Sonic Boom Six (often shortened to SB6) are a five-piece rock band from Man… Read Full Bio ↴Sonic Boom Six (often shortened to SB6) are a five-piece rock band from Manchester, United Kingdom. Their eclectic sound combines different elements of several genres and has been described by Kerrang! as "taking ska, pop, grime, dubstep, punk and metal apart, then rebuilding them as a hyperactive hybrid". Their lyrics tend to focus on social commentary with a live show known for "clashing activism and good times". The band's influences include Bad Brains, Public Enemy, The Fugees, The Specials, The Streets, and The Clash.

Sonic Boom Six first appeared on the Manchester punk scene in April 2002. Some of their members were previously in the band Grimace. Their self-titled demo, recorded with Jerry Melchers, was self-released in October 2002. To promote the CD, they toured the UK with third wave ska veterans The Toasters and London ska punk/hip hop band King Prawn. They also toured with Coolie Ranx and performed as his backing band. In September 2003, they released The Turbo EP, their first release for Moon Ska Europe. This was produced by Ace (of Skunk Anansie) and Christophe. After a series of good reviews, Sonic Boom Six were invited to perform a session on BBC Radio One's The Lock Up.

After further touring with Catch 22, as well as on the Moon Ska Launchpad Tour 2004 (alongside Zen Baseballbat, Graveltrap, Babar Luck and Dumpster Pop), the band re-united with Ace and Christophe to record their second EP. Sounds to Consume was released on Moon Ska Europe in August 2004, and include the Turbo EP as bonus tracks. After tour dates with Leftöver Crack and The Suicide Machines, the band appeared on BBC2's Asian arts programme Desi DNA performing in a scrapyard, as well as being interviewed by Adil Ray for his show on the BBC Asian Network.
Sonic Boom Six performing "All In" with Itch of The King Blues. Leeds Festival, Bramham Park, 27 August 2006

In early February 2005, Sonic Boom Six replaced guitarist Dave "Hellfire" Kelly with guitarist Ben, who used to play sax, thus making SB6 a four-piece. Ben's old sax parts are now played through a sampler when performing live, or by musicians from other bands, such as Grown at Home and The Flaming Tsunamis. In 2005, the band opened the Love Music Hate Racism event on the Leftfield Stage at the Glastonbury Festival, played Belgium's Sortie 23 festival and performed at the premier of the Rock Against Racism film Who Shot the Sheriff? with HARD-Fi and Roll Deep. 2005 also saw the release of the Champion Edition of Sounds to Consume, which featured four of their original demo tracks (remixed by Tim G), three remixes, an acoustic track and a video. They also embarked on several dates on the inaugural Good To Go Tour alongside The Aquabats and Never Heard of It.

In 2006, the band recorded their second session for BBC Radio 1's The Lock Up, which was broadcast on 27 June. They were joined by Pete and Tucker from Jesse James and Itch from The King Blues. Their debut full-length album, The Ruff Guide to Genre-Terrorism, was released on 10 July 2006 on Deck Cheese Records, and in August 2006 the band played the Reading and Leeds Festivals as a last minute replacement for Paramore. They were joined again by Itch of The King Blues for a performance of "All In" (singing the parts of the song written by Coolie Ranx) and Nick 'The Blade' Horne of Howards Alias, partner of vocalist Laila, who played trombone on the songs "Bigger Than Punk Rock" and "Until the Sunlight Comes".

In May 2007, they played at the Slam Dunk Festival at Leeds University Union with Paramore and Reel Big Fish. During Reel Big Fish's set, Laila joined the band on stage to sing parts of "She Has a Girlfriend Now" alongside Aaron Barrett. She joined them again during Reel Big Fish's Monkeys for Nothin' winter tour in 2008. They played the Reading and Leeds Festivals again in 2007, on the Lock Up stage, playing not only their own material but covering the song "Sound System" by Operation Ivy. During this song, Itch from the King Blues once again joined them on stage to sing it. November 2007 saw the release of the band's second full-length CD, Arcade Perfect, on their own Rebel Alliance Recordings.

