The group was formed by songwriter/keyboardist Jerry Dammers, with Terry Hall (vocals), Lynval Golding (guitar, vocals) and a rhythm section featuring Horace Panter (bass) and John Bradbury (drums; born 16 February 1953, died 28 December 2015). The band wore mod-style 1960s period "rude boy" outfits (pork pie hats, mohair suits, and loafers). In 1980, their song "Too Much Too Young", the lead track on their The Special AKA Live! EP, reached number one in the UK. In 1981, the unemployment-themed single "Ghost Town" also hit number one in the UK Singles Chart. After seven consecutive UK Top 10 singles between 1979 and 1981, the band broke up in 1984. A version of the band reformed from 1994-2001. In 2008, the band reformed again and, in2009, embarked on a 30th anniversary tour. In 2010, they toured America and Europe. In 2011 they again touring the UK.
In 1979, their debut LP hit the shelves and quickly soared into the UK Top Five. The album was produced by Elvis Costello and was released under founding member, Jerry Dammer's record label 2 Tone Records.
Following the success of their debut album, Specials, their second and final album, More Specials was released. This expanded the group's 2 tone sound to include lounge music and other influences.
After two albums and a string of very successful singles the band called it quits in 1984. The bands members moved onto their other musical projects. In 1994 they toured with the original line-up without Terry Hall and Jerry Dammers. Roddy sang Terry's parts. The line-up changed in 1996. The band split again in 2001.
In 2008, The Specials officially announced that they would reform and embark on a 30th Anniversary Tour in 2009. The founding member, Jerry Dammers was not part of the reformed Specials and relationships between him and the rest of the band have remained sore, particularly on Dammers' side of things.
In January 2013, the Specials announced the departure of Neville Staple. In February 2014 it was revealed that another original member, Roddy Radiation, had left the reformed group. In spite of this, the Specials played an extensive tour in the autumn of 2014 with Steve Cradock as lead guitarist.
On 19th December 2022 it was announced that Terry Hall had passed away after a short illness. He was 63.
www.thespecials.com
It's You
The Specials Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When guests drop in on you?
We won't go away
'Cause we've come out to stay
Stand there like parked cars if you want to
We can't force you to enjoy this music
Take it or leave it we'll carry on regardless
It's up to you (up to you)
It's up to you (up to you)
It's up to you (up to you)
It's up to you (up to you)
Looks like a case of the blind leading the deaf to me
You must be bored out of your pants
Take it or leave it we'll carry on regardless
If you don't like it you don't have to dance
It's up to you (up to you) black
It's up to you (up to you) white
It's up to you (up to you) unite
It's up to you (up to you) or fight
In London town you can hear the youth, them say "take warning"
It's up to you, what you really want to do
For you were standing on the corner giving trouble
When the policeman come, he say you have to move on the double
Yeah
So, steppin' up the street with my little rude girl
With her 'stay-pressed' to her ankles
It's up to her what she really wants to do
It's up to you, you and strictly you and you
What you gonna do
When morons come for you?
And they won't go away
They want the whole world painted grey
It's up to you (up to you)
It's up to you (up to you)
It's up to you (up to you)
It's up to you (up to you)
It's up to you (up to you)
It's up to you (up to you)
It's up to you (up to you)
It's up to you (up to you)
It's up to you (up to you)
The lyrics to The Specials' song "It's Up to You" convey a strong sentiment of defiance towards those who would dismiss or reject their music. The song opens with a challenge posed to the listener: "What you gonna do when guests drop in on you?" This line sets the stage for the rest of the song, as the band declares that they will not be silenced or ignored. They invite their audience to "take it or leave it" and declare that they will "carry on regardless" of whether or not they are well-received.
The second verse continues in this vein, as the band asserts that they will not be deterred by "the blind leading the deaf" or "the morons" who seek to silence them. They call upon their listeners to unite or fight against those who would suppress them.
The third verse takes a more specific political stance, referring to the youth of London speaking out and warning others to take heed. The song concludes with the declaration that the ultimate decision lies with each individual listener - "It's up to her what she really wants to do. It's up to you, you and strictly you and you."
Overall, the lyrics of "It's Up to You" paint a picture of a band who refuses to be silenced and who urges their listeners to exercise their own agency in the face of opposition. The song is a powerful statement of self-determination and resilience.
