Early success was found with singles such as "Warhead", "I Live in a Car", and "Tomorrow's Girls", with several of their songs managing to enter the United Kingdom's Top Forty. Their biggest selling album came with 1980's Crash Course.
With the arrival of new bassist Alvin Gibbs and drummer Steve Roberts in the early 1980s, the songs took on a heavier sound, faster, better quality. But always the punk views. The band has continued to perform, being one of the last surviving bands of Britain's punk era. They have toured constantly over the years.
Now in 2015, with the addiition of Jet on guitar and Jamie Oliver on drums, UK Subs have just released their 25th studio album 'Yellow Leader' to a crescendo of critical acclaim, bringing the band to the final step in their 40 year old mission - to record and release every official album in alphabetical order from A to Z.
Countdown
UK Subs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are closing in
It′s getting so hot
It's blistering my skin
Fires are burning
Out of control
Some day soon
This place is gonna go
4-3-2-1 - Countdown
More cops on the street
Every day
Somewhere in the distance
The sirens wail
Night time falling
On London again
And everybody′s wondering
Where it's gonna end
4-3-2-1 - Countdown
The clocks are broken
They're burnt in the flame
But you can′t stop the tide
Of an attitude of change
So long have we waited
To be caught in this trap
When the hands start moving
There′ll be no turning back
4-3-2-1 - Countdown
UK Subs's song "Countdown" describes the escalating sense of tension, chaos, and impending doom that dominates the city streets of London. The opening lines paint a vivid picture of the streets of the city literally closing in, as the heat and intensity of the chaos bubble up and threaten to boil over. Fires are burning "out of control," and the place is inevitably "gonna go" at some point soon. The sense of urgency is emphasized by the repeating of the phrase "countdown" throughout the song, indicating that time is running out.
The second verse adds to the sense of apprehension and fear, describing an increase in police presence and the haunting sound of sirens in the distance. Nighttime falls on the city once again, and everyone is left wondering where it will all end. The clocks are broken and burnt, indicating that time has no meaning in this chaos - the only thing that matters is the unstoppable tide of change.
Ultimately, the song suggests that there is no turning back from the situation that has arisen. As the hands start moving, there is no way to stop the countdown. The lyrics suggest a world on the brink of disaster, where change is inevitable and the only thing left to do is to brace for the impact.
Line by Line Meaning
The streets of the city
The urban environment that the band finds themselves in
Are closing in
Becoming more oppressive and overwhelming
It's getting so hot
The tension and danger is escalating
It's blistering my skin
The physical sensations and discomfort of the environment
Fires are burning
Literal fires as well as metaphorical chaos are unfolding
Out of control
The situation has spiraled beyond anyone's ability to manage it
Some day soon
Impending sense of catastrophic change
This place is gonna go
The situation will explode in violent upheaval
4-3-2-1 - Countdown
Repetition of chorus as a warning and countdown to the inevitable
More cops on the street
Law enforcement response is intensifying in reaction to escalating threats
Every day
The situation is rapidly changing and accelerating
Somewhere in the distance
The problems are spreading and becoming more pervasive
The sirens wail
Emergency services are stretched thin and struggling to keep up
Night time falling
Darkness symbolizes the moral and societal decay deeper than just the physical danger
On London again
Specific location of the social upheaval and unrest
And everybody's wondering
There is pervasive anxiety and fear among everyone involved
Where it's gonna end
Sympathy for the hopelessness and uncertainty of the situation
The clocks are broken
The normal way of functioning and keeping track of time has become meaningless
They're burnt in the flame
Symbolizes destruction of the previous order and way of life
But you can't stop the tide
Change is inevitable and unstoppable
Of an attitude of change
In this case, change is not necessarily positive
So long have we waited
A sense of frustration at having been waiting for change for so long
To be caught in this trap
Futility of pursuing the events that led up to the current chaotic situation
When the hands start moving
Repetition of the ticking clock and approaching sense of doom
There'll be no turning back
The impending disaster is inevitable and irreversible
Writer(s): Harper, Gibbs
Contributed by Henry B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.