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Rating:
Tough times for Stiff Little Fingers on DeBaser: only one review dating back to March 18, 2004 (and thank goodness there's Jeremy), visited 2727 times and commented on 23 times; 5 definitions (one also mine, one also mine); appearance in 7 charts (one also mine, one also mine); and that's it. The desolation is enough to make you cry.
And luckily they are the authors of that "Inflammable Material" which I simply regard as the greatest punk album ever conceived.
But a real punk never cries, rolls up their sleeves and gets to work. This is a job for Superpinhead, so I take on the arduous task, put on the superhero tights ... and tackle "Nobody's Heroes".
Second album by SLF, following "Inflammable Material" by a year, and this misfortune has pursued it since 1980 and will continue to do so until the end of time: because how can you live up to such a predecessor? Maybe, to console oneself, you can think of those who had it worse, for example that poor chap "Give'em Enough Rope" squeezed between "The Clash" and "London Calling." So I play the fool and, in this review, for me "Inflammable Material" doesn't exist.
So, where was I?
Ah yes, "Nobody's Heroes," the brilliant debut album by Stiff Little Fingers, the one that looks like a barcode. Five stars, no question.
And for those with time to spare, I’d just like to remind you that this album is a joyous parade of classics.
The first five tracks, to say the least. What can you say to “Gotta Getaway”, “Wait And See”, “Fly The Flag”, “At The Edge” and “Nobody's Hero”? Simply perfect tracks in a punk perspective: three chords, tight rhythms, fast and sharp, a rough and ungraceful voice, but also a singable melody that fits well, some reggae and dub inserts.
Easy, right? So easy that a track like this appears once every five years. Well, this album has five of them all together, one after the other. And it doesn’t stop there.
Because on side B, after the instrumental “Bloody Dub”, it kicks off again with “Doesn't Make It All Right”, freshly taken from the Specials’ repertoire, perfect union between punk and reggae as we haven't heard since the beginnings of the Clash and Ruts (or “Johnny Was”, if there were any random "Inflammable Material"), and wraps up with the momentum of “Tin Soldiers”; in the middle, “I Don't Like You” and “No Change”, two excellent tracks but not milestones, so I won't link them, if you want, put in a little effort to find them online.
To sum up: 10 tracks in total, of which 7 immediately become classics of the SLF repertoire and of punk in general, and the best thing would be to listen to them again on the shortly subsequent "Live Hanx!".
It's more than enough for me to state that "Nobody's Heroes" is an absolute masterpiece. Even if it comes after "Inflammable Material"; and maximum respect for the Stiff Little Fingers for not flattening out on that cliché.
For those who don't think so, too bad for them!
Mission accomplished. And now off, faster than a Ramones concert towards other reviewing adventures ...
Tracklist and Lyrics
02 Wait and See (04:26)
When we started we thought we were great
Tho' nobody else agreed
Just you and I wasting our time
Playing and singing out of key
And they said we played too loud
Cos we didn't play for their crowd
We just told them 'Wait and see'
We had no money but still we went on
Trying to get some gear
A smashed up cymbal and an old snare drum
Our financial state was clear
And they said we should give up
They said we didn't have a hope
And we still told them 'Wait and see'
We worked harder got better in every way
Got some other friends involved
Pretty soon we found we knew how to play
We'd got all our problems solved
But I swear to this day
I could see you drifting away
But I told myself 'Wait and see'
Then came the day you said goodbye
We tried to smile but had to cry
You knew that you'd be missed
And we wished you all the best
But still we wished you would stay
Till then you were a part of everything
And everything that might have been
And now that everything has turned into what is
If you'd have waited you'd have seen
But you gave yourself the sack
Now there's no turning back
Now all your future's 'Wait and see'
You're not good enough, You're not good enough
You're not good enough to be a dance band
They told us
But we're not giving up, We're not giving up
we're not giving up
We'll show them
03 Fly the Flag (03:45)
Gimme a country that's red white and blue
Gimme the British way honest and true
Gimme the chance to be one of the few
Gimme gimme gimme gimme gimme
Gimme a nation where people are free
Free to do and free to be
Free to screw you before you screw me
Gimme gimme gimme gimme gimme
(Chorus:)
Cos, I'm all right, I'm all right
Union Jack, fly the flag
Gimme a Britain that's got back the Great
a race of winners not cramped by the State
And only the helpless get left at the gate
Gimme gimme gimme gimme gimme
(Chorus)
04 At the Edge (02:57)
Back when I was younger they were talking at me
Never listened to a word I said
Always yap yap yapping and complaining at me
Made me think I'd be better of dead
I don't want to talk about it
I don't want to hear no lip
Take your share don't shout about it
That's your lot remember you're a kid
They would always teach me that to swear was a sin
Always speak your mind but not aloud
Think of something that you want to do with your life
Nothing that you like that's not allowed
I've no time to talk about it
All your stupid hopes and dreams
Get your feet back on the ground son
It's exams that count not football teams
(Chorus:)
And I'm running at the edge of their world
They're criticising something they just can't understand
Living on the edge of their town
And I won't be shot down
Taught me to defend myself and to be a man
How to kick someone and run away
Gave me everything that any young man could need
But don't understand why I won't stay
Here's your room and here's your records
Here's your home and here you'll stay
Here's somewhere I don't believe in
Wish someone would take it all away
(Chorus)
05 Nobody's Hero (04:09)
I think it's time we talked this over
I think you've taken this too far
I never wanted to be different
Didn't ask to be nobody's star
Try and take control of it
Cos what you see is what you get
Try and take control of it
And not me
You say there's talk of revolution - so what's new?
You say there's fighting in the air
You think that I've got the solutions
But do you really think that's fair?
Try and take control of it
Cos what you see is what you get
Try and take control of it
And not me
Don't wanna be nobody's hero
Don't wanna be nobody's star
Don't wanna be nobody's hero
Get up get out be what you are
You think it's time you took me over
To do what you can't do yourself
But don't let heroes get your kicks for you
It's up to you and no-one else
Try and take control of it
Cos what you see is what you get
Try and take control of it
And you'll see
Don't wanna be nobody's hero
Don't wanna be nobody's star
Don't wanna be nobody's hero
Get up get out be what you are
You think you're nobody
And I get all the fun
But no-one is a nobody
Everyone is someone
Don't wanna be nobody's hero
Don't wanna be nobody's star
Don't wanna be nobody's hero
Get up get out be what you are
Be what you are...
07 Doesn't Make It Alright (05:48)
Just because you're nobody
It doesn't mean that you're no good
Just because there's a reason
It doesn't mean it's understood
(Chorus:)
It doesn't make it alright
It doesn't make it alright
It's the worst excuse in the world
And it doesn't make it alright
Some people think they're really clever
To smash your head against a wall
Then they say 'You got it my way'
They really think they know it all
Chorus
Just because you're a black boy
Just because you're a white
Doesn't mean you've got to hate him
Doesn't mean you've got to fight
Chorus
It doesn't make it all
It doesn't make it all
It doesn't make it all right
10 Tin Soldiers (04:47)
He joined up to get a job
And show he wasn't scared
Swapped boy scout hat for army cap
He thought he'd be prepared
At the age of 17 he was forced to choose
Now at the age of 21 he's in Catch 22
He joined up for just three years
It seemed a small amount
But they didn't tell him
That the first two didn't count
At the age of 17 how was he to know
That at the age of 21 he'd still have one to go?
[Chorus:]
Tin soldier
He signed away his name
Tin soldier
No chance for cash or fame
Tin soldier
Now he knows the truth
Tin soldier
He signed away his youth
He joined up cos Dad knew best
To do right by his son
Now he hates and counts the dates
That mark time on square one
At the age of 17 he did as he was told
Now at the age of 21 tin still won't turn to gold
[Chorus]
If at the age of 17 you fall in line too soon
At the age of 21 you'll still march to their tune
Tin soldiers
You sign away your name
No chance for cash or fame
Now you know the truth
You signed away your youth
You go and join the queue
Do what they want you to
They take away your name
They treat you all the same
Sign away your life
11 Bloody Sunday (03:24)
Take a look around you all is dead
A good look around makes me see red
What have they done to us
Taken all the fun from us
We might as well stay all day in bed
Of course we're right
you know we're right
it's worse than Monday
yes of course we're right
and you know we're right
there's nothing to do on Bloody Sunday
They say the day of rest
ought to be Sunday best
but they do what they can
to make it Sunday worst
the week is weak enough
without a non day
12 Straw Dogs (03:30)
(Fingers/Ogilvie)
All things are relative with cousins everywhere
Hard-nosed blue-eyed boys, intelligent and fair
You gotta pitch in for your kith and kin
Holding the line to save our skin
Pound for pound we'll take the shilling
It takes a man to make a killing
Action men must sterling be
Fight for freedom but not for free
(Chorus:)
Bark and bite, might is right
We're the dogs of war
Bark and bite, might is right
If the price is right....Dogs of straw
So let's go far to the new frontier
It's in the blood defending near and dear
Action men must sterling be
Fight for freedom but not for free
(Chorus)
A man must do what he must do
To prove what life is all about
Admit you must admire our guts
If only cos they're hanging out
(Chorus)
Dogs of straw, bark and bite
Dogs of straw, might is right
Dogs of straw, stab and hate
Dogs of straw, split and rape
Dogs of straw, gouge and blind
Dogs of straw, crunch and grind
Dogs of straw, mash and maim
Dogs of straw, cash and fame
Dogs of straw, cut and kill
Dogs of straw, guts for sale
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