British alternative quartet Skunk Anansie played what their lead singer, Sk… Read Full Bio ↴British alternative quartet Skunk Anansie played what their lead singer, Skin, called clit-rock -- an amalgam of heavy metal and Black feminist rage. Skin began singing in high school for a classmate's band after considering the offer for over a year. Six years after that band broke up, the members of Skunk Anansie (including bass player Cass, guitarist Ace, and drummer Robbie France, who was replaced by Mark Richardson in 1995) met one another by chance. Their name was taken from the West African folktales of Anansi the Spider-Man, with a slight change of spelling and "Skunk" added to make the name nastier.
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

We Don't Need Who You Think You Are
Skunk Anansie Lyrics

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Succulent white, secrete revenge, god gives right for you & your laws
You kill & dine, in cold sublime
God licks your face 'cause we don't need, who you are
We don't need, who you are, 'cause we don't need, who you think you are
Cute nigger views, in sweet terrain, choke it blind so lame tourist news
Step back in time, grieving minds
God licks your face 'cause we don't need, who you are, we don't need
Who you are, 'cause we don't need, who you think you are

God licks your face - just like your dog
Starve the minds and drain the face, segregate shit nigga race
Cry for credible debate, but now them blackies legislate
So leave for Anglo-Aussie shores
There you'll find your heaven, as we all start again
'cause we don't need, who you are, we don't need
Who you are, 'cos we don't need, who you think you are

Starve the minds and drain the face, segregate shit nigger race
But now them blackies legislate

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Skunk Anansie's song We Don't Need Who You Think You Are are poignant and powerful, reflecting a deep sense of frustration and anger towards institutions of power that have long perpetuated injustices and inequalities. The opening line of the song, "Succulent white, secrete revenge, god gives right for you & your laws," is particularly striking, encapsulating the sense of entitlement that often characterizes those who wield power over others. The use of the word "succulent" here is particularly evocative, suggesting a sense of greed and indulgence that is at odds with the values of justice and equality.

Throughout the song, the lyrics make no bones about the fact that the "you" being addressed is a member of the oppressor class, someone who is complicit in perpetuating systems of oppression and who benefits from the subjugation of others. The use of racially charged language, such as "nigger" and "Anglo-Aussie," serves to underscore the deep-seated prejudices that underlie these systems. The refrain, "We don't need, who you are / 'cause we don't need, who you think you are," is a powerful call to action, a challenge to those in power to recognize their own complicity and to take action to dismantle systems of oppression.

Overall, the lyrics to We Don't Need Who You Think You Are are a powerful testament to the enduring impact of oppression and the need for resistance and resilience in the face of it. The song is a potent reminder of the ongoing struggle for justice and equality and the importance of speaking truth to power in the face of injustice.

Line by Line Meaning

Succulent white, secrete revenge, god gives right for you & your laws
Your privilege and entitlement make you feel like you have the right to seek revenge against those who challenge your power, and you use religion to justify it.

You kill & dine, in cold sublime
You take the lives of others without remorse and consume them, finding pleasure in their pain and suffering.

God licks your face 'cause we don't need, who you are
You think you are favored by a higher power, but in reality, we do not need or want your presence or influence in our lives.

We don't need, who you are, 'cause we don't need, who you think you are
We reject your self-importance and reject any attempts you make to control us or influence our beliefs.

Cute nigger views, in sweet terrain, choke it blind so lame tourist news
You romanticize and exaggerate the beauty of places and cultures that you exploit, while simultaneously silencing the voices and perspectives of those you harm.

Step back in time, grieving minds
Your actions and attitudes keep society stuck in a place of pain and mourning, unable to move forward and heal.

God licks your face 'cause we don't need, who you are, we don't need Who you are, 'cause we don't need, who you think you are
Once again, we reject your sense of superiority and your attempts to assert your power over us.

Starve the minds and drain the face, segregate shit nigga race
You intentionally deprive marginalized communities of resources and representation, and use segregation to maintain your own power and control.

Cry for credible debate, but now them blackies legislate
You criticize and belittle attempts by marginalized communities to engage in meaningful discourse and gain political power through legislation.

So leave for Anglo-Aussie shores There you'll find your heaven, as we all start again
We suggest that you leave and return to your own privileged, white-dominated society, and allow us to build a better, more equitable community without your interference.

'cause we don't need, who you are, we don't need Who you are, 'cos we don't need, who you think you are
We reiterate our rejection of your sense of entitlement and power, and our desire to create a society that is not dominated by your oppressive influence.

Starve the minds and drain the face, segregate shit nigger race But now them blackies legislate
Once again, you seek to deprive marginalized communities of their rights and representation, but they are now fighting back and gaining political power.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DEBORAH ANN DYER, MARK RICHARDSON, MARTIN KENT, RICHARD LEWIS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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