A friend of mine is acquainted with some members of Chumbawumba. The story, as I've heard through my friend, is that Tub Thumping was a very deliberate sell out. Apparently the band all decided, let's have one massive pop smash that will pay for everything else we want to do. I salute that.
@@InfiniteRhombus I didn't know that but I'm not surprised. Thing is the anarcho punk scene really is a small world. I have no reason to doubt that my friend met people who were in Chumbawumba. It's plausible and they're not the sort to bullshit me like that.
Hard not to-"We need money to keep the collective going? Sure, let's do a big populist hit that can pay for our other left-of-the-dial shit!" It's just too bad they didn't finance it using that Bootstraps Fund Thatcher came up with that Rick Astley used to get big. The thought of them farting in The Iron Bitch's face and using her two-faced bullshit money to do it would be the only thing better....
one of the little known facts about the "Charity singles" craze, was that they were all recorded without drums, they just used the sounds of the artists patting themselves on the back. (for you young-un's, that was a joke popular at the time.)
The lead singer, Danbert Nobacon ended up being a high school drama teacher in Twisp, Washington. I'm not joking, I was in the high school drama class and all of our plays were written by us and him and were ALL anti-conformity/anti-establishment. It was ridiculous in the best kind of way, our principal made up keep rewriting our plays until she couldn't take it any more. Too bad we would never hear the end of it when it came to him being in chumbawumba, not from him but everyone in our tiny, tiny town.
Great story...just to add, Danbert went to my high school in Burnley, Lancashire when he was a nipper....Habergham High, although he'd long gone by the time I arrived there. Always thought it cool that. He was the guy that dumped water over Prescott and when I asked our headteacher about it at the time he said "I certainly don't endorse it" whilst giving me one of those wry smiles that suggested he did on that particular occasion.
Kimi FW pretty sure EMI owned the rights to Tubthumping. After they broke up it was probably passed to one of the innumerable entities that scavenged its corpse.
Gets banned in Germany Get's banned for Japanese Get's banned in USA Get's banned for 30 days He posts on Vimeo pining for some good times He reposts on TH-cam pining for some better times
Tiny brain- Tubthumping is a good song. Regular Brain - Chumbawumba were a punk band who sold out. Super Brain- Chumbawumba were committed musicians and activists. Their pop works feature some genuinely good tunes that satirise popular music and their later works spotlight working class folk songs from throughout British history, I'd argue that their entire discography is worth listening to. Galaxy Brain- Tubthumping is a good song.
@Anarchist Mugwump - Yup! Tubthumping is a great song... 100%! The rest I cannot actually comment on... (See a comment I have left for Todd...) - It was the wrong Era for me... But, Maybe they can send Todd a Thank you... I am actually GENUINELY INTERESTED to hear more of their work! Both old and Not so old (Not exactly new as they have long since broke up!).
They were serious drinkers, before they had the hit they played my university and I had a shift at the bar that night. Alice Nutter was ordering quad vodkas all night and drinking them neat. I guess she literally spent many nights pissing.
I can't think of a single other band who essentially sold out, got popular, decided to stop selling out and looked back on the whole thing fondly. That is really strange.
"Maybe if RATM had recorded a party song once in a while..." If RATM had recorded a party song, it would either be the worst thing ever or the best thing ever.
I'm a huge fan of Chumbawamba, and the song interpretation that suits me the most is that this is indeed about an impoverished working class guy getting wasted in a pub, but they are not mocking him, they take his side, they don't scoff at him like most radical thinkers do, they genuinely understand that binge drinking, singing and chanting at football are the things that help him carry on with his life. They don't want him to give it up for rallying, they want to be part of his life, they want to give him a song to enjoy and sing along with them. For me the message of Chumbawamba is not "FUCK THE SYSTEM! FUCK THE SYSTEM!" but "LET'S FUCK WITH THE SYSTEM AND HAVE SOME FUN WHILE DOING SO!"
"I swear to fuck, that we fight more systems when we're passed out on the floor, than the works of Kropotkin ever could, and all the works of Karl Marx ever fucking could" wise words of Johnny Hobo
@@wowisntitanamazinglyamazin9550 Baku is not talked about by socialists publicbly and is not part of their indoctrination since he predicted Soviet Union.
