Skrewdriver was originally an apolitical punk rock band that upon their sec… Read Full Bio ↴Skrewdriver was originally an apolitical punk rock band that upon their second release took a turn into white power skinhead centered music. They formed in Poulton-le-Fylde, England in 1976 by singer-songwriter and guitarist Ian Stuart Donaldson. They became one of the first nationalist rock bands, playing a leading role in the third position rock against communism (rac) movement. Ian's death in September 1993 ended the group.

=>Beginning History
Ian Stuart Donaldson, formerly of The Rolling Stones cover band Tumbling Dice, formed Skrewdriver after seeing the Sex Pistols in Manchester. Skrewdriver at first had a punk appearance, but they changed their image into a skinhead look in 1977. They also temporarily had a rocker/biker look, around the time they released the EP Built Up Knocked Down. In 1978, Donaldson moved to Salford, where he recruited guitarist Glenn Jones and drummer Martin Smith. This lineup toured extensively, but many venues were reluctant to book the band because of their reputation as a violent skinhead band attracting audience fights.

Performing largely for a skinhead fan-base, the first versions of the band released one album and two singles on the Chiswick label. This version of the band split up in January 1979 after a concert in Warrington, but Donaldson resurrected the name Skrewdriver in 1982 using new musicians. Several past individuals associated with the group, many of them politically left-wing or centrist, have condemned the latter third position incarnation.

=>Band Musicians And More History
As mentioned, Skrewdriver inherited its first line-up from it’s predecessor, the band Tumbling Dice, which Donaldson had formed in 1975. They felt influenced by contemporary hard rock as well as seminal punk contemporaries such as the Ramones and The Clash. They were Ian Stuart Donaldson, Kev McKay, John Grinton and Phil Walmsley. When the band changed from punk to skinhead, Walmsley bowed out and was substituted with skinhead Ron Hartley. The 1977 release All Skrewed Up managed to give the group considerable underground success, and it's been regarded since as an early punk classic. However, by 1978, the band disbanded.

Both moving to Salford’s Cheetham Hill, McKay and Donaldson reformed the band in 1979 with local Manchester talents Glenn Jones and Martin Smith. Skrewdriver became a regular act at the Mayflower club in Belle Vue and toured local gig venues around Greater Manchester. The version of the band was to be short-lived and, after an ill-fated concert in Warrington in 1980, the band fell apart again.

This time, Donaldson left all the others behind and moved on his own down to London. By 1981, Skrewdriver had reformed for the 3rd time, still with Ian Stuart Donaldson of course. The new additions were Mark Neeson, Mark French and Geoff Williams. French and Williams had previously played with The Elite.

It was this line-up that released the 12” EP 'Back With A Bang' on Last Resort Records in 1982. External pressure on the band took its toll, and, by 1984, all three had left the band. Donaldson recruited Mark Sutherland, Adam Douglas, and Murray Holmes. Holmes, an Australian, had previously played with the band Quick And The Dead. Skrewdriver soon released their LP Invasion on the newly-signed West German label Rock-o-Rama Records, which would stay faithful to the band until the tragic end. The line-up was strengthened with Steve Roda coming in the following year.

Touring extensively once again, by 1987 the line-up is described on artwork as Ian Stuart (Donaldson), Mark Sutherland, Martin Cross, Ross McGarry, Merv Shields, and John Burnley who was the brother of No Remorse’s Paul Burnley. Steve Calladine, better known as Stigger, joined Skrewdriver in late 1987. Donaldson also launched a solo career as Ian Stuart with the release of solo material backed by a group known as 'Strikeforce', which essentially was the remaining band. Skrewdriver as a band continued, however, in parallel with Donaldson’s solo career.

In 1990, the sprawling line-up was added to with John Hickson. Over the 80s, the group released a variety of albums, many of them striking a chord with disillusioned British youths unhappy with both Thatcherism and the Labour alternative, much to the alarm of the mainstream press. Skrewdriver concerts were, although planned in advance, highly secretive, and Donaldson faced many attempts on his life. Releases at this time prominently included the albums Boots & Braces, Blood & Honour, and Hail The New Dawn.

On the 24th of September 1993, Ian Stuart Donaldson died from the injuries sustained in a car-crash the previous evening and with him the band Skrewdriver ceased. Although subject to a large variety of conspiracy theories, most fans have agreed that the death was a surprising, sudden accident. Since then, countless benefit and remembrance gigs has been played in his and the band’s honour, with virtually every rock against communism band worth their salt, producing a Skrewdriver cover.

