History
The band was formed in 1979 by school friends Steven ('Steve') Kent (guitar), Michael Fitzsimons ('Micky Fitz') (vocals), Nicholas ('Nick') Cunningham (drums) and Martin Smith (bass).[2] They played their first gig in front of friends in February 1980, and after taking on Lol Pryor as manager, began performing more often. The band's first release was the song "Out in the Cold" on the A Sudden Surge of Sound compilation album.[2] They played their first Oi! concert in 1981, supporting The 4-Skins, and they became closely associated with the Oi! scene from then on.[2] While the Oi! movement was labelled as far right and racist (despite the fact that several Oi! bands played at Rock Against Racism concerts), The Business took a stance against political extremism with their Oi Against Racism and Political Extremism ...But Still Against The System tour.[3] Despite standing apart from the far-right, the band also criticized communists in songs like "Suburban Rebels." [4]
In November 1981, they released their debut single, "Harry May", which spent over three months in the UK Indie Chart, reaching No. 13. The initial line-up split up in late 1981, with Kent, Cunningham, and Smith forming Q-Bow, but Fitz carried on with Pryor, recruiting Graham Ball on guitar, Mark Brennan and Steve Whale from The Blackout, and John Fisher on drums.[2] The new line-up made their live debut in January 1982, after which Ball and Fisher departed, leaving the band as a four-piece, with Kev Boyce of The Blackout on drums.[2] The new line-up recorded the Smash the Discos EP, which was a No. 3 indie hit, and after a short tour, they recorded their debut album, which was to be called Loud, Proud, and Punk. The master tapes for the album went missing after disagreements between the band's label and the studio, forcing them to re-record the album, which was released as Suburban Rebels in May 1983.[2] The album was remixed by their label, Secret, without them knowing, and Secret's financial difficulties limited promotion of the album. Frustrated by this, the band split up, with The Business members forming short-lived bands Chapter and Sabre Dance.[2]
Pryor issued a retrospective album consisting of demos and live tracks on his Syndicate label, the success of which prompted the band to reform and record a what was to be marketed as a live album, Loud, Proud, and Punk. It was actually recorded in a studio, with crowd noise dubbed in later.[2] Pryor renamed his record label Wonderful World and issued several Business albums in late 1985, with the Drinking and Driving tour following. The name of the tour caused controversy, with tabloid journalists accusing the band of condoning drunk-driving, although the title was tongue-in-cheek.[2]
In late 1986, Brennan and Pryor founded Link Records, and with Brennan becoming increasingly busy running the label, the band split up again. In 1992, Fitz performed a few songs guesting with The Elite and he reformed the band to play a benefit concert for Bobby Moore, who had recently died of cancer. Brennan later started a new record label, Captain Oi! Records and did not join the reformed band. The band's line-up then became Micky Fitz (singer), Steve Whale (guitar), Lol Proctor (bass) and Micky Fairbairn (drums). The band released a new single "Anywhere But Here" and new album Keep The Faith in 1994. After a number of tours in Western Europe, the band played their first gigs in America in August 1994. In 1997 The Business released The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing But The Truth which was produced by Lars Frederiksen from Rancid. In 2000, the band joined together with Dropkick Murphys to release Mob Mentality. The band's final studio album, No Mercy For You was released in 2001. Their biggest hit song in recent times, "England 5 - Germany 1", (based on the result of a World Cup Qualifying match in 2001), became a football anthem for England and even appeared in the 2004 teen comedy EuroTrip. Despite various line-up changes, the band's popularity continued to grow.
By 2006 Fitz had rebuilt his band after overcoming his alcoholism, this year saw the band take on a 2-month tour of the US with the line-up of Fitz (singer), Robin Guy (drums), Daniel (guitar) and what would become long serving Trots (bass). In September 2006, Fitz recruited long time friend Tosh (of Section 5) to play guitar, shortly followed by Bundie on drums. The band took to the studio in Berlin and recorded three covers, this session featured Mitch Harris of Napalm Death guesting to record the title track 'Mean Girl', originally by one of Fitz's favourite bands Status Quo. This was released by Bad Dog records as an EP, the B side being a live set recorded at the legendary Marquee Club in London from 1982.
Led by a reinvigorated Fitz, the band continued to tour incessantly and broke new ground as the first British Oi! band to play in Chile in 2008, they also visited Australia and New Zealand alongside extensive European and US tours. As well as their touring they also returned to the studio and put out a split 7" with Control. The Mean Girl recordings and Marquee Tapes were combined with the split and a recording from Full Force Festival to make the US mini album 'Doing The Business'
In 2010 Tosh departed the band and after a short stint with rocker Johny Skullknuckles the band's final line-up was completed with Fish (of The Skeptix, Discharge and Demon) taking over on six string duties. Around this time the band had taken to the studio to record what would be their last release, 'Back in The Day', it saw the studio return of original guitarist and principal songwriter Steve Kent who performed guitar and backing vocals on the recording. The 7" was eventually released on Randale Records and Sailors Grave Records in 2014.
The band continued on their way, returning to South America to play São Paulo, taking on a headline tour of Australia and New Zealand, (with visits to Singapore and Bangkok along the way) and made a triumphant return to Japan in 2014, with a quick visit to South Korea while they were in the area.
In the summer of 2015 Fitz was diagnosed with cancer, as with his life he met the challenge head on and refused to let the public know of his diagnosis until after he had completed the final run of shows. The band performed what would be their final show in October 2015 in Badalona, Spain.
