The band is one of the most culturally diverse dub Ska bands with musicians of English, Scottish, Irish, Yemeni and Jamaican parentage. The band is named from the paper form issued by the UK government's Department of Health and Social Security at the time of the band's formation for claiming unemployment benefit (UB40 = Unemployment Benefit, Form 40).
UB40 were influenced by the many Blues Parties they attended as teenagers in the multiracial Balsall Heath area of Birmingham, their love of ska and reggae inspired such original tracks as King, Madam Medusa, Food for Thought, Signing Off and One in Ten.
Their early music style was unique, with a heavy influence of analogue synthesizers, psychedelic rock guitar, saxophone and dub producer techniques which were later perfected by the late Pablo Falconer.
Ali and Robin Campbell have a musical heritage, being sons of Ian Campbell, a folk musician.
The band purchased its first instruments with compensation money Ali Campbell received after a bar fight. They have had a number of hits, most commercially and to amusement of the band, "Red Red Wine", a cover version of a Neil Diamond song (in an arrangement similar to that of Tony Tribe's version). Their most successful single release is the cover of the Elvis Presley ballad Can't Help Falling In Love which was intended to be the main title to the 1992 Sharon Stone movie Sliver and was a Number One hit across Europe and in the U.S.
Many of UB40's recordings were inspired by 1960s ska and early lovers rock songs that would have otherwise been forgotten in the public eye. Their new injection of life into so many old Jamaican hits has resulted in many musicians' and producers' renewed popularity and income.
UB40's early music often tackled social issues such as racism and unemployment.
Other artists that UB40 have collaborated with include: Pato Banton, Madness, Bitty McLean, Chrissie Hynde, Robert Palmer, Hunterz, Japanese artist Mikidozan, French artist Nuttea, Lady Saw and Afrika Bambaataa.
Who
UB40 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
God and glory, do or die
Propaganda, spin and lie
Who are you fighting for?
You do the shooting they do the looting
You do the killing they do the drilling
You do the dying they do the lying
Sell the arms, suppress the truth
Create the fear, invent the proof
Wave the flag don't tell the youth
Who they are fighting for
You do the shooting they do the looting
You do the killing they do the drilling
You do the dying they do the lying
All the way to the bank, you can hear them crying
Weapon dealing, profiteering
Country stealing, ethnic clearing
Asset stripping, oil dripping
Architects of war
You do the shooting they do the looting
You do the killing they do the drilling
You do the dying they do the lying
All the way to the bank, you can hear them crying
The lyrics of UB40's song "Who" shed light on the ugly truth behind wars and conflicts. The song questions the motives of those who call for war and the people who end up fighting those wars. The lyrics start with a reference to "Queen and country, freedom cry, God and glory, do or die," which are the classic reasons given for going to war. However, the song points out that often these reasons are nothing but propaganda, spin, and lies designed to fool people into fighting for reasons they don't fully understand. The song then questions who people are fighting for and asks them to look closer at the true motives of those who promote wars.
The chorus of the song points out the unequal distribution of responsibility and gains in a war. The people who end up fighting end up doing the dying, while the people who profit from the war do the lying and are heard crying all the way to the bank. The song points out how arms sales and propaganda are used to justify wars while the truth is suppressed to create fear.
The second verse of the song highlights the collateral damage of war. The song mentions how wars lead to country stealing, ethnic clearing, and asset stripping. The lyrics point out how the architects of the war, the ones who promote and profit from it, are not the ones dying and suffering the consequences. Instead, it's the people who don't fully understand the motives behind the war who end up being the pawns.
Overall, the song "Who" by UB40 is a powerful critique of war and the people who promote it. It questions the motives behind wars, the propaganda that's used to promote them, and the inequality in responsibility and gains. It asks people to look closer at who they're fighting for and to question those who promote wars.
Line by Line Meaning
Queen and country, freedom cry
People are told to fight for queen, country, and freedom, but it's propaganda to manipulate them into fighting.
God and glory, do or die
People are told to fight for god, glory, and to risk their lives, but it's just propaganda to manipulate them into fighting.
Propaganda, spin and lie
The government and media use propaganda and lies to manipulate people into fighting.
Who are you fighting for?
People need to question who they are really fighting for and why they are risking their lives.
You do the shooting they do the looting
The people who fight are risking their lives while the people in power profit from war and take resources from the countries they conquer.
You do the killing they do the drilling
People in power use war to gain control of resources, while people fighting the war end up taking lives for them.
You do the dying they do the lying
The people in power lie about the reasons for war and send others to risk their lives for their gain.
All the way to the bank, you can hear them crying
The people in power cry all the way to the bank as they profit from war, while the people fighting the war suffer and die.
Sell the arms, suppress the truth
People in power sell weapons to other countries and suppress the truth about their actions to keep their power.
Create the fear, invent the proof
People in power create fear to manipulate the public and invent proof to justify their actions.
Wave the flag don't tell the youth
People in power wave the flag to manipulate people and hide the truth from young people to maintain their power.
Weapon dealing, profiteering
People in power deal weapons and make a profit from war.
Country stealing, ethnic clearing
People in power take control of other countries and clear out certain ethnic groups to maintain their power.
Asset stripping, oil dripping
People in power take resources and assets from other countries and the oil flows to them.
Architects of war
People in power plan and profit from war, rather than fighting in it themselves.
Contributed by Olivia M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Luiz Rogerio Cordeiro de Oliveira
Que som magnífico!
Mr T
This whole album was one of the first albums I listened to when I was a kid because of dad and uncles. What a childhood 🥹
Glogen Universal
Lyrics so relevant and great tune, UB40 great band ! Astro & Brian RIP 😢
Damien Hinge
RIP Astro💔😥...The sound never gets old👊😃😃
Vincent Kerr
This is the real UB40. YOU WILL NEVER SEE 👀 AGAIN IN YOUR LIFE.
W Bertie
:(
Sonic32k
Man this is amazing thanks for sharing
we need saving
I was born in Birmingham, England. I've been following these guys since 78
Sad ending to a powerhouse of a band
Richard Dinning
Rip 🙏 astro. My thoughts go out to his family and fans . and band members x.
TheRaphwolf
TO UB40 , PLEASE GUYS , THE WORLDS MISSES UB40, THE REAL UB40 , PLEASE JUST 3 MORE WORLD TOURS , FORGET WHATS GONE WRONG BETWEEN , WE DON'T KNOW AND WE DON'T WANT TO KNOW , WE JUST WANT A ' LABOUR OF LOVE, WHO YOU FIGHTING FOR' GRAND TOUR , PLEASSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE