1 is A | 2 is B

The English Beat’s album I Just Can’t Stop It is one of my favorite albums (if pressed to pick it may be number 1). You may recognize the opening track Mirror in the Bathroom but that’s just the beginning. Anyways I had Two Swords stuck in my head so I thought i’d recommend the album and post a section of the lyrics:

I’ve never been one for the punch-ups
But look I really hate those nazis
A certain something starts to wind me up
How could I hate them oh so violently

When two swords slashing at each other
Only sharpen one another
And in the long run even he’s your brudda’
Said even though the cu nt’s a nazi.
nazi

Always attack those things in someone else,
Reflections that you can’t face in yourself,
To make precious fascistic feeling gone
It makes you turn into a bigger one
Bigger…

The beat were one of the two tone bands of the second wave of ska in the UK. they had stong roots in trad ska (members from Dekker’s and Prince Buster’s groups) and a strong understanding of the politics of the time, or at least the politics of skins, rudies, ska and reggae of course. when the band split half went to General Public (hit: Tenderness) and half to Fine Young Canibals (hit: She Drives Me Crazy). These guys had soul and chops and like other mix race band ska bands (contemporaries to the Specials) a real sensitivity and understanding of race relations and racism.

At the time, the National Front (Britan’s neo-nazi party) were taking over the skinhead youth movement, playing on racial tensions of the times and using the blue collar youth as foot solidiers in racial confrontations. the unifying factor among all skins then and now is the roots in Jamaician music which these bands understood. people have a much better understanding of this through the contemporary punk movement with bands such as the Clash. What people understand about racist and non-racists (racially indifferent or violent anti-racists) punks they don’t seem to understand about skinheads. the knowledge has sort of been lost, no thanks to the general media. the history is rich but hopefully this gives a good background for this song.

Ska bands sing at times about their sadness that some of their band members feel threatened by some of their very own fans! another good example is Why? by the Specials (lyrics). This song I think really attempts not only to point out the social problems (what all good art should do) but also offers an explanation for why it is happening and a solution. This kind of depth of understanding blows my mind.

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