Chumbawamba

Songwriter: Chumbawamba

Producer: Chumbawamba

[Spoken Word]
Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow
And everywhere that Mary went the lamb was sure to go

[Chorus]
Old Thomas Edison, mixing up the medicine
Messing up time from Accrington to Amazon
See them all come with their wires and booms
And their itchy little thumbs saying, "play your funky drum"

[Post-Chorus 1]
Each jump in the dark we claim as our own
We know it's a lie, we never acted alone
Each jump in the dark
Each jump in the dark

[Verse 1]
The machine became the star, beats to the bar
Poor Gus Dudgeon lying in his car
Down in the basement messing with the moment
Alchemy and elements, smashing up your instruments
Old Thomas Edison mixing up the medicine
Messing up time from Accrington to Amazon
See them all come with their wires and booms
And their itchy little thumbs saying, "play your funky drum"

[Post-Chorus 2]
A foot in the past, a head in a book
A soup of opinion, a ladle of luck
Each jump in the dark
Each jump in the dark

[Chorus]
Old Thomas Edison mixing up the medicine
Messing up time from Accrington to Amazon
See them all come with their wires and booms
And their itchy little thumbs saying, "play your funky drum"

[Verse 2]
From starlight to flashlight, sorting out the copyright
It takes a little time but the contract's airtight
Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
The money's in the black but the needle's in the red

One, two, one, two, check
Wednesday, Wednesday, Mississippi, yeah...

[Chorus]
Old Thomas Edison mixing up the medicine
Messing up time from Accrington to Amazon
See them all come with their wires and booms
And their itchy little thumbs saying, "play your funky drum"

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.

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From the album

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