The group played its first gig at London's Splash club in March 1994, subsequently taking six weeks to record its debut album, Paranoid and Sunburnt, at a "haunted house" outside the city. The band's first single, "Selling Jesus," was featured on the soundtrack of the film Strange Days; Stoosh followed in 1996, and three years later Skunk Anansie returned with Post Orgasmic Chill. They broke up in 2001, with Skin moving on to a solo career (releasing Fleshwounds in 2003 and Fake Chemical State in 2006). The group re-formed in early 2009, playing sold-out shows and recording three new tracks for a greatest-hits album, Smashes & Trashes. The reunion went so well that they decided to stick together and record a new album, Wonderlustre, released in the autumn of 2010, with the track "You Saved Me" used in Zack Snyder's 2011 movie Sucker Punch, along with their remix of Björk's "Army of Me."
Sadly, former drummer Robbie France passed away after his aorta ruptured in January 2011. The band released its fifth album, Black Traffic, in September 2012 and backed it with an extensive European tour. The first single from the album was "Sad, Sad, Sad." The group followed this up with the live album An Acoustic Skunk Anansie: Live in London, a recording of their performance at Cadogan Hall, London in April 2013, before their sixth studio effort, Anarchytecture, arrived in 2016. The following year, the band put out 25live@25 -- a compilation album that traversed 25 years of live material.
Biography by Steve Huey
Charity
Skunk Anansie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You stand tall at my great expense
Thick words of gratitude, what a price to pay
Stuck in my throat, I sell every word I say
But I don't want your charity
Twisting me round
I don't want your charity
Why does your world keep burying
Gorging much deeper, than it's ever been
Rubbing still harder, salt on my hurt
Licking my burns while I grovel in your dirt
But I don't want your charity
Twisting me round
I don't want your charity
Keeping me down
You pity me with your tasteless gestures
Gratitude for kind
But your bludgeoned, intentioned objectives
Are screwing with my mind, screwing with my mind
But I don't want your charity
Twisting me round
I don't want your charity
Keeping me down
But I don't want your charity
Twisting me round
I don't want your charity
Keeping me down...
Skunk Anansie's song "Charity" is a powerful critique of charity and the way it is often used by those in a position of power to control and manipulate the less fortunate. The opening lines convey a sense of begrudging gratitude -- the singer acknowledges that they sense "benevolence" from the person offering charity, but cannot help feeling that they are paying too high a price for it. They sell "every word" they say, as if they are trapped in a cycle of constantly trying to prove their worth to the person who is supposed to be offering them help.
As the song progresses, the singer's frustration with the situation becomes more and more evident. They reject the idea of charity altogether, insisting that they do not want it to "keep them down" or "twist them around." They feel that the world is constantly "burying" them, rubbing salt in their wounds and licking their burns while they grovel in the dirt. The repeated chorus emphasizes their anger and their resolve to reject charity despite the apparent kindness behind it.
Skunk Anansie uses powerful and vivid imagery to convey the singer's sense of oppression and exploitation. The "tasteless gestures" and "bludgeoned, intentioned objectives" of those who offer charity are portrayed as actively harmful to the singer's mental health and sense of self-worth. Ultimately, the song is a reminder that charity is not always a benign force, and that those who offer it must be mindful of the ways it can be used to control and manipulate those in need.
Line by Line Meaning
Why do I sense, benevolence
Why do I feel like your actions are based on kindness?
You stand tall at my great expense
You benefit from my loss or pain, and you seem proud of it.
Thick words of gratitude, what a price to pay
Even though you say thank you, it feels like a burden to me.
Stuck in my throat, I sell every word I say
I have to force myself to say these words of gratitude, and it feels insincere.
But I don't want your charity
I don't want your help or support if it comes with strings attached.
Twisting me round
You are manipulating me and causing confusion and disorientation.
Keeping me down
Your actions are preventing me from reaching my full potential or being happy.
Why does your world keep burying
Why does your society continue to oppress and suppress me?
Gorging much deeper, than it's ever been
Your oppression is getting worse and more intense with time.
Rubbing still harder, salt on my hurt
You are making my pain and suffering worse by intentionally hurting me more.
Licking my burns while I grovel in your dirt
You are enjoying my pain and humiliation while I am forced to submit to you.
You pity me with your tasteless gestures
Your actions towards me are shallow and insincere, and you only do them out of pity.
Gratitude for kind
I am supposed to be thankful for your actions, but they are not truly kind or helpful.
But your bludgeoned, intentioned objectives
Your goals and intentions towards me are violent and harmful.
Are screwing with my mind, screwing with my mind
Your actions are causing me to doubt myself and become mentally unstable or unwell.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DEBORAH ANN DYER, LEN ARRAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
FPrise
Why do I sense, benevolence
You stand tall at my great expense
Thick words of gratitude, what a price to pay
Stuck in my throat, I sell every word I say
But I don't want your charity
Twisting me round
I don't want your charity
Keeping me down
Why does your world keep burying
Gorging much deeper, than it's ever been
Rubbing still harder, salt on my hurt
Licking my burns while I grovel in your dirt
But I don't want your charity
Twisting me round
I don't want your charity
Keeping me down
You pity me with your tasteless gestures
Gratitude for kind
But your bludgeoned, intentioned objectives
Are screwing with my mind, screwing with my mind
But I don't want your charity
Twisting me round
I don't want your charity
Keeping me down
But I don't want your charity
Twisting me round
I don't want your charity
Keeping me down...