=>Labels
During their 17-year career, Skrewdriver were signed by five labels:

1977 - Chiswick Records
1979 - TJM Manchester
1982 - Last Resort Sounds
1982 - White Noise Records
1984 - Rock-O-Rama Records
(This list does not include compilations and spin-off work)

=>Members List
(Initial Band)
Ian Stuart Donaldson - Vocals & Guitar
Phil Walmsley - Guitar
Ron Hartley - Guitar
Kev McKay - Bass
John "Grinny" Grinton - Drums

(Other Members)
Glenn Jones
Martin Cross
Dave Cording
Bradley Napier
Mark French
Geoff Williams
Mark Neeson
Joseph Smith
Adam Douglas
Merv Shields
Murray Holmes
Dave Wane
Paul Swain
Stiv "Iena" Roda
Stigger
John Burnley
Colin Smith
Mushy
Mike French
Mark Radcliffe
Andrew Skinner
Ford Freemantle

In The Ghetto
Skrewdriver Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

As the snow fell, on a cold and grey Chicago dawn a poor little baby child is born
In the ghetto (White ghettos)
And his mother cried
If there's one thing that she don't need it's another hungry mouth to feed
In the ghettos (White ghettos)
People don't you understand? A child needs a helping hand
He'll grow to be an angry young man some day
Take a look at you and me, are we too blind to see?

Do we simply turn our heads and look the other way, as the world turns?
And a hungry young boy with a runny nose plays out in the street as a cold wind blows
In the ghettos (White ghettos)
Just black and white
So he has to roam the street at night and he learns White Pride and he learns how to fight
In the ghettos (White ghettos)
And then one night in desperation, the young man breaks away
He buys a gun and drives his car, he orders his life but he dot get far, and his mother cries
As a crowds gathers 'round an angry young man, face down in the street with a gun in his hand
In the ghetto (White ghettos)
As the young man dies
On a cold and grey Chicago dawn, well another baby child is born
In the ghettos (White ghettos)
And his mother cries
White Pride

And his mother cries
White Pride

Overall Meaning

The song "In the Ghetto" by Skrewdriver speaks about the poverty and violence that is prevalent in the ghettos, specifically white ghettos. The lyrics describe the birth of a baby in the midst of the bleak surroundings in Chicago. The mother is distressed as she contemplates the challenges of raising another child with limited resources. The lyrics call on the people in society to understand the plight of children in the ghettos and offer them a helping hand to avoid them growing up to become angry young men.

The song then takes on a more somber tone as it describes the life of a young boy living in the ghettos. He wanders the streets at night and learns about white pride and fighting. In desperation, he eventually turns to violence, purchasing a gun and attempting to escape his surroundings. Tragically, he fails and ends up dying on the streets with a gun in his hand. The song ends with the birth of another child and the repetitive line "White Pride" that reflects the cycle of poverty and violence that continues to plague the ghettos.

Overall, this song serves as a reflection of the harsh realities of poverty and violence that exist in the ghettos. It serves as a call to action to society to offer a helping hand to those in need and prevent the cycle of violence from continuing.

Line by Line Meaning

As the snow fell, on a cold and grey Chicago dawn a poor little baby child is born
A newborn baby is born into a White ghetto in a gloomy Chicago winter

In the ghetto (White ghettos)
The baby is born into a White ghetto - an area where working-class white people live in poverty and social deprivation

And his mother cried
The baby's mother is distraught at the difficult circumstances of raising another child in the White ghetto

If there's one thing that she don't need it's another hungry mouth to feed
The baby's mother is struggling to provide for her child and can't spare more resources to feed another mouth

People don't you understand? A child needs a helping hand
The song is calling for empathy towards impoverished children and emphasizes the importance of community support

He'll grow to be an angry young man some day
The lyrics suggest that the harsh realities of growing up in a White ghetto can lead to feelings of frustration and anger

Take a look at you and me, are we too blind to see?
The song implicates society at large for not noticing the plight of the White ghettos and leaving them to fester

Do we simply turn our heads and look the other way, as the world turns?
The song further questions why larger society ignores the issues of White ghettos much like how the world keeps moving on despite the misery of some

And a hungry young boy with a runny nose plays out in the street as a cold wind blows
The song depicts the hardships that children endure in White ghettos as they play on the streets, exposed to the cold weather and constant hunger

So he has to roam the street at night and he learns White Pride and he learns how to fight
The song portrays how hopeless living conditions and lack of opportunities can drive some children to resort to violence and develop extremist beliefs such as White pride

And then one night in desperation, the young man breaks away
The song shows how young people can feel trapped in the poverty of White ghettos and may resort to desperate measures to escape their circumstances

He buys a gun and drives his car, he orders his life but he dot get far, and his mother cries
The young man seeks to take control of his life by using violence and loses his life trying to escape the ghetto, causing more pain to his mother

As a crowds gathers 'round an angry young man, face down in the street with a gun in his hand
The song describes the ultimate, tragic fate of the young man as he is gunned down, with the crowd gathering around him

On a cold and grey Chicago dawn, well another baby child is born
The song ends on a somber note as another baby is born into the same cycle of poverty and despair.

White Pride
The song embraces an extremist view of White pride, which is diametrically opposed to the theme of empathy and tolerance that the lyric at large depicts.

And his mother cries
The mother's tears stand as a symbol of the pain and suffering inflicted on families in the ghettos

Contributed by Dylan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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