Steel Pulse originally formed at Handsworth Wood Boys School, Birmingham, and comprised David Hinds (lead vocals, guitar), Basil Gabbidon (lead guitar, vocals) and Ronnie McQueen (bass).
However, it is Hinds who, as songwriter, has always been the engine behind Steel Pulse, from their early days establishing themselves in the Birmingham club scene onwards. Formed in 1975, their debut release, 'Kibudu, Mansetta And Abuku" arrived on the small independent label Dip, and linked the plight of urban black youth with the image of a greater African homeland. They followed it with 'Nyah Love' for Anchor.
Surprisingly, they were initially refused live dates in Caribbean venues in the Midlands because of their Rastafarian beliefs. Aligning themselves closely with the Rock Against Racism 1 organisation, they chose to tour instead with sympathetic elements of the punk movement, including the Stranglers, XTC etc.: "Punks had a way of enjoying themselves - throw hordes at you, beer, spit at you, that kind of thing".
Eventually they found a more natural home in support slots for Burning Spear, which brought them to the attention of Island Records. Their first release for Island was the 'Ku Klux Klan' 45 rpm, a considered tilt at the evils of racism, and one often accompanied by a visual parody of the sect on stage.
By this time their ranks had swelled to include Selwyn 'Bumbo' Brown (keyboards), Steve 'Grizzly' Nesbitt (drums), Fonso Martin (vocals, percussion) and Michael Riley (vocals). Handsworth Revolution was an accomplished long playing debut and one of the major landmarks in the evolution of British reggae.
However, despite critical and moderate commercial success over three albums, the relationship with Island had soured by the advent of Caught You (released in the US as Reggae Fever). They switched to Elektra, and unveiled their most consistent collection of songs since their debut with True Democracy, distinguished by the Garveyeulogising 'Rally Around' cut.
A further definitive set arrived in Earth Crisis. Unfortunately, Elektra chose to take a leaf out of Island's book in trying to coerce Steel Pulse into a more mainstream vein, asking them to emulate the pop-reggae stance of Eddy Grant. Babylon Bandit was consequently weakened, but did contain the anthemic 'Not King james Version', which was a powerful indictment on the omission of black people and history from certain versions of the Bible.
Their next move was id Hinds of Steel Pulse to MCA for State Of Emergency, which retained some of the synthesized dance elements of its predecessor. Though it was a significantly happier compromise, it still paled before any of their earlier albums.
Rastafari Centennial was recorded live at the Elysee Montmarte in Paris, and dedicated to the hundred year anniversary of the birth of Haile Selassie. It was the first recording since the defection of Fonso Martin, leaving the trio of David Hinds, Steve Nisbett and Selwyn Brown.
While they still faced inverted snobbery at the hands of British reggae fans, in America their reputation was growing, becoming the first ever reggae band to appear on the Tonight television show. Their profile was raised further when, in 1992, Hinds challenged the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission in the Supreme High Court, asserting that their cab drivers discriminated against black people in general and Rastas in particular.
Drummer Steve "Grizzly" Nisbett (15 March 1948 – 18 January 2018) died in 2018.
The band are still recording and touring.
No More Weapons
Steel Pulse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah! No No
There's no time to beat around the BUSH
Now all the world is living in fear
The consequence a great disaster zone
The thought alone I cannot bear
And all I can predict is woe yeah!
This claim for power paints the city red
I isolate the Status Quo.
We no want no weapons of mass destruction
We no want no weapons of mass destruction
No we no really need
No no weapons no
This has got to be the final conflict
Bestowed upon humanity
So much for a global coalition
A false sense of security
We are just pawns in the scheme of things
No what our race or creed
Survivors of this holocaust
We international refugees
We no want no weapons of mass destruction
We no want no weapons of mass destruction
No no no lethal weapons
No no lethal weapons
No weapons no weapons
This crave for power
Is one disaster, destruction's in the air
These ego trips, by heads of states, who giveth not a care
For all your children and all my children
The future's in despair
No no no No no no
We do want no weapons no
The song "No More Weapons" by Steel Pulse is a protest against war and the possession of weapons of mass destruction. The first line, "Ouch! We don't really need," suggests that the pain caused by war is unnecessary and avoidable. The song then discusses the fear and consequences that come with wars, and how it paints the city red. The line "I isolate the Status Quo" implies that the reality of war is often ignored by those in power.
The chorus, "We no want no weapons of mass destruction," is repeated throughout the song and directly states the band's anti-war stance. The lyrics emphasize the need for a world without weapons of mass destruction and the importance of peace. The song also mentions the idea of survivors becoming international refugees due to the conflict.
The song is a powerful message against war and the use of weapons of mass destruction. It appeals to the audience's humanity and promotes the value of peace. Steel Pulse's lyrics are insightful and inspiring, and promote a world without violent conflict.
Line by Line Meaning
Ouch! We don't really need x 2
We don't want to keep repeating this harsh reality that we don't need these things.
Yeah! No No
We're confident and assertive that we don't need to succumb to this.
There's no time to beat around the BUSH
We need to address this issue promptly and decisively.
Now all the world is living in fear
People are afraid of the impending danger that could be caused.
The consequence a great disaster zone
The consequences would create a disaster zone.
The thought alone I cannot bear
Just thinking about it is unbearable.
And now that war has raised its ugly head
The ugly side of war is now revealed.
And all I can predict is woe yeah!
All that is in store for us is sorrow and misery.
This claim for power paints the city red
The desperation for power will bring destruction to the city.
I isolate the Status Quo.
I'm against the current Status Quo that leads to weapons of destruction.
We no want no weapons of mass destruction
We don't want any weapons of mass destruction.
No we no really need
We don't really need them.
No no weapons no
We don't want any weapons.
This has got to be the final conflict
This is the final conflict that we need to eradicate.
Bestowed upon humanity
It's our responsibility as humans to prevent it from happening.
So much for a global coalition
A global coalition doesn't mean anything if we don't take action.
A false sense of security
Thinking that we are secure is an illusion.
We are just pawns in the scheme of things
We don't have control and are being manipulated.
No what our race or creed
It doesn't matter what our race or creed is.
Survivors of this holocaust
If this situation happens, only some would survive and the rest would perish.
We international refugees
The survivors would be refugees, with no place to call home.
No no no lethal weapons
We don't want any lethal weapons.
No no lethal weapons
We don't want any lethal weapons.
No weapons no weapons
We don't want any weapons.
This crave for power
The desperation for power is the root cause of this issue.
Is one disaster, destruction's in the air
It's a disaster waiting to happen, and destruction is inevitable.
These ego trips, by heads of states, who giveth not a care
The egos of world leaders who don't care about the consequences are to blame.
For all your children and all my children
It's for the sake of all the children in the world, not just our own.
The future's in despair
The future looks bleak and hopeless.
No no no No no no
Definitely not, we don't want any of it.
We do want no weapons no
We don't want any weapons at all.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: DAVID ROBERT HINDS, DAMIAN ROBERT NESTA MARLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Shihab Mahgoub
Anthor thoughtful brilliant lyrics alongside beauty fully constructed music!!!! David is for sure creative and talented individual!!!!! Big up David...steel pulse all the way.
Joshua Shadreck
Steel pulse still rocks👏
Anthony Cimino
Came here for steel pulse, damian is a bonus for me. Would be awesome if this song turned people onto steel pulse. Their singer had such a unique voice. I've love them since i was like 10 so over 30 years now!
sphinx855
First song introduced to Steel Pulse, over 10 years ago. Still love and listen to this song
slappntickle
2:10 to 2:30 Damian drops his own wmd on this song. Thats how you drop a real bomb. He blows this song up to a new level.
Professor Douglas Vieira
HINO MUNDIAL
Sea Cristal
Relevant then and now. Revolutionary music.
Aud Johansen
Love it
hawaiiguerilla
this song is so good thought it was great since years ago.
Arkadiusz Kural
classic...nothing more to say!!!