X-Ray Spex's other distinctive musical element was Poly Styrene's voice, which has been variously described as "effervescently discordant" and "powerful enough to drill holes through sheet metal". As Mari Elliot, Poly had released a reggae single for GTO Records in 1976, "Silly Billy", which had not charted. Born in 1957 in Brixton, London, of Somali-English parentage, Poly Styrene became the group's public face, and remains one of the most memorable front-women to emerge from the punk movement. Poly Sytrene also became one of the first high-profile black people in punk rock. She wore braces on her teeth and once stated that "If anybody tried to make me a sex symbol I would shave my head tomorrow".
X-Ray Spex existed from mid-1976 to 1979, during which time they released five singles - "Oh Bondage, Up Yours", "Identity", "The Day the World Turned Day-Glo", "Germ Free Adolescents", and "Highly Inflammable" - and one album, Germ Free Adolescents. The album and title single reached 30 and 19 in their respective charts, although "Oh Bondage, Up Yours" is regarded as their most enduring artifact, both as a piece of music and as a phrase. The song was not originally on the album, although later CD releases added it as the final track. The group did play a fortnight's residency at New York's CBGB's even though Germ Free Adolescents was not released in America until 1992. Exhausted by touring, Poly Styrene left the band in 1979 to release a solo album, Translucence, before joining the Hare Krishna movement (as did Lora Logic, in a coincidental move, who left the band aged 16 in 1977 to form a new group called Essential Logic).
Without Styrene, the group lost its momentum and split up. Hurding and London went on to form Classix Nouveaux, while Paul Dean retired from musical activities.
In 1991 re-grouped X-Ray Spex played a surprise sell-out gig at the Brixton Academy. Uniquely, this version of the group did not include Poly Styrene, and according to an interview with Lora Logic: "...that was a mistake. They put that together with another singer and I played with them for a tour but you can't really have it without Poly."
The group reformed more successfully in 1995 with a line-up of Styrene, Dean and Logic to release a new album Conscious Consumer. Although heralded as the first in a trilogy, the album was not a commercial success. Styrene later explained that touring and promotional work suffered an abrupt end when she was run over by a fire engine in central London. The group disbanded, but subsequent releases include a compilation of the group's early records, a live album, and an anthology of all the aforementioned.
Jak Airport later worked for the BBC's Corporate and Public Relations department under his real name, Jack Stafford; he died in August 2004.
Discography
Singles
"Oh Bondage, Up Yours", 1977
"The Day The World Turned Day-Glo", 1978 #23 UK
"Identity", 1978 #24 UK
"Germ Free Adolescents", 1978 #19 UK
"Highly Inflammable", 1979 #45 UK
Albums
Germ Free Adolescents, 1978
Conscious Consumer, 1995
Poly Styrene later went on to reform X-Ray Spex with a 30 year anniversary sell-out gig at The Roundhouse, Camden, London September 6th 2008 with original bass player Paul Dean, Jak Airport sadly no longer with us was replaced by Saxby guitarist for Arnold, saxophone was provided by Flash formerly of Rip Rig & Panic and finally drummer Sid (Sidation) Truelove from Rubella Ballet and Flux of Pink Indians, hand picked by Poly for his authentic resemblance to B.P. Hurdings original punk style completing the line up for one of the most long awaited gigs of the last three decades. This performance will be available to buy on DVD and live album in November 2009 on Future Noise Music, for more info go to www.futurenoisemusic.com
Polystyrene sadly lost her battle with cancer and passed away 26/04/11
www.x-rayspex.com// http://www.myspace.com/xrayspexrealofficialpage
X-ray Spex
Oh Bondage Up Yours!
X-Ray Spex Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I think "oh bondage, up yours!"
One-two-three-four!
Bind me, tie me, chain me to the wall
I wanna be a slave to you all
Oh bondage, up yours
Oh bondage, up yours
Oh bondage, no more
Chain-store chainsmoke, I consume you all
Chain-gang chainmail, I don't think at all
Oh bondage, up yours
Oh bondage, no more
Oh bondage, up yours
Oh bondage, no more
Thrash, me crush me, beat me till I fall
I wanna be a victim for you all
Oh bondage, up yours
Oh bondage, no more
Oh bondage, up yours
Oh bondage, no more
Bind me, tie me, chain me to the wall
I wanna be a slave to you all
Oh bondage, up yours
Oh bondage, no more
Oh bondage, up yours
Oh bondage, no more
Bind me, tie me, chain me to the wall
I wanna be a slave to you all
Oh bondage, up yours
Oh bondage, no more
Oh bondage, up yours
Oh bondage, no more
Oh bondage, up yours
Oh bondage, no more!