In May 2008, the band embarked on the Rude Awakening 2008 tour, alongside Big D and the Kids Table and Random Hand. 2008 also saw a second Ruff and Ready tour. This was followed by the release of a remixes, b-sides and rarities album entitled Play On: Rare, Rejected and Arcade Perfected, which the band toured in support of in late 2008. Nick Horne also joined the band as a full time member, now playing guitar and bass live as well as trombone. They played at the Hevy Music Festival on 1 August 2009.

In May 2009 Sonic Boom Six released their third album City of Thieves, once again on Rebel Alliance Recordings. August 2009 saw Sonic Boom Six open the Main Stage at the Reading and Leeds Festival.

On 8 October 2009, it was announced on the band's official website that Ben Childs would be leaving the band after the forthcoming "Boom or Bust" tour and that he would be temporarily replaced by Matthew Reynolds – current vocalist and guitarist with rock band Drawings and also formerly of Howards Alias. In February 2010 new permanent member James "Jimmy T Boom" Routh, formerly of Myth of Unity, joined the band on guitar.

Silent Majority
Sonic Boom Six Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Our lips are sealed.

We hear no evil now, we speak no evil now,
But I see what's around and I can't understand it.
An eastern in the west with right becoming left,
I'll put you to the test. Our lips are sealed.

So in the present tense they say the evidence

Points towards common sense, it all works out for the best in the end.
So please explain to me how a minority
Can vote the BNP in a place I call my fucking country?

You! Who would you speak for?
Our lips are sealed.

I think it's safe to say that people every day
Work hard to find a way for a kind of place where I wanna stay.
And yet I'm pretty sure that there are so much more
That wanna shut the door. Our lips are sealed.
So strike me from the list, brand me a pessimist,
I forgot to mention what the problem is, if I pop the question will they answer this?
Do you think we ever really could unite and integrate for good?
Do you think we ever really would, or say "There goes the neighbourhood"?

You! Who would you speak for?
You got it. You got it.
Who would you speak for?
This place is where I belong.

I gotta wonder if the silence speaks louder than words.
So where's the wisdom in a word you never wanted to say?
Pick up the pieces of opinions that I never heard.
What have you got to, what have you got to say that's so secret, eh?

I gotta wonder if we'll ever get an answer to it.
Who would you speak for?
Our lips are sealed.

So when's it gonna stop? Casual racist drop.
Call it a paki shop, but you never stop to think about it.
It isn't misconstrued to call it Chinky food
It's simply fucking rude. Our lips are sealed.
It turns my stomach when I hear that spiel again,
Say I got no problem, in my own back yard I wouldn't wanna meet them.
Just because their skin is black and you can simply turn your back
And say "My God, I'm alright Jack", ambivalence is on the attack.

You! Who would you speak for?
Is it me, or you, or them?
Who would you speak for?
This place is where I belong.

I gotta wonder if the silence speaks louder than words.
So where's the wisdom in the words you never wanted to say?
Pick up the pieces of opinions that I never heard.
What have you got to, what have you got to say that's so secret, eh?

I gotta wonder if we'll ever get an answer to it.
Who would you speak for?

What have you gotta say? What have you gotta say?
What have you gotta say? What have you gotta say anyway?
What have you gotta say? What have you gotta say?
What have I got to, what have I got to say to make you see?

Our lips are...

It's time to think it through, so what we gonna do?
I know you've seen it too, it's up to me and it's up to you, hey!
Then fucking sing along 'cause there is nothing wrong
With another Unity song.

This place is where I belong.

I gotta wonder if the silence speaks louder than words.
So where's the wisdom in the words you never wanted to say?
Pick up the pieces of opinions that I never heard.
What have you got to, what have you got to say that's so secret, eh?

I gotta wonder if we'll never get an answer to it.
Who would you speak for?
You got it. You got it.
Who would you speak for?
Is it me, or you, or them?
Who would you speak for?