Henrique Ramos
"Charity"
Released: 21 August 1995
Why do I sense, benevolence
You stand tall at my great expense
Thick words of gratitude, what a price to pay
Stuck in my throat, I sell every word I say
But I don't want your charity
Twisting me round
I don't want your charity
Keeping me down...
Why does your world keep burying
Gorging much deeper, than it's ever been
Rubbing still harder, salt on my hurt
Licking my burns while I grovel in your dirt
But I don't want your charity
Twisting me round
I don't want your charity
Keeping me down...
Oh, keeping me down
You pity me with your tasteless gestures
Gratitude for kind
But your bludgeoned, intentioned objectives
Are screwing with my mind, screwing with my mind
But I don't want your charity
Twisting me round
I don't want your charity
Keeping me down...
I don't want your charity, oh charity
Twisting me round
I don't want your charity
Keeping me down...
I don't want your, don't want your, don't want your charity
Keeping me down
I don't want your charity
Keeping me down, down
Keeping me down, down, down
Your charity, it's keeping me
Keeping me down
Produced By Sylvia Massy & Skunk Anansie
Written By Skin & Len Arran
Album PARANOID & SUNBURNT (1995)
Eelco de Boer
Lyrics:
Why do I sense, benevolence
You stand tall at my great expense
Thick words of gratitude, what a price to pay
Stuck in my throat, I sell every word I say
But I don't want your charity
Twisting me round
I don't want your charity
Keeping me down
Why does your world keep burying
Gorging much deeper, than it's ever been
Rubbing still harder, salt on my hurt
Licking my burns while I grovel in your dirt
But I don't want your charity
Twisting me round
I don't want your charity
Keeping me down
You pity me with your tasteless gestures
Gratitude for kind
But your bludgeoned, intentioned objectives
Are screwing with my mind, screwing with my mind
But I don't want your charity
Twisting me round
I don't want your charity
Keeping me down
But I don't want your charity
Twisting me round
I don't want your charity
Keeping me down...
Henrique Ramos
"Charity"
Released: 21 August 1995
Why do I sense, benevolence
You stand tall at my great expense
Thick words of gratitude, what a price to pay
Stuck in my throat, I sell every word I say
But I don't want your charity
Twisting me round
I don't want your charity
Keeping me down...
Why does your world keep burying
Gorging much deeper, than it's ever been
Rubbing still harder, salt on my hurt
Licking my burns while I grovel in your dirt
But I don't want your charity
Twisting me round
I don't want your charity
Keeping me down...
Oh, keeping me down
You pity me with your tasteless gestures
Gratitude for kind
But your bludgeoned, intentioned objectives
Are screwing with my mind, screwing with my mind
But I don't want your charity
Twisting me round
I don't want your charity
Keeping me down...
I don't want your charity, oh charity
Twisting me round
I don't want your charity
Keeping me down...
I don't want your, don't want your, don't want your charity
Keeping me down
I don't want your charity
Keeping me down, down
Keeping me down, down, down
Your charity, it's keeping me
Keeping me down
Produced By Sylvia Massy & Skunk Anansie
Written By Skin & Len Arran
Album PARANOID & SUNBURNT (1995)
Musicalsoul22
Another Skunk Anansie classic! Released Over 25 years ago & still sounds so damn good!
Zalpater
Easily one of the finest bands to have emerged from the 1990s. Utterly brilliant! 👍👍💕
FPrise
Why do I sense, benevolence
You stand tall at my great expense
Thick words of gratitude, what a price to pay
Stuck in my throat, I sell every word I say
But I don't want your charity
Twisting me round
I don't want your charity
Keeping me down
Why does your world keep burying
Gorging much deeper, than it's ever been
Rubbing still harder, salt on my hurt
Licking my burns while I grovel in your dirt
But I don't want your charity
Twisting me round
I don't want your charity
Keeping me down
You pity me with your tasteless gestures
Gratitude for kind
But your bludgeoned, intentioned objectives
Are screwing with my mind, screwing with my mind
But I don't want your charity
Twisting me round
I don't want your charity
Keeping me down
But I don't want your charity
Twisting me round
I don't want your charity
Keeping me down...
creating chaos
Ambivolence
Andrew Donovan
Absolutely love this band, such awesome memories great to listen back, I'll be dragging out the cd's for many happy hours tractor driving. Just love the way she can sing so soft then knock your fucking ears off with all that power!! One of my favs next to SOAD.
Dominik Weber
Yes
Xavi Sauri
¡Más de un cuarto de siglo y esta banda sigue maravillándome! ¿Querías un Collar de Maravillas?... Aquí tienes una Perla. 🤤Gracias por compartir.
Over a quarter of a century and this band continues to amaze me! Did you want a Necklace of Wonders?... Here is a Pearl. 🤤Thanks for sharing.
emM Tee
I'm ashamed to say that I forgot about Skunk Anansie, as soon as I seen Skin I remembered all of the songs that made my teenage hood. This song helped me through so much!
Jason Baker
Big. big tune. Absolutely perfect. I always used to think about how cool a badass black woman singing in a metal band would be. Got it with this group and this song is them performing at the top of their game
RastaSaiyaman
Look up a band called Mother's finest to see another fine example of a hard rock band fronted by a black woman.
That singer, Joyce 'Baby Jean' Kennedy has a voice very similar to Chaka Khan's.