Parsons and Stanton left in 1979, with Spike moving to lead vocals, and Lealand's girlfriend Louise Wright joining on bass.
Influenced by the likes of the Sex Pistols, The Clash, and The Ramones, the band started off covering punk rock hits and soon started to compose their own material. They were the second band signed to Chris Berry's No Future Records label, and their debut release, the double A-sided Police story/Killing machine was released on 28 September 1981. It reached #5 on the UK Indie Chart, on the back of a tour with label-mates Blitz, and with strong support from Sounds writer Garry Bushell. Following the success of this single, The Partisans were included on the third volume of Bushell's Oi! compilation series Carry On Oi!, which reached #60 on the UK Album Chart, and won the band gig slots with Blitz, Peter and the Test Tube Babies and The Ejected, as well as a 'No Future' night at London's Zig Zag Club with Red Alert, The Lombardos, and Peter and the Test Tube Babies.
The band released its second single, 17 Years of Hell, on 27 May 1982, peaking at #2 on the Indie Charts. This was followed by their self-titled debut LP, released in February 1983. It hit #5 in the Indie Chart and #1 in the Punk Chart, amid considerable critical acclaim from the national press and the underground fanzine culture.
After the departure of Louise Wright, the remaining members relocated to Bayswater in west London, with new bassist Dave Parsons to relaunch the band. Their next release was the three-track "Blind Ambition" EP on Cloak & Dagger Records, which peaked at #23 on the Indie Chart, and got played on Prime Time Radio 1. The LP, Time Was Right, followed in 1984, described as "The Professionals meets The Clash," and reaching #20 in the Indie Chart. The album featured live recordings from a gig at the Brixton Ace, at which The Partisans supported Anthrax, Lost Cherrees, Conflict and others.
The band split up in 1984. Dave Parsons later found chart success with Transvision Vamp and, even later, became a worldwide success with Bush. Andy moved to Scandinavia. Andy and Rob recorded one more session in late 1989 for Link Records under the name Agent Orange including Andy's then partner Iggi.[1] In the late 1990s Lealand and Harrington reformed the band along with two of Lealand's Swedish friends, Magnus Neundorff and Mikael "Gustav" Gustavsson. The band signed to American label TKO who issued the "So Neat" single in 2001, followed by a new full-length LP/CD in 2004 "Idiot Nation" on Dr. Strange. Currently the band are writing and recording new material.
This Town
The Partisans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This town keeps me complaining
Right now I don't know if I belong here anymore
Sometimes I've had enough
So I'll keep saying it all to them
When things start getting tough
I'll just keep playing the council pricks
But I am not alone
Car parks and office spaces
I see the same old faces
And the voice at the county hall
Gets me down and out again
Don't account for no one anymore
The un elected business whore
Get a grant to help fill out a form
And they says that's OK
The Partisans’ “This Town” is a song that speaks to the monotony of living in a small town and the frustration that comes with it. In the opening lines, the singer expresses relief that it’s raining because it’s something new and different, a break from the unchanging nature of the town. The town is the source of the singer’s seemingly constant state of dissatisfaction, and they’re not sure they belong there anymore. There’s a sense of feeling stuck and trapped, which is emphasized by the repetition of “this town keeps me complaining.”
The second verse touches on a few different things. The singer has had enough of the town and its inhabitants, so they’re going to keep speaking their mind (“saying it all to them”) and playing the game with the council members (“playing the council pricks”). It’s a bit of a bleak outlook on things, but they’re not completely alone in their fight against the town’s powers-that-be. The lyrics also reference “car parks and office spaces” and seeing the “same old faces,” which emphasizes the claustrophobic nature of the town and the monotony of daily life there.
Finally, the bridge of the song touches on the frustration with bureaucracy that many people can relate to. The voice at the county hall is something that “gets me down and out again,” emphasizing the powerlessness the singer feels in this situation. They don’t feel like they “account for no one anymore,” and instead feel like things are being run by “un elected business whore[s].” It’s a potent message about feeling trapped and frustrated by the systems that are supposed to serve you.
Overall, “This Town” is a powerful song about feeling stuck and frustrated by the endless monotony and slow crawl of life in a small town. It’s a relatable experience that many people can identify with, and the lyrics capture that feeling perfectly.
Line by Line Meaning
I wake up thank fuck it's raining
I am happy it is raining because it reflects the negative emotions I feel towards this town.
This town keeps me complaining
I constantly express my grievances about this town because it does not fulfill my expectations and desires.
Right now I don't know if I belong here anymore
Due to my dissatisfaction with this town, I question whether or not I have a place in it.
Sometimes I've had enough
Occasionally, the negativity of this town becomes unbearable for me.
So I'll keep saying it all to them
I will continue to voice my complaints and criticisms to the people and institutions that contribute to the issues in this town.
When things start getting tough
During difficult times in this town, when problems persist or worsen.
I'll just keep playing the council pricks
I will engage in confrontations with the elected officials who manage this town and contribute to its poor conditions.
Back handed, deal with it, Grey suited
The council officials I confront are dishonest and callous, and refuse to address my complaints while wearing their typical grey suits.
But I am not alone
Despite the indifference of the town's officials, there are others who share my dissatisfaction with this town and its management.
Car parks and office spaces
The town is characterized by its many parking lots and business buildings.
I see the same old faces
I encounter the same people in this town, who represent its stagnation and lack of growth or progress.
And the voice at the county hall
The officials at the county hall, who are responsible for governing and managing this town.
Gets me down and out again
The county hall's failures and disregard for improving the town's conditions weigh heavily on me.
Don't account for no one anymore
The officials in charge no longer answer to the people they represent, and ignore our demands for change.
The un elected business whore
The corrupt, money-driven individuals who control this town's businesses and are unaccountable to its citizens.
Get a grant to help fill out a form
The business elites receive funding from the government to complete mundane tasks, despite being wealthy and influential enough to do so on their own.
And they says that's OK
The officials in charge condone and enable this corruption, allowing the business elites to continue exploiting the town and its people.
Contributed by Allison E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@NasaBrain
Found a copy of this CD at a thrift store for $2.00. Not a common thing to find in a thrift store. Had not heard The Partisans before but very very glad I picked it up.