You got it.
What have I got to, what have I got to say?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Silent Majority" by Sonic Boom Six speak about the silence and the apathy of a majority who see what's happening around them but refuse to speak up about it. The song starts with the imagery of "Our lips are sealed" indicating a refusal to speak up against the wrong that is happening in society. The lyrics then talk about the visible problems caused by racism and xenophobia but people tend to ignore them. The song then asks how a minority group like the BNP can get elected in a place supposed to signify diversity.

The chorus then asks who people speak for and points out that silence is not an effective way to combat societal issues. The song asks to make a change and speak out against the casual racism and xenophobia that is prevalent. The lyrics then encourage the listener to unite and fight the problem together. The song ends with posing a question on if the silence will ever break.

Overall, "Silent Majority" is a call to break the silence in the face of societal issues and to take action against casual racism and xenophobia.

Line by Line Meaning

Our lips are sealed.
We choose to stay silent and not speak up against the injustices we see around us.

We hear no evil now, we speak no evil now, But I see what's around and I can't understand it.
We may pretend to ignore the issues at hand, but deep down we cannot comprehend the injustice and prejudice we see in our society.

An eastern in the west with right becoming left, I'll put you to the test. Our lips are sealed.
The cultural differences and political conflicts of our society make it hard for us to comprehend what is truly right or wrong. We are left speechless and unable to act.

So in the present tense they say the evidence Points towards common sense, it all works out for the best in the end. So please explain to me how a minority Can vote the BNP in a place I call my fucking country?
Despite arguments for common sense and progress in society, it is baffling to see how a minority group can have such harmful and discriminatory values that still hold power and influence in society.

I think it's safe to say that people every day Work hard to find a way for a kind of place where I wanna stay. And yet I'm pretty sure that there are so much more That wanna shut the door. Our lips are sealed.
There are people who actively work toward creating a better society, but there are also those who want to shut out progress and diversity. Despite what we see, many of us still choose to stay silent and not speak up.

So strike me from the list, brand me a pessimist, I forgot to mention what the problem is, if I pop the question will they answer this? Do you think we ever really could unite and integrate for good? Do you think we ever really would, or say "There goes the neighbourhood"?
Even if we acknowledge there is a problem, many of us are pessimistic about whether we can truly overcome the hurdles of division and integrate for good. We fear our society will always struggle with prejudices that threaten our unity and growth.

I gotta wonder if the silence speaks louder than words. So where's the wisdom in a word you never wanted to say? Pick up the pieces of opinions that I never heard. What have you got to, what have you got to say that's so secret, eh?
We often wonder whether our silence actually does more harm than good, and whether there is wisdom in staying quiet. Yet, we also need to be aware of the opinions and feelings of those who are often silenced or ignored in our society, and actively encourage them to speak up.

So when's it gonna stop? Casual racist drop. Call it a paki shop, but you never stop to think about it. It isn't misconstrued to call it Chinky food It's simply fucking rude. Our lips are sealed.
Even casual racism and discriminatory language can contribute to a harmful culture that we often choose to ignore. We know it's wrong to use slurs and stereotypical terms, but we still stay silent and don't call it out.

It turns my stomach when I hear that spiel again, Say I got no problem, in my own back yard I wouldn't wanna meet them. Just because their skin is black and you can simply turn your back And say "My God, I'm alright Jack", ambivalence is on the attack.
The complacency and apathy toward racism and discrimination in our society is enough to make us sick. We cannot continue to turn a blind eye to these issues and use our own privilege and comfort to justify our inaction.

It's time to think it through, so what we gonna do? I know you've seen it too, it's up to me and it's up to you, hey! Then fucking sing along 'cause there is nothing wrong With another Unity song.
It's time to really consider the reality of our society and actively do something to address these issues. We need to come together, encourage others to speak up, and keep working toward unity and progress.

What have you gotta say? What have you gotta say? What have you gotta say? What have you gotta say anyway? What have you gotta say? What have you gotta say? What have I got to, what have I got to say to make you see?
We need to speak up and actively challenge the harmful attitudes and prejudices that are present in our society. We need to find ways to make others see the value of diversity and unity, and how it benefits us all.

Contributed by Sophia O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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