1) The Enemy (… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name, including:
1) The Enemy (The Enemy UK in the United States) was an English indie rock band formed in Coventry in 2006.
2) The Enemy was a New Zealand band that split in 1978 and was a predecessor to Toy Love and Tall Dwarfs.
3) The Enemy is an underground dance artist.
4) The Enemy is an American Drum and Bass musician (and one of three members that make up Evol Intent from Atlanta).
5) The Enemy was an American punk rock band from Washington.
6) The Enemy was a 1980s British punk band.
7)The Enemy was a side project of Australian musician David Thrussell of Snog.
1) The Enemy was a three piece indie rock band from, contrary to popular belief, Kenilworth, Leamington and Coventry. Their debut album - "We'll Live And Die In These Towns" - was released on the 9th of July 2007. This went straight to number one in the UK. Since the band headlined the NME "Rock N Roll Riot" tour supported by The Wombats and Lethal Bizzle. In March/April the band conducted their first tour, playing two sold out nights at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry.
The next single released was 'We'll Live and Die In These Towns', which is the title track from the album. The single was released on 3 December 2007.
---
2) The Enemy was a New Zealand band that split in 1978 and reformed as Toy Love. They were also a predecessor to Tall Dwarfs and other lo-fi madness. They never had an official release, but bootlegs circulate (relatively) widely among fans of the Dunedin Sound.
---
3) The Enemy is an underground dance artist.
---
4) The Enemy is an American Drum and Bass musician (and one of three members that make up Evol Intent from Atlanta). . The Enemy has released many of his own tracks on similar record labels including Evol's own record label.
---
5) The Enemy was an American punk rock band from Washington. They released two 7" records on the King Tut label in the late seventies.
---
6) The Enemy was a 1980s British punk band that formed in their local youth club, with several changes of personnel before they stabilized the following year as Mark Woodhouse (vocals), Steve "Mez" Mellors (guitar), Steve O'Donnell (bass), and Mark Herrington (drums). They played their first gig at Woodlands Youth Centre, and landed a support slot on Anti Pasti's gig in Huddersfield. They recorded their first single, "50,000 Dead" at Old Cottage Studios in Derby, releasing it on their own Tin Tin label. The single was quite successful and led to the band being signed to Fall Out Records, debuting on the label with "Fallen Hero" in May 1982, which reached number 44 in the UK Indie Chart. "Fallen Hero", an anti-war song, was also included on the Punk and Disorderly volume 2 compilation which reached the indie top 10. The band's third single was less successful, and Mellor was replaced by Kevin Lamb of local punk band Total Loss, who livened up the band's live performances.
Debut album Gateway to Hell was issued in 1983 to much critical acclaim and respectable sales. Herrington left the band before the album was released, to be replaced by Dave Hill. The band toured around Britain in support of the album, but were dropped by Fall Out, and moved to the local Rot label (run by Riot Squad's Dunk) for their next single, "Last But Not Least", which was followed by an album of the same name (now featuring a fifth member, lead guitarist Phil Maw), with tracks split between a live recording from The Bierkeller in Leeds and studio tracks recorded at Cargo Studios in Rochdale. The album turned out to be The Enemy's final release, with disappointing sales and musical differences prompting the band to call it a day.
Drummer Dave Herrington is still involved in music, having worked with Apes Pigs & Spacemen, Neil Finn, and Johnny Marr, and as a member of Arnold.
---
7)The Enemy was a side project of Australian musician David Thrussell of Snog, the album 'We Are The Enemy' was released in 2007.
51st State
The Enemy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where democracy has failed
We’ve a war on our consciences and blood under our nails
Oil drums but we’re still paying at the pump
Oil drums it’s a mystery how we got so dumb
Oil drums gotta tell ‘em we don’t want they’re war
Oil drums and then the government will fall
This is the 51st state
where the people have no voice
we’ve been looking for a leader
but we never had a choice
Oil drums but we’re still paying at the pump
Oil drums it’s a mystery how we got so dumb
Oil drums gotta tell ‘em we don’t want they’re war
Oil drums and then the government will fall
The Enemy's song "51st State" discusses the current state of American democracy and the role of oil in the country's political landscape. The opening line, "This is the 51st state," alludes to the idea that America has become indistinguishable from any other state, with democracy failing and citizens feeling helpless. The second line, "Where democracy has failed," highlights the frustration the singer has with the state of democracy in America. This line implies that democracy may have been lost or never truly existed.
The lines, "We've a war on our consciences and blood under our nails," suggest that the American people are plagued by the consequences of their government's actions. The use of the word "war" connotes the negative effects of war, such as loss of life and destruction. The phrase "blood under our nails" is a metaphor for the guilt and shame the American people feel as a result of their government's actions.
The second verse delves into the role of oil in the country's political landscape. The lines, "Oil drums but we're still paying at the pump/Oil drums it's a mystery how we got so dumb," suggests that while America has access to oil, they are still paying high prices at gas stations. This may be a result of the government's ties to the oil industry, which influences policy decisions regarding oil use in the United States. The next lines, "Oil drums gotta tell 'em we don't want they're war/Oil drums and then the government will fall," suggests that the singer views the government as having started a war for control of oil, and that to end the war, citizens must resist the use of oil in their daily lives - hence, sending a message to the government that American citizens do not want their involvement in foreign wars.
Line by Line Meaning
This is the 51st state
The current state of the country is comparable to an imaginary 51st state.
Where democracy has failed
The democratic system in place has not been effective or successful.
We’ve a war on our consciences and blood under our nails
As a society, we are plagued with the guilt and shame of being involved in violent actions and their aftermath.
Oil drums but we’re still paying at the pump
Despite the abundance of oil, we continue to pay high prices for it at the gas pump.
Oil drums it’s a mystery how we got so dumb
It is unclear how we ended up in a situation where a valuable resource such as oil brings about negative consequences.
Oil drums gotta tell ‘em we don’t want they’re war
We must communicate to those in power that we do not want to participate in any more wars caused by our dependence on oil.
Oil drums and then the government will fall
If we can successfully resist and reject the need for oil, the government will lose its hold on power.
Where the people have no voice
The general public lacks the power and influence to make meaningful changes in society or the government.
We’ve been looking for a leader
We have been searching for someone to guide us towards a better future.
But we never had a choice
Unfortunately, we have always been stuck with the same ineffective leaders because we have never had viable alternatives.
Contributed by Andrew N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
bacgirl
definitely the best song of the new album
Jake Davey
sounds like the clash mixed the who, not complaining, great song, cant ait to get the album =]
SmithersJones87
Sounds like a cross between Won't Get Fooled Again and Rock The Casbah
JaggySam
any chance of sum fucking lyrics!?!
Jon Grice
more to the point, is it me or does it sound like hes saying "up the bum" at 42 seconds... and all this chat about them rippin off bands, yer some tunes are clearly influenced but there still good its not neccesarily a bad thing.
BenJaye
No secret wat hes been listening to, clash? sex pistols anyone? Well im not complaining, quality song, quality band. Full stop.
Obvious Bambi
It sucks that this didn't chart.
BenJaye
ye, the resemblance is uncanny. U bell end.
pomes1
good
Daniel CZ
Still good?