After meeting at the Deeply Vale Free Festival, The Ruts were formed on 18 August ]1977, the band consisted of Malcolm Owen (vocals), Paul Fox (guitar), John "Segs" Jennings (bass) and Dave Ruffy (drums).[1] As part of the Misty in Roots People Unite collective based in Southall, west London, the band were active in anti-racist causes and played a number of benefits for Rock Against Racism.
On 11 February 1980, the band returned to a BBC studio for their third Peel session, two tracks of which - "Demolition Dancing" and "Secret Soldiers" - later appeared on Virgin's posthumous Grin & Bear It album.
By this time singer Malcolm Owen was suffering with health problems; a combination of sore throats and a heroin addiction. A UK tour was arranged, the 'Back to Blighty' tour, but a number of dates had to be cancelled due to Owen's condition. What turned out to be the last Ruts gig with Malcolm took place at Plymouth Polytechnic on 26 February 1980.
Many of the Ruts best gigs were RAR (Rock Against Racism) gigs with Misty in Roots, and Jah War was written in response to the Southall Riots where the police attacked the Anti-Nazi League that were protesting a National Front march through the predominantly British Indian Southall area.
The Ruts, in their attitude, politics and music were truly representative of the best Punk had to offer. Sadly we were never to discover how they would develop as Malcom Owen, their charismatic front man, died of a heroin overdose on 14th July 1980, aged 26.
babylon
The Ruts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're burning the street
You're burning your houses
With anxiety
With anxiety
Babylon's burning
Babylon's burning with anxiety
Babylon's burning
Babylon's burning
You're burning the street
You're burning the ghetto
With anxiety
With anxiety
Babylon's burning
Babylon's burning with anxiety
Babylon's burning
Babylon's burning
Babylon's burning, baby can't you see?
Babylon is burning with anxiety
You'll burn at your work
You'll burn at your play
It's positively smoldering
With ignorance and hate
And with anxiety
Babylon's burning
Babylon's burning with anxiety
Babylon's burning
Babylon's burning
Babylon's burning, baby
Can't you see?
Babylon is burning with anxiety
Babylon's burning, babylon's burning
Babylon is burning
Babylon's burning, babylon's burning
Babylon's burning
The Ruts’s song “Babylon’s Burning” speaks to the disaffection of England's youth during the late 1970s. The lyrics describe the burning of various aspects of society including the streets, houses, and ghettos. This is a metaphor for the general societal unrest that was taking place at the time. The chorus, “Babylon’s burning with anxiety,” further emphasizes the idea that this sense of discontent was deeply entrenched within the psyche of England’s youth. The second verse of the song describes the burning of “work” and “play” with “ignorance” and “hate.” This line speaks to the youth’s frustration with the lack of opportunity in England's socio-economic landscape. This sense of disillusionment is reinforced with the line, “You’ll burn at your work, you’ll burn at your play,” implying that there is no escape from the burning society around them.
Additionally, the repeated use of the phrase “Babylon’s burning” in the chorus seems to be an allusion to the biblical story of the fall of Babylon, which was a city that represented the pinnacle of human arrogance, materialism, and corruption. The lyrics suggest that England, at the time, was similar to Babylon in its level of decadence and decay. The song could be interpreted as a warning that unless this societal decay is addressed, England could suffer the same fate as Babylon.
Line by Line Meaning
Babylon's burning
The city of Babylon is being destroyed by intense fires
You're burning the street
The people are setting fire to the roads
You're burning your houses
The people are burning their own homes
With anxiety
The people are acting with intense nervousness and fear
Babylon's burning with anxiety
The destruction of Babylon is causing the people to feel even more anxious
You're burning the ghetto
The people are setting fire to the poorer areas of the city
Babylon's burning, baby can't you see?
The singer is asking if the listener can see the destruction and chaos around them
You'll burn at your work
The people are so consumed with anxiety that they may even burn themselves in their own workplaces
You'll burn at your play
The people are so consumed with anxiety that they may even burn themselves during their leisure time
It's positively smoldering
The situation is getting worse and worse
With ignorance and hate
The people are acting out of a lack of knowledge and with intense feelings of animosity towards others
Babylon's burning, baby
The artist is once again commenting on the destruction and chaos around them
Babylon is burning with anxiety
The anxiety of people is fuelling the destruction of the city
Babylon's burning, babylon's burning
Repeated chorus reminding us of the city's destruction
Babylon's burning
Reiterated statement of the city's destruction
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DAVE RUFFY, JOHN VINCENT JENNINGS, MALCOLM OWEN, PAUL RICHARD FOX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@allstarbass7656
Still a tune today ,,,ageless ,reflects an era where songs had a passion and belief ,not like the manufactured shit we have today ,,long live true music
@thetid8852
One of the greatest singles of all time. Still sends shivers...
@mrlucky777
how fitting this song is for today.
@whitehonkybetrayed2821
Yip SJWs demanding more control over others creating division,exactly how the establishment likes it,useful idiots
@leggythe4th399
Tune 💯
@dissociatedfucker5685
@@whitehonkybetrayed2821 ok boomer
@dissociatedfucker5685
@@whitehonkybetrayed2821 its not "SJW's" its just "liberal", nazis use the term "SJW" for anyone who wants social progression .
@juliegeneric4872
Str8 up
@Anrheiner111
I remember as a teen a friend had the 7" - and we were blown away. It was so cruel, a smack in the face. We didn't understand a word, young german teens , but we just were flipping out. Ruts and this song have always been a mystery to me, until I understood the words .... . this is pure energy, it's the big city underground punk alarm song. genius.
@dj-um7el
The alarm is cool!