At a surface level, "Oh Bondage Up Yours!" by X-Ray Spex seems to be a punk anthem about breaking free from societal norms and restrictions. The opening lines, "Some people think little girls should be seen and not heard, but I think 'oh bondage, up yours!'" reject the notion that women should be passive and voiceless. The rest of the song expands on this theme, proclaiming a desire to be bound and constrained as a way of taking back control and defying expectations. The repetition of the phrase "oh bondage, no more" reinforces the idea that the singer is rejecting outside constraints and taking power for themselves.
However, the song can also be seen as a critique of punk culture itself. While punk rock was often seen as a rebellious and political movement, it was also heavily male-dominated and prone to fetishizing restriction and violence. By using these themes in a song sung by a woman, X-Ray Spex may have been calling attention to the ways in which punk culture was failing to live up to its own purported values.
Line by Line Meaning
Some people think little girls should be seen and not heard
Some people believe that young girls should remain quiet and out of sight.
But I think "oh bondage, up yours!"
I disagree and want to express myself freely and break free from societal norms.
One-two-three-four!
Let's begin this anthem with a count-off.
Bind me, tie me, chain me to the wall
I desire to be bound to show my complete submission to you.
I wanna be a slave to you all
I willingly offer myself to be dominated by everyone.
Oh bondage, up yours
I am celebrating the freedom that comes along with being held down.
Oh bondage, no more
At last, I have broken the chains and shackles that once held me.
Chain-store chainsmoke, I consume you all
I indulge in habits that are often associated with consumerism to rebel against it.
Chain-gang chainmail, I don't think at all
I am giving up my autonomy to be one with the crowd.
Thrash me, crush me, beat me till I fall
I derive pleasure from pain inflicted by others.
I wanna be a victim for you all
I am willing to play the role of the oppressed to satisfy my desires.
Oh bondage, up yours
I am once again celebrating the liberation that comes with submission.
Oh bondage, no more
I am free from the constraints that used to hold me down.
Bind me, tie me, chain me to the wall
My desire to be dominated persists even as I am free from bondage.
I wanna be a slave to you all
I am still eager to submit to everyone around me.
Oh bondage, up yours
I am still celebrating my newfound freedom even as I choose to submit.
Oh bondage, no more!
My final rebellion against society's expectations is complete, and I am now free to choose my own path.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MARIAN ELLIOTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@zzzaaayyynnn
Some people think little girls should be seen and not heard
But I think "oh bondage, up yours!"
One-two-three-four!
Bind me, tie me, chain me to the wall
I wanna be a slave to you all
Oh bondage, up yours
Oh bondage, no more
Oh bondage, up yours
Oh bondage, no more
Chain-store chainsmoke, I consume you all
Chain-gang chainmail, I don't think at all
Oh bondage, up yours
Oh bondage, no more
Oh bondage, up yours
Oh bondage, no more
Thrash, me crush me, beat me till I fall
I wanna be a victim for you all
Oh bondage, up yours
Oh bondage, no more
Oh bondage, up yours
Oh bondage, no more
Bind me, tie me, chain me to the wall
I wanna be a slave to you all
Oh bondage, up yours
Oh bondage, no more
Oh bondage, up yours
Oh bondage, no more
Bind me, tie me, chain me to the wall
I wanna be a slave to you all
Oh bondage, up yours
Oh bondage, no more
Oh bondage, up yours
Oh bondage, no more
Oh bondage, up yours
Oh bondage, no more!
Songwriters: Marian Elliott
Oh Bondage Up Yours! lyrics © T.R.O. Inc.
@knightstemplar6158
When this single was released we were all belting it out at school - she was the queen of punk but ask anybody under 45 and they wouldn't have a clue who she was. Deserves to be remembered.
@natalieparker9710
i'm 16. Just wanted to let you know that there are some young people who know about her. One of the good things about the internet is that people can find out about things that they otherwise would've never gotten the privilege of knowing about.
@birdbird8364
Knights Templar I'm 14 and germ free adolescent is one of my favourite songs.
@holliisixx
Same, I'm half that age, this song blew my mind when I first heard it. The ULTIMATE righteous feminist anthem, without the petty "sjw" baggage
@gaebren9021
That is great, three youngen's in the crowd who know this band. There is another band called Bikini Kill if you want to check them out.
@Linmints
I'm 15 and I also know about this lol
@joeyjojojuniorshabadoo6990
And with this song, feminism had reached punk rock, and girls and young women everywhere (my mother included) were rising and going strong. Go Poly you legend!!!
@exeuroweenie
@Nigel 61 She had a lot of other great qualities as well.
@warrenweeder3569
punk supercedes feminism, which is rapidly becoming about indoctrination and conformity
@jokergaming420x
When feminism actually had something to fight for and wasn't toxic.