Chumbawamba

Our Glorious Leader
Declares by decree:
'The music of the Glorious State from this time on will be
Square-jawed and dreary
For the good of us all.'
Hammer, stirrup and anvil under state control

My name is Dimitri
Man of some renown
In this symphony of spies I keep my ear to the ground
Stave, crochet and quaver
Under the editor's scrawl
Hammer, stirrup and anvil under state control

An operetta for our leader
A quartet for the drawer
He gets the rank cantatas
And I keep the score
A libretto for the death camps
Some day you'll hear them all
Hammer, stirrup and anvil under state control
Hammer, stirrup and anvil under state control

Anarcho-pop band from Leeds.

Originally formed in the early 1980s as Chimp Eats Banana, Chumbawamba first emerged in the anarchopunk scene which was dominated by bands such a pacifist punks Crass. As Chumbawamba increasingly differed from their peers in outlook and tactics, they began to adopt a new musical style which incorporated elements of folk music, indie rock and hip-hop.

After drifting between labels, their change in direction culminated in signing a record deal with major label EMI, a choice which sparked outrage amongst their former comrades, outrage that culminated in a “Fuck Chumbawamba” compilation. By chance, Chumbawamba’s new work with EMI resulted in an internationally best-selling single, “Tubthumping”, and a sudden rise to fame.

more tracks from the album

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From the album

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Chumbawamba popular songs

Hammer, Stirrup & AnvilChumbawamba

Chumbawamba

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