Discography
The Affectionate Punch (Fiction, 1980)
Fourth Drawer Down (Fiction, 1981)
Sulk (WEA, 1982)
Perhaps (WEA, 1985)
The Glamour Chase (WEA, 1988) - but unreleased until 2003
Wild And Lonely (Circa, 1990)
Popera: The Singles Collection (WEA East West, 1990)
The Radio One Sessions (Nighttracks, 1994)
Double Hipness (V2, 2000)
The Radio One Sessions Volume One 1981-1983 (Strange Fruit, 2003)
The Radio One Sessions Volume Two 1984-1985 (Strange Fruit, 2003)
Singles (Warners, 2004)
Nó
The Associates Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've got to work out ma, and sort out my face
I've got all 'zines telling me what to eat
And I'm tired of being told what to wear on my feet
And I don't have the time to get all worked up about the year on the street
And it's not my fault, I can find my way, yeah it's not my fault
There goes another day, I've been here too long
I feel out of flavour, I don't look like a picture
You think I'm a loser, but I can see through you
You're running around like you're running the country
I know that you think that you've got one on me
Ear to the ground like a boy about town
Can't get nothing to fit me!
And it's not my fault, I can find my way, yeah it's not my fault
There goes another day, I've been here too long
Do I have to change in to what it takes, yeah make it No.1
Got to call for an old friend who used to be real close
Said he couldn't go on the American way
Sold his house, sold his car
Bought a ticket to the West coast
Now he gives him 'em a stand-up routine in L.A.
yeah but it's not my fault, I can find my way, yeah it's not my fault
Got to look out for an old friend who used to be real close
Said it couldn't go on the American way
Sold his house, sold his car
Bought a ticket to the West coast
Now he gives 'em a stand-up routine in L.A.
Do I have to change in to what it takes, yeah make it No.1
The Associates' song "No" is a critique of the conformity and commercialization of society, particularly of the pressure to fit into societal norms of appearance, consumption, and behavior. The singer is tired of being bombarded with messages telling him what to eat, wear, and act like, and he feels out of place because he doesn't fit into the picture-perfect ideal of a person that society promotes. He laments the fact that he has to spend so much time and energy conforming to societal expectations instead of pursuing his own passions and interests. He questions whether he has to change to become a number one success and wonders if it's worth it.
The song's message is delivered through a catchy melody and driving rhythm, with the singer's voice full of longing, frustration, and defiance. The use of street slang, colloquial expressions, and unique word choices adds to the song's impact and paints a vivid picture of a person struggling against a society that doesn't accept him for who he is. The upbeat chorus, with its repetition of "it's not my fault," serves as a rallying cry for individuality and autonomy.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got to get up ma, and get in my place
I need to get out of bed and start my day.
I've got to work out ma, and sort out my face
I need to exercise and take care of my appearance.
I've got all 'zines telling me what to eat
Magazines are giving me advice on what to eat.
And I'm tired of being told what to wear on my feet
I'm tired of being told what shoes to wear.
And I don't have the time to get all worked up about the year on the street
I don't have the time to worry about what's popular on the street.
And it's not my fault, I can find my way, yeah it's not my fault
I'm not to blame for the way I am, I can take care of myself.
There goes another day, I've been here too long
Another boring day has passed and I'm getting tired of my routine.
Do I have to change into what it takes, yeah make it No.1
Do I have to conform to be successful and popular?
I feel out of flavour, I don't look like a picture
I feel out of place and don't fit society's ideal image.
You think I'm a loser, but I can see through you
You judge me, but I know you don't understand me.
You're running around like you're running the country
You act like you're in control of everything.
I know that you think that you've got one on me
You think you have power over me.
Ear to the ground like a boy about town
I'm aware of everything that's happening.
Can't get nothing to fit me!
I can't find anything that suits me.
Got to call for an old friend who used to be real close
I need to get in touch with an old friend I used to be close to.
Said he couldn't go on the American way
He didn't want to conform to American society's expectations.
Sold his house, sold his car
He got rid of his possessions and started fresh.
Bought a ticket to the West coast
He moved to the West coast of the United States.
Now he gives him 'em a stand-up routine in L.A.
He performs stand-up comedy in Los Angeles.
Do I have to change in to what it takes, yeah make it No.1
Do I need to change who I am to be the best and most successful?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALAN PETER RANKINE, BILLY MACKENZIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
dzjad
I'd rather have someone designing and building robots, thereby advancing the economy--rather than walking miles and miles a day throwing boxes. I have done both.
dutrareis
These robots increase productivity which allows for more jobs in other areas. In the long run the company will be able to compete on the global market. If people were in charge of ALL tasks huge bottlenecks would appear. In this case: training, labor costs, accidents and mistakes could undermine the whole operation, reducing productivity and jobs along the entire supply chain (and the entire economy, since this is logistics). Maybe if it weren't for the robots only 200 people would be employed.
HENRI LODJEBO
Je tiens sincerement a felicier le createur du System Kiva qui est un systeme dynamique et rentable pour la gestion des entrepots
Mik Moen
I can say that REI's DC here in Washington does not have robots. I was a picker for a couple weeks. We searched for orders ourselves through 90+ aisles of inventory on one level, and the building had five levels. My feet were screaming like a bitch at the end of a shift.
Dougystyle7
I want to see the factory where they make the robots. Are they built by humans or just other robots?
Brian Peiris
I agree. They should not be trying to pass this off as "job creation". However, I also think that we shouldn't be trying to give these robotic, menial, laborious jobs back to humans. We need a smarter solution.
Darren Neo
Robots make our job easier. If I had 1 !
steddeeeddee
I hate to be a party-pooper, but if I were Betty Bot, Walter CaBot IV, I wouldn't get too complacent. We had fully functioning mail bots that traveled similar paths all over our office floors every day (we called our guy "Norman Mailer") back in the 70s. He was retired as obsolete by the time Ronald Reagan took office.
Bomb Twenty
"They take on human qualities" That highlights his view of the masses employed on the shop floor, dumb unthinking machines you can give silly names to
Daynick101
This is a good use of technology.