… Read Full Bio ↴Special Duties are a British punk rock band from Colchester, Essex.
Special Duties was created in October 1977 by friends Steve Green (Aka Arrogant), Steve Norris (Aka Duty) and Nigel Baker. They were punks at school, but the idea of forming their own band came when they saw The Adverts in Colchester. The fact that the three schoolboys couldn't play and didn't own any instruments didn't discourage them. They decided to put Arrogant on vocals, Duty on guitar and Baker on Bass. The band was originally going to be named X-pelled, but they switched to Special Duties when a box of around 200 badges with "Special Duties" printed on them which had been stolen from a school in Colchester came into their possession, the band deciding that they could save money on getting badges made by simply changing their name to match the stolen ones.[1] For their debut live show, the band spread the word through the underground punk grapevine that they would performing a free gig underneath the shopping precinct in Colchester. Hundreds of people turned up to see them play a fifteen-minute version of the only song they knew, "There'll Be No Tomorrow", performed in the Marks & Spencer loading bay.[1] In 1980, Bart Povah joined the band and they recorded their first demo, which got them a record deal with Charnel House Records. The band moved to Rondelet Records soon after and recruited drummer Stuart Bray. Their second EP for the label, "Police State" spent two months in the indie chart, prompting Rondelet to get the band into the studio to record their debut album, 77 in 82.[1]
In 1982 Arrogant decided to declare war on the anarcho-punk band Crass. Their debut LP was followed by their biggest selling single "Bullshit Crass", an attack on a band that they saw as destroying the traditional punk scene. It came with a Crass-style sleeve and the lead track began with chants of "Fight Crass, not punk", parodying one of Crass's songs. Green explained: "It was the fact that they said 'Punk was dead', and they played this really tuneless music. I saw them as almost a religious cult".[1] However, after that, their music's leading distributors, Rough Trade and Small Wonder, refused to stock their material. This censorship made life a burden for the band. In 1983 they released the single "Punk Rocker" which was not well distributed. In the same year, the group broke up.
Twelve years later, Captain Oi! Records reissued 77 in 82, and encouraged by the response to it the band got back together, playing at 1995's Fuck Reading at the Brixton Academy. After that the group didn't split again.
In 1997 the band released "Wembley Wembley! (Wembley here we come)" to commemorate Colchester United reaching the final of that year's AutoWindscreens Shield at Wembley. Also on the CD was a version of "Up the U's!" a song written about the football club and still sung there today. The third track contained brief interviews with players, such as Garrett Caldwell, Joe Dunne and former club captain Karl Duguid.
In July 1998, the band travelled to New York for a gig at CBGB's, releasing the performance on the Live at CBGB's 1998 album.[1]
In 2007 the band re-recorded the "Up the U's!" with local band Koopa with a song entitled "Stand Up For Col U" by Koopa and with the vocals of Colchester United players Jamie Cureton, Chris Iwelumo, Wayne Brown, Karl Duguid, Kevin Watson, Pat Baldwin, Kevin McLeod and Dean Gerken. The single was released to raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust.
In 2012, Steve Arrogant left the band and Steve Duty took over from his friend on vocals and Dave Sadler took over on Bass.
In 2014 they signed to the Jailhouse Records label.[2] which produced two discography releases. They began regularly gigging and recording, with multiple festival appearances, shows, and a U.S tour in 2016 and US festivals headlines since.
In 2020 the band recorded their new 14 track album “Seven Days A Week. The band are in discussions with Record Labels about the release date...
Distorted Truth
Special Duties Lyrics
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We take in everything they have to say
We've got to believe 'cos there's less complications
Knowing what's wrong so we can accept dictations
Distorted truth on the TV
It's for the good of you and me
Distorted truth turn a blind eye
Do you believe what you read in the papers
Journalistic distortions and evil red papers
No place for us in this dishonest system
Do what we're told ,don't have to listen
The lyrics of Special Duties' song "Distorted Truth" comment on the media and its influence on society. The lyrics suggest that people are being fed information in a "roundabout way," and are expected to simply accept what they are told. The lyrics encourage listeners to be critical of the information they receive, and not to blindly accept everything as fact. The idea is that the media often presents information in a way that is not entirely truthful, and that people need to be aware of this in order to make informed decisions.
The lyrics also touch on the idea that there is a certain level of complacency within society. People are encouraged to "do what we're told," and not to question those in power. This passive acceptance of authority is seen as a dangerous path, one that can lead to a loss of freedom and individuality. The song encourages listeners to think for themselves and not to simply accept what they're told.
Overall, "Distorted Truth" is a commentary on the influence of the media and the dangers of blindly accepting what we're told. It encourages listeners to be critical thinkers and to question authority when necessary.
Line by Line Meaning
We're told what's going on in a roundabout way
We are often given information in an indirect manner
We take in everything they have to say
We listen to everything they say without questioning it
We've got to believe 'cos there's less complications
We believe without questioning because it's easier and less complicating
Knowing what's wrong so we can accept dictations
Understanding what is wrong allows us to easily accept orders and instructions
Distorted truth on the TV
The news and other programming on TV contain deliberate distortions of the truth
It's for the good of you and me
This distortion is claimed to be for our well-being
Distorted truth turn a blind eye
We ignore the distorted truth and turn a blind eye to the problem
On what you believe , it's do and don't die
If you don't follow what you're led to believe, dire consequences may ensue
Do you believe what you read in the papers
The newspapers are populated by untruthful and propagandistic stories – do you believe them?
Journalistic distortions and evil red papers
The media, especially the newspapers, intentionally distort the truth and lie to us daily
No place for us in this dishonest system
We don't fit into this crooked system, we can't belong
Do what we're told ,don't have to listen
Obey instructions blindly, without questioning, and without making any sense
Contributed by Nathaniel T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.