions or rights they still have
What have we got
Repeating the previous question to emphasize the gravity of the situation
What have we got
Continuing to question the state of their society
What have we got
Emphasizing the desperate state of their society
They've taken everything
The ruling class has taken away their possessions and rights
There'll soon be nothing left
The situation is so dire that they will have nothing left soon
Soon we'll be walking the street
People will have lost everything so much that they won't even have shoes
With nothing on our feet
Continuing the idea that people have lost everything
I'd like to buy a shotgun
Expressing wish for violent retribution against those in power
Shooting MPs conservatives, communists
Targeting specific groups of people deemed responsible for their troubles
They're all the bleeding same
People in power, regardless of their political affiliation, are seen as enemies
I don't really care no more
Feeling apathetic to the state of society
I don't care at all
Emphasizing the sense of hopelessness and loss of caring
A black man's black and a white man's white
Stating the obvious differences between people
But we're all the bleeding same
Despite the differences, the common people suffer the same fate
What have we got
Returning to the original question to emphasize the need for answers and change
What have we got
Again repeating the question for added emphasis
What have we got
Still questioning the lack of options and resources for the average person
What have we got
Repeating the question one last time to drive the point home
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@adrianwalker1242
Marvellous!
@BenStone_
What have we got? . Blackpool!!
@valeriec.448
One day after closing I was lying on me nest, When Stez shouts "get yer bags on, come on outside."So I grabbed me stripy tank-top, I 'ad beer stains on me vest, An' I said "best get some cans in, it's a long ride."Well, we drove along the M6, chuckin' cans at other folk, An' stopped at all the services FOR PHOTOS.Picked up some fit hitch-hikers, An' we told 'em filthy jokes, An' piled them in the back seet fer GROAT-OS.We're going down Blackpool, alright, We're going down Blackpool, fer a pint, We're going down Blackpool, alight, To see the lights...Mutley's in the drivin' seat, Stez Styx is in the front, An' we're going down to Blackpool, To up some fuckin' cunt.An' Peter's in the back seat, An' his crack is goin' "gerrit"He's got his finger up her like a ferret.Now ten miles outside Blackpool and we had some real bad luck, Mutley shouts "O fuck, we've got a flat."And THE BEATER chucked the jack at some cunt ten mile down the road, So we made him go an' get the fucker back.The twat.We're going down Blackpool, alright, We're going down Blackpool for a fight, We're going down Blackpool, alright To see the lights
@delstrain8590
Sham Army.
@Martypants666
I wanted to comment just so to get rid of 'no comments to display'.
@stevemorgan4494
You fucking rebel. ;)