We weren't allowed to listen to any secular music in my house. When my dad was in earshot, we couldn't even listen to contemporary Christian music. To get around this, when I was around 12, I saved up my Sunday School points for an alarm clock radio, and would spend my insomnia-ridden nights with the volume the lowest it could be, pressed up to my ear. This was in the early 2010's, so this song was played on a 'classics' station. So now, it's always interesting looking at how those songs actually functioned in the real world, because even though I had no idea what the words meant (like, what's lager? What's pissing?), the earnestness of the escapism, fun, and longing would have me crying as silently as I could - but outside of my weird bubble, these throwback songs were meant to be silly references when played, and the contemporary ones of the time were heard as silly too.
Wow, that kind of religious radicalism is only seen in a Muslim theocratic country under Sharia law, or in the US (that hypocritically swears they’re against that kind of law).
Hilariously, I'm almost positive he would have been more than ok with some of their other work. The band itself was worth so much more than just a "one hit wonder" Seriously, if anyone has a "secular dad" who would frown upon a song like "Tubthumping" then play "Coal Not Dole" for him, and tell them it's the same band. Just saying, they're worth a re-listen, in this day and age where their catalog is at your fingertips at any given moment
@@moaningpheromones religion is a personal journey. Most of the secular beliefs that plague Christianity were passed down from the "Puritan's" we like to celebrate on Thanksgiving. The "get with me, *OR GO TO HELL,"* types that close themselves off to the world, "because I am right, and you are wrong!" Their are two types of gospel that get preached in America (maybe globally, but my experience does not apply): A "Fear of God" gospel, and a "Love of God" gospel. Avoid the first (regardless) and embrace the second (if such is your want). Not ideologically, just embrace the people, because they're the good ones. "Fisher's of men" with patience, understanding, and respect, instead of these "dynamiters of the lake," scaring people for profit. Television pastor's are the worst, but a lot of revival preacher's are like this, too. And I'm so sorry you got saddled with one of, what I'm guessing was, the typical "High-holier than thou" Christian-types (if that was your experience, and not just someone you know, my Step-dad came up with a mother like that, fu¢$ed him up, _hard),_ but that's _never_ been what Christianity was supposed to be about (despite the holy wars, crusades, and every heinous act ever undertaken "in the name of God" to throw in my face, "to the contrary, my good man," style) Religion is a personal journey, and I wish you well in yours, my friend.
One of my favorite Chumbawamba facts is that they recorded an EP called "In Memoriam: Margaret Thatcher", where it could only be pre-ordered prior to Margaret Thatcher's death. Once she died, they sent out the EP and immediately canned sales to it. You can find the EP on youtube, but the whole album is essentially a giant middle finger to her, which I find entertaining.
@@8bitorgy taking a shit isn’t entertaining, original, or clever, but you still need to do it. Or else the shit comes out your mouth like it does yours.
Chumbawumba are legitimately cool. They're one of the most authentic punk bands ever, they just do their own thing forever. They're so non-conformist they didn't even conform to any non-conformist subcultures.
Let's be honest a lot of "non-comformist" are the most up their own ass people one will ever met. They suck joy and fun out of every room they enter because if anyone is having a good time, that means they don't care about the world's problems. Chumbawumba very much care but they know that party needs no reasons besides "party."
_"Truth is I thought it mattered, I thought that music mattered. But does it bollocks; not compared to how people matter."_ -Danny Ormondroyd (Pete Postlethwaite), "Brassed Off" (1996); quoted in the intro of Tubthumping on the album
“Some people think it’s a song that parodies the meaningless nostalgic existence of blue collar pub life. I think that’s overthinking it. I think it’s a genuine celebration of it.” I’ve always assumed like the best art it is somehow both and the performer is unconcerned with “picking a side” and so the song isn’t too snide nor too sincere. “Pissing the night away” has always clearly meant to me “night after night, you/we are pissing our lives away” but there’s also culture and empathy there so it works.
I like how instead of whining about it or just admitting defeat you just keep uploading the videos. Stick it to the man (And by man I mean bots but whatever)
"3AM Eternal" would be a great One Hit Wonderland episode... I mean, the KLF burned a million pounds on stage on one occasion, and opened fire over the heads of the crowd with AK-47s loaded with blanks on another. Kids think Blink 182 and their ilk are punk? Fuck that. Chumbawamba & the KLF are the punkest bands ever to walk this earth.
@@haolekoa737 KLF brought Extreme Noise Terror, a fucking grindcore band, to play 3am Eternal with them on an awards show. They wrote a smash hit, then dived out of the window flipping double birds at the industry they just fleeced. Fuck, I love the KLF.
"Give The Anarchist A Cigarette" is my favorite Chumbawumba track. They did exactly what they wanted to do; proved how stupid the recording industry is and that they could slay in it if they really wanted to. They could have done an entire album of number one tracks if they really wanted to; but they did just enough to prove their point and then tanked their own career. Mainstream career anyway. This is a group that could have spent their 30 years defining mainstream music, proved it, and went back to just being brilliant and creative on their own. They proved that they weren't outsiders complaining about a reality they were outside of, they proved they understood the inner workings of the things they bucked against and could dominate it if they gave the slightest care.
Honstly I'm kinda liking "She's Got All the Friends That Money Can Buy" myself. These guys seem like the best kind of activists, fighting for a cause, but completely self aware about it and willing to poke fun about the issues as well as themselves at times.
Do you know where they got the image from for their Anarchy album cover. The picture of the baby being born? I was trying to find information on it. Like, the story behind it.
"Galaxie" and "Tones of Home"? Those were minor hits on the alternative charts, IIRC. also, I'm still waiting for his review of Soup. I hope it's not part of Trainwreckords.
The Wonky Angle Rewatching this review actually solved the ongoing mystery of what that song was. I've always wondered because it sounded great but I could never understand the lyrics enough for me to try to look them up. And now that I know the name of it and can listen to the full song I finally figured out what she's saying.
I love that they allowed GM to use "Pass It Along" (which is a great song) in their ads for $ 70K and then used the money to fund a campaign against GM. They are geniuses.
Does Green Day count as that? I live in the same part of California as them, and sometimes even I find their music whiney and annoying. Then again, lean more towards metal than punk.
He was talking about anarcho-punk, not punk in general. And most of punk does not suck. Hell, I'm not too fond of anarcho-punk (not because of their politics, I just don't like the music), and I still wouldn't say it sucks.
I could help you with the definition of anarchism. Anarchism: a system of society that power is distributed horizontally instead of vertically. Basically the word means "without rulers". Its not about no rules, just saying.
basically a society without any unjust hierarchy, what exactly constitutes unjust is debatable, many would argue there is no such thing as a just hierarchy
@@rileyyoung4762 I’d argue a parent telling their child not to touch a hot stove is an example of justified authority/hierarchy. If they didn’t, it could literally be considered child neglect
@@rashotcake6945 You could argue that they should explain to their child that it's hot and will burn them and hurt them but they still dont have the right to physically prevent them from doing so because that logic: "they are less intelligent than I am therefore I have the right to force what I believe is best for them on them against their will", sets a pretty bad precedent
@@rileyyoung4762 yet children don’t always listen and need either a physical example for their parent to prevent them from harming themselves before they reach controlled thinking, and even then. All hierarchies can be just and unjust simply based on the context, and I always saw anarchism as throwing the puzzle out the window instead of solving it. Hell, horizontal power structures can also be unjust, as it forces people in the system to follow a horizontal system with forced responsibility, when forcing responsibility of knowledge or work in society is a direct lead to depression and suffering.
Actually, "tubthumping" doesn't mean campaigning. It means going drinking after protesting. Basically, the song is about protesters celebrating a job well done with a few drinks.
I heard a similar meaning. Not "campaigning" in the election meaning of the word. More like stating your viewpoint. The American idiom would "shouting from the top of your soapbox."
"The Day The Nazi Died" is one of my favorite political songs of all time. Also Amnesia was the theme to Before They Were Rock stars on VH1. Watched that a lot as a kid
The song had all the elements of a memorable one hit wonder: foreigners, sang by kids & dudes at bars, controversy ("pissin' the night away"), can be played at any event (sports, weddings, AA/NA), danceