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/
This Town
The Stranglers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Too many lives have been told
Now's the time to show the world our love
When other love has gone cold
And I don't give a damn
Whatever anyone might say
And it's not gonna one of be
A love that dare not speak its name
I don't want to live a lie anymore
Too many lies have gone down
I've made excuses for myself before
Afraid to make decisions till now
And I don't give a damn
Whatever anyone might say
And its not gonna be
A love that dare not speak its name
Now is the time for something new
Now is the time for something new
Now is the time for me and you
I don't want to hide this love any more
Too many lies have been told
Now's the time to show the world our love
When other love has gone cold
And I don't give a damn
Anymore anyway
And its not gonna be
A love that dare not speak its name
Now is the time for something new
Now is the time for something new
Now is the time for me and you
And if life was like this everywhere
No more wars no greed I wouldn't care
I want all the best for people
I guess I found love for people
Life should be like this for everyone
Then we wouldn't ever have to run
I want all the best for people
I guess I found love for people
And if life was like this everywhere
In this town there'll be no sighing
No more wars no greed I wouldn't care
No more lying no more crying
I want all the best for people
I guess I've found love for people
Life should be like this for everyone
In this town there'll be no sighing
Then we wouldn't ever have to run
No more lying no more crying
The lyrics to The Stranglers' song This Town speak about the desire to no longer hide one's love and to be open about it, regardless of any social or cultural norms. The singer has been living a life of lies and excuses, but now feels it is time to show the world their love, especially when other forms of love seem to have gone cold.
The lyrics are a call for something new, a better and more accepting world where people can love openly and without fear of judgement. The singer expresses a desire for a world without wars or greed, where everyone can have the best for themselves and for others. They find love for people and want life to be like this everywhere, where there is no more sighing or crying, and no more need to run.
Overall, the lyrics of This Town are about love in all its forms, whether romantic or platonic, and a call for a more inclusive and accepting world. The singer wants to be open about their love and hopes that one day, everyone can experience the same type of love and acceptance.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't want to hide this love anymore
The singer no longer wants to keep their love hidden and wants to express it openly.
Too many lives have been told
Too many secrets and lies have already been revealed.
Now's the time to show the world our love
It's time to reveal their love to the world.
When other love has gone cold
When other loves have ended.
And I don't give a damn
The artist doesn't care about what others think anymore.
Whatever anyone might say
Despite what others may say.
And it's not gonna be
Their love will not be something that needs to be kept hidden.
A love that dare not speak its name
A love that is kept hidden because of societal norms.
Too many lies have gone down
There have been too many deceptions and dishonesties in the past.
I've made excuses for myself before
The artist has previously tried to justify their dishonesty.
Afraid to make decisions till now
The singer has been hesitant in the past and is now ready to make a decision.
Anymore anyway
The artist is no longer concerned about what others think.
Now is the time for something new
It's time for a change.
Now is the time for me and you
It's time for the singer and their lover to come out and express their love.
And if life was like this everywhere
If love was accepted and celebrated everywhere.
No more wars no greed I wouldn't care
If there was no more strife, the artist would be happy.
I want all the best for people
The artist desires a better world for everyone.
I guess I found love for people
The singer has found a love for humanity.
Life should be like this for everyone
The singer believes that love and acceptance should be universal.
In this town there'll be no sighing
If love was accepted in this town, there would be no more sadness or despair.
No more lying no more crying
If love was accepted, there would be no more need to lie or feel heartbroken.
Contributed by Ava B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.