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.
Riot
UK Subs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is getting me down
Police and gang wars
All over town
Closing down our clubs
For no good reason
Hassle us on the street
Take away our freedoms
Oh, oh, we want a riot
Oh, oh, so sick and tired
Here come the riot squad
They're closing in
Guns and riot shields
And gas grenades
They see us standing there
All in a line
Black and white unite
Confrontations high
Oh, oh, we want a riot
Oh, oh, we're sick and tired
Oh, oh, leave us alone
They have a justice bill
That's what they say
Now, they have the power now
To put us away
There were four of us
Minding our own
We're a riotous assembly
Walking down the road
Oh, oh, we want a riot
Oh, oh, so sick and tired
Oh, oh, we wanna riot
Oh, oh, leave us alone
The song "Riot" by UK Subs is a commentary on the state of inner city life in the UK during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The lyrics speak to the frustration and hopelessness felt by young people who are constantly confronted by gang violence and police harassment. The opening lines of the song express this frustration with the current state of affairs, where clubs are closing down for no good reason, and young people have their freedoms taken away.
The chorus "Oh, oh, we want a riot, Oh, oh, so sick and tired" expresses the desire to take action against this oppression. The riot squad is mentioned in the second verse, coming forward with guns and riot shields in hand. The image of a diverse group of young people standing together, united, is evoked with the line "black and white unite." The confrontations are high, as they refuse to submit to the power of the riot squad. The plea "Leave us alone" echoes the desire for freedom, space and the right to exist without the constant threat of violence.
The third verse references the government's Justice Bill as a way of further criminalizing peaceful assembly and pressurising the youth culture in a time, where opportunities were scarce. The song as a whole is critical of the police and government forces that perpetrate violence against young people, while at the same time limiting their freedoms and opportunities.
Line by Line Meaning
Inner City life
Living in urban areas is exhausting
Is getting me down
It is making me feel depressed
Police and gang wars
There is a constant conflict between the police and local gangs
All over town
This conflict is happening everywhere in the city
Closing down our clubs
The police are unfairly shutting down our entertainment venues
For no good reason
The police have no legitimate grounds for these shutdowns
Hassle us on the street
The police are regularly stopping and searching us
Take away our freedoms
The police are restricting our rights as citizens
Oh, oh, we want a riot
We are fed up and want to see some radical change
Here come the riot squad
The police are now deploying their specialist force to deal with us
They're closing in
The police are moving closer to our group
Guns and riot shields
The police are carrying weapons and protective gear
And gas grenades
The police have tear gas in case of confrontation
They see us standing there
The police have identified us as a potential threat
All in a line
We are standing up together for our rights
Black and white unite
People of all races are coming together to challenge the authorities
Confrontations high
Tensions are building and violence could erupt at any moment
They have a justice bill
The politicians have introduced a new law
That's what they say
But we don't believe that this bill is really about justice
Now, they have the power now
The authorities have more control over our lives than ever before
To put us away
They can imprison us for standing up for our rights
There were four of us
We were just a small group of people
Minding our own
We were not causing any trouble
We're a riotous assembly
But the authorities see us as a dangerous and subversive group
Walking down the road
Simply going about our day
Oh, oh, leave us alone
We want the authorities to stop harassing and oppressing us
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Benjamin Butler, Charlie Harper
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@agirlhasnoname8488
Inner City life
Is getting me down
Police and gang wars
All over town
Closing down our clubs
For no good reason
Hassle us on the street
Take away our freedoms
Oh, oh, we want a riot
Oh, oh, so sick and tired
Here come the riot squad
They're closing in
Guns and riot shields
And gas grenades
They see us standing there
All in a line
Black and white unite
Confrontations high
Oh, oh, we want a riot
Oh, oh, we're sick and tired
Oh, oh, leave us alone
They have a justice bill
That's what they say
Now, they have the power now
To put us away
There were four of us
Minding our own
We're a riotous assembly
Walking down the road
Oh, oh, we want a riot
Oh, oh, so sick and tired
Oh, oh, we wanna riot
Oh, oh, leave us alone
@cris-vv1pn
Brings back so many good memories I'm 52 now but still love punk
@chiefuno16
Still bumpin the subs in 2020!!!
@stevensecor465
Yes we are
@chrisbade2119
More relevant now aye
@hrdrz
Oy!!!!
@pascalj.6466
I am a school principal and I often listen to these pieces in my office...(With the t-shirt, of course!) Punk is an attitude that matters his job.
@celticjay71
Great cover of my friends' old band Riot Squad from Dallas, TX
@mikemitchell7374
The guitar solo bit has good soul.
@teddypuccini9824
One of the best punk solos ever <3
@steppen3732
1 of the best PUNK bands ever!