In April 2019, some of the classic line up (Steve Whale, Steve Kent and Micky Fairbairn) joined by JJ Pearce on bass (the Last Resort) performed at the Punk and Disorderly festival in Berlin. Roi Pearce (The Last Resort) Sebi (Stomper 98) and Mike Brands (Arch Rivals) appeared as guest singers. This marked the first time former members of The Business had performed without Micky Fitz playing The Business songs. The same line up, joined by Beki Bondage (Vice Squad) performed at Rebellion 2019. A toast was raised to Fitz's memory at both shows
Borstal Boys
The Business Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With your coffee in the morning makes you so sterile
The corner gang never made a man of me boys
You know the walls are taller and the inmates scheme
There's no one here that's more than seventeen
Bet your life there's a riot tonight in the mess hall
You read it when the warden's had a second laugh
He said sentimental rubbish ain't got no place in here
Boy
See the years roll on by
Such a senseless waste of time
What a way to reform
Call out your number
Who's a nonconformer
Shakey Brown didn't hang around
When a Molotov didn't do it's stuff
He went back in there and said it with a sawed-off
Shotgun
You know Poker Sam couldn't lose a hand
If he did you was hit by a downtown tram
Or crushed in the path of a moving elevator
See the years roll on by
Such a senseless waste of time
What a way to reform
Call out your number
Who's a nonconformer
When I get out I'll get straight
If this old world gives me half a break
But, if you see me in the corner with a chip on my
Shoulder
Don't blame me
The lyrics to The Business's song "Borstal Boys" is a commentary on the harsh reality of juvenile detention centers (also known as borstals) and the impact it has on the boys who are incarcerated there. The first few lines express the frustration and bitterness that the singer feels towards the daily routine in the detention center, where they are given Bromide in their morning coffee, which is a sedative that dulls their emotions and sexuality. The singer notes that the environment in the borstal has failed to shape them into men, as the "corner gang" was unable to teach them what they needed to survive in the world outside.
The second verse delves deeper into the oppressive and dangerous atmosphere of the borstal. The walls are higher than usual, and the inmates scheme to rebel against the system. The singer notes that most of the inmates are teenagers and can't be held accountable for their actions. The chorus highlights the hopelessness of the situation, as the years roll on senselessly and the borstal become a place to reform people without succeeding in doing so.
The third verse tells the story of Shakey Brown, who found that violence was the only way to survive in the borstal. When a Molotov cocktail failed to have an effect, he used a sawed-off shotgun to assert his authority. Similarly, Poker Sam was a gambler who always won. If anyone tried to cross him, they were met with unrelenting violence.
Overall, "Borstal Boys" is a bleak commentary on the cruel and unforgiving nature of the juvenile justice system. The song suggests that the institutions meant to reform young people are instead causing them more harm than good, and that the sense of hopelessness and lack of direction is pervasive. The chorus (described above) is a bitterly ironic commentary on the reformative potential of the borstals.
Line by Line Meaning
Cell block five, how I hate Bromide
I despise being in cell block five because the coffee they give us in the morning hinders our reproductive abilities.
With your coffee in the morning makes you so sterile
The bromide in the coffee is the reason we become sterile.
The corner gang never made a man of me boys
Being part of the gang did not help me become a better person.
You know the walls are taller and the inmates scheme
The walls of this place are intimidating, and the inmates plan for an escape constantly.
There's no one here that's more than seventeen
Everyone here is under the age of seventeen.
Bet your life there's a riot tonight in the mess hall
I guarantee that there will be a fight in the mess hall tonight.
A letter from your home town makes you sad
Receiving news from your hometown can make you emotional.
You read it when the warden's had a second laugh
You can only read the news when the warden allows it and he only lets you read it after he finishes laughing.
He said sentimental rubbish ain't got no place in here
The warden believes that anything emotional does not belong here in the prison.
Boy
The warden is condescendingly addressing me.
See the years roll on by
Time passes quickly in this place.
Such a senseless waste of time
Being locked up in prison feels like an incredibly pointless way to spend one's time.
What a way to reform
Prison is not an effective way to help people reform and become better individuals.
Call out your number
The prison officials are addressing us by our identification numbers.
Who's a nonconformer
The officers are trying to identify who among us is not conforming to their expectations and regulations.
Shakey Brown didn't hang around
Shakey Brown did not wait after his failed attempt at using a Molotov cocktail.
When a Molotov didn't do it's stuff
The Molotov cocktail was not as effective as Shakey had hoped.
He went back in there and said it with a sawed-off shotgun
Shakey returned to the scene with a sawed-off shotgun to make his point.
You know Poker Sam couldn't lose a hand
Poker Sam was incredibly skilled at playing cards and never lost a game.
If he did you was hit by a downtown tram
If anyone managed to beat Poker Sam, they were likely cheated out of their win or worse.
Or crushed in the path of a moving elevator
It is possible that someone who beat Poker Sam might have met with an unfortunate accident.
When I get out I'll get straight
Once I'm released from prison, I'll turn my life around and get things back on track.
If this old world gives me half a break
If the outside world gives me even the slightest opportunity, I'll take it and make the best of it.
But, if you see me in the corner with a chip on my shoulder
If you find me looking angry and resentful, it's not my fault.
Don't blame me
I'm not responsible for the circumstances that led me to this place or for how it has shaped me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IAN MC LAGAN, ROD STEWART, RON WOOD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind