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
Boys Are Out Tonight
The Business Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Spending my money before I get paid
Doing my best to make ends meet
Something to eat, something to drink
The backstreet filled with villinous laughter
Running through life fast and faster
Follow your team love 'em so true
Till Saturday comes right back to you
We're the boys out tonight
The week is wasted till the weekend comes
Fighting for your team on the chicken run
Concrete, metal, kicked and shoved
Boy to man on sweat and blood
Bridge house drinking after the game
Telling stories of how we fought for fame
Boys are out tonight
Living on the darkside, drinking cheap cyanide
Spending my money before I get paid
Doing my best to make ends meet
Something to eat, something to drink
The backstreet filled with villinous laughter
Running through life fast and faster
Follow your team love 'em so true
Till Saturday comes right back to you
We're the boys out tonight
The week is wasted till the weekend comes
Fighting for your team on the chicken run
Concrete, metal, kicked and shoved
Boy to man on sweat and blood
Bridge house drinking after the game
Telling stories of how we fought for fame
The lyrics to The Business's song "Boys Are Out Tonight" tell the story of a group of working-class boys living on the "darkside," where life isn't easy, and they constantly have to struggle to make ends meet. They drink "cheap cyanide" (alcohol) and spend their money before getting paid because they know they won't have much left after bills and necessities. Despite the challenges, they find solace in their love for their soccer team, which they follow religiously until the weekend comes around. They participate in the chaotic energy of the "chicken run," where they fight for their team surrounded by concrete and metal. The lyrics also mention their post-game ritual of drinking at the Bridge House and telling stories of their exploits.
The lyrics showcase the unique experience of hardcore soccer fans in working-class communities in the UK in the 80s. The song captures the camaraderie, passion, and violence often associated with this subculture. The lyrics depict a way of life that was looked down upon by the mainstream, but it's precisely this rebellious nature that The Business celebrated in their music.
Line by Line Meaning
Living on the darkside, drinking cheap cyanide
We're living life haphazardly, taking risks with our choices and drinking low quality alcohol.
Spending my money before I get paid
We're not financially stable and often spend money before we receive our paychecks.
Doing my best to make ends meet
We struggle to stay afloat financially and do whatever it takes to pay our bills.
Something to eat, something to drink
We prioritize basic necessities like food and drink, even if it means sacrificing other luxuries.
The backstreet filled with villinous laughter
We often find ourselves in rough and dangerous areas, surrounded by nefarious characters who enjoy mocking us.
Running through life fast and faster
We live life in the fast lane, always in a rush and never taking a moment to slow down and breathe.
Follow your team love 'em so true
We are loyal fans of our favorite sports teams and will always support them no matter what.
Till Saturday comes right back to you
We eagerly anticipate the weekend, when we can let loose and indulge in our favorite activities without worrying about work.
We're the boys out tonight
Tonight, we are a group of friends who are living it up and enjoying ourselves despite our struggles.
The week is wasted till the weekend comes
For us, the weekdays are nothing but a means to an end until we can finally enjoy the weekend.
Fighting for your team on the chicken run
We are passionate fans who will support our sports teams no matter how bad they may be performing.
Concrete, metal, kicked and shoved
We are comfortable in rowdy environments and are used to physical confrontations.
Boy to man on sweat and blood
We have grown up through difficult experiences that have tested our resolve and toughness.
Bridge house drinking after the game
After supporting our team at a sports match, we go to a nearby bar to drink and socialize.
Telling stories of how we fought for fame
We share stories of our experiences and the challenges we faced as we try to establish ourselves.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: MICHAEL HUGH FITZSIMONS, STEPHEN WHALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind