Chumbawamba

Heads bowed, eyes down, here comes the enemy
To hail the people's victory! Which people? What victory?
It's the People's Army that murdered the people
They've come to glue the shattered, battered statues in the square
Heads bowed, eyes down, here comes the enemy
With a haircut and a trigger-finger, that could be me!
Tanks tearing a hole in the silence
I've got armor-piercing rockets in my pocket--watch out!
(Chatter)
You must've seen it, the boy in the white shirt

You want a fight? Yeah, you and whose army?
The people is bigger than the People's Army
My dad is bigger than your dad, and one day, one day
Raw and angry in front of the enemy
So it's turn back or kill. Boy versus tank
You want a fight? Yeah, you and whose army?
Here soldier, have a watermelon--this'll cool you down!

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

Slap!

From the album

Slap! (1990)

Chumbawamba popular songs

Tiananmen SquareChumbawamba

Chumbawamba

Slap!