Original personnel were singer/guitarist Hugh Cornwell (from Kentish Town, London), keyboardist/guitarist Hans Wärmling (from Sweden, replaced within two years by Brighton-born keyboardist Dave Greenfield), London-born bass guitarist Jean-Jacques Burnel and drummer Jet Black (real name Brian Duffy), a native of Ilford, Essex.
They began as a sinister sounding, hard-edged pub rock group, but eventually branched out to explore other styles of music. The Stranglers were, beginning in 1976, tangentially associated with punk rock, due in part to their opening for The Ramones' first British tour. The Stranglers were also associated with new wave music as well as gothic rock, but their idiosyncratic approach never fit completely within a musical genre.
In August 1990, founding member Cornwell left the band to pursue a solo career. In his autobiography, Cornwell states that he felt the band was a spent force creatively, and cited various examples of his increasingly acrimonious relationship with his fellow band-members, particularly Burnel. The remaining members recruited two replacements, including John Ellis, who had opened for the band in the 1970s as a member of The Vibrators, and singer Paul Roberts.
Interest in The Stranglers resurfaced when, in 2001, singer Tori Amos covered their song "Strange Little Girl" and titled the album it was featured on Strange Little Girls. "Golden Brown" was also used in the hit film Snatch by film director Guy Ritchie and extensively in the Australian film He Died With A Felafel In His Hand. Their hit "No More Heroes" was covered by Violent Femmes and used for the film Mystery Men. "Peaches", finally, also appears prominently in another British movie, Sexy Beast by director Jonathan Glazer.
The Stranglers had a critical and popular renaissance in 2004 (together with their first top 40 hit for 14 years - "Big Thing Coming") with the acclaimed Norfolk Coast album and a subsequent sell-out tour. The follow-up album, Suite XVI, was released in September 2006 (the title is a pun on "Sweet 16" and also a reference to the fact that it is the band's 16th studio album).
During the recording of Suite XVI Paul Roberts left the band to pursue his solocareer. Guitarist Baz Warne, who replaced John Ellis in 2000, became the main vocalist.
A quite rare Hugh Cornwell audio interview may be listened to on http://www.jasonwrightonline.com/
Grand Canyon
The Stranglers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Looking across the great divide
At the people with the money
But they never look across at me
I see things that you wouldn't believe
The respectable man taking money like a thief
And he don't give a damn
Grand Canyon. Grand Canyon
The space between us gonna break my heart
There's the man who thinks different from me
So he had me thrown in his jail
He talks a lot about freedom
Then he throws away the key
And here's a man with a different coloured skin
You know he's suspicious of me
He thinks I'll steal his wife
He thinks I'll steal his colour t.v
Repeat chorus
There you are on the other side
Walking away from me
I call to you
But you can't hear the word I say
I'm standing on the poor man side
Looking across the great divide
At the people in the world
But they never look across at me
The Stranglers’s song “Grand Canyon” is a commentary on social inequality and its devastating effects on society. The lyrics describe a division between the poor and the wealthy, highlighting the struggles of those who are forced to live on the fringe of society. The singer stands on the “poor man side” and looks across the great divide, watching as the wealthy indulge in their wealth without ever acknowledging the struggles of those less fortunate.
The theme of the song is driven home through vivid descriptions of the everyday injustices faced by people who don’t have access to the same resources as the wealthy. The lyrics highlight the hypocrisy of the “respectable man” who takes money like a thief while ignoring the needs of those around him. The singer also observes the prejudice against people of different skin colors, and the lack of empathy that makes it easy for people to hold onto their biases even when they harm others.
The chorus is the most powerful part of the song, with the repeated line “Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon, the space between us gonna break my heart” highlighting the vast divide between the haves and the have-nots. The song is a powerful commentary on social injustice and the devastating effects it can have on individuals and society as a whole.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been standing on the poor man side
I've been on the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum.
Looking across the great divide
Observing the enormous gap between social classes.
At the people with the money
Referring to the wealthy and affluent individuals.
But they never look across at me
These individuals do not acknowledge or recognize the struggles of the less privileged.
I see things that you wouldn't believe
Having first-hand experience with the injustices and inequalities not visible to elites.
The respectable man taking money like a thief
Reference to the corrupt practices of those in power.
And he don't give a damn
These individuals are indifferent to the issues faced by the downtrodden.
For the mouths he could feed
Showing no regard for the basic human necessities of others.
Grand Canyon. Grand Canyon
Emphasizing the immense and unbridgeable divide between social classes.
The space between us gonna break my heart
The distance between different social classes leads to heartbreak and pain for those on the less privileged side.
There's the man who thinks different from me
Referring to those in power who hold different ideologies from the oppressed.
So he had me thrown in his jail
Using their power to persecute those with dissenting views.
He talks a lot about freedom
The rhetoric of power being used to suppress basic human rights and liberty.
Then he throws away the key
Imposing harsh punishment on those demanding basic rights and freedoms.
And here's a man with a different coloured skin
Addressing issues of racial discrimination and prejudice.
You know he's suspicious of me
The distrust and suspicion minority communities often face due to systemic discrimination.
He thinks I'll steal his wife
Racial stereotypes and prejudices often unjustly ascribed to minorities.
He thinks I'll steal his colour t.v
Continuation of addressing racial prejudices and stereotyping.
There you are on the other side
The other side being the privileged class or elite.
Walking away from me
Reflects the lack of regard and disinterest from the privileged class to the struggles of the underprivileged.
I call to you
The voice of the oppressed, pleading for assistance or recognition from the privileged class.
But you can't hear the word I say
The privileged class is deaf to the cries of the suffering and cannot comprehend the struggles they face.
At the people in the world
Refers to the various struggles of people across the globe who lack basic human rights and freedoms.
But they never look across at me
The pain and struggles of the oppressed go unheard and ignored by those in positions of power.
Contributed by Mila K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.