Line by Line Meaning
What you gonna do
Asking the listener what they will do in a particular situation
When guests drop in on you?
When someone unexpected visits you
We won't go away
The band is not leaving anytime soon
'Cause we've come out to stay
They are here for the long haul
Stand there like parked cars if you want to
The listener can choose to do nothing or not participate
We can't force you to enjoy this music
The band can't make the listener like their music
Take it or leave it we'll carry on regardless
The band will continue regardless of the listener's choice
If you don't like it you don't have to use it
The listener has the choice to not partake in the music
It's up to you (up to you)
The decision is up to the listener
Looks like a case of the blind leading the deaf to me
A situation where someone is in charge but not doing what they should do
You must be bored out of your pants
The listener must be bored and uninterested in the music
It's up to you, what you really want to do
The listener has the full choice to decide what they want to do
For you were standing on the corner giving trouble
The listener was causing a disturbance
When the policeman come, he say you have to move on the double
The police told the listener to leave quickly
So, steppin' up the street with my little rude girl
Moving up the street with a girl who is confident and unapologetic
With her 'stay-pressed' to her ankles
Her pants are tight and fitted
It's up to her what she really wants to do
The girl has the choice to decide what she wants to do
It's up to you, you and strictly you and you
The decision is solely up to the individual listener
When morons come for you?
When fools come to bother the listener
And they won't go away
They won't leave the listener alone
They want the whole world painted grey
They want to make everything dull and boring
It's up to you (up to you)
The decision on how to react is up to the listener
It's up to you (up to you)
The responsibility of deciding what to do is solely on the listener
It's up to you (up to you)
The listener has the choice to make the decision
It's up to you (up to you)
The decision is solely dependent on the listener
It's up to you (up to you)
The listener must decide what they want to do
It's up to you (up to you)
The final decision is up to the listener
It's up to you (up to you)
The listener has control of the situation
It's up to you (up to you)
The listener has the freedom to choose their action
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jerry Dammers, John Bradbury, Lynval Golding, Neville Staples, Roderick Byers, Stephen Panter, Terry Hall
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Adrianologija
Going around causing disturbances
Don't you know you'll never win
You've got your family running around
Trying to stop you from going down
It's you, that I'm talking to
It's you, that I'm talking to
Have you heard the latest news?
About the boy who was shot and abused
The funny thing is, that's not all
It was your name that was called
It's you, that I'm talking to
It's you, that I'm talking to
Now you're accused of being a gunman
Take your punishment, it's the law of the land
Now let this be a lesson to you
Rudy, I'm talking to you
It's you, that I'm talking to
It's you, that I'm talking to
It's you, that I'm talking to
It's you, that I'm talking to
You're going around causing disturbances
Now didn't you know you could never win
You had your family, they were running around
Trying to stop you from going down
It's you, that I'm talking to
It's you, that I'm talking to
@amarnaitaissa5290
The Best tune of this LP. A real Specials song ⬛⬜⬛⬜
@hansvanstaveren6952
Good music
@andramariakristina5507
yes..it's you!! 🤩■□■□■□■□👍❤️
@gioskad
The ska song
@andreaghe85
Solero
@kikiasv8582
i added to my spotify
@Adrianologija
Going around causing disturbances
Don't you know you'll never win
You've got your family running around
Trying to stop you from going down
It's you, that I'm talking to
It's you, that I'm talking to
Have you heard the latest news?
About the boy who was shot and abused
The funny thing is, that's not all
It was your name that was called
It's you, that I'm talking to
It's you, that I'm talking to
Now you're accused of being a gunman
Take your punishment, it's the law of the land
Now let this be a lesson to you
Rudy, I'm talking to you
It's you, that I'm talking to
It's you, that I'm talking to
It's you, that I'm talking to
It's you, that I'm talking to
You're going around causing disturbances
Now didn't you know you could never win
You had your family, they were running around
Trying to stop you from going down
It's you, that I'm talking to
It's you, that I'm talking to
@vegetasolo1221
The Theory of Flight
:)
@GetYourHandsOffMe
the intro reminds me of a 'Gillette' shaving product advertisement.
@johnnyb8825
Ska music often pops up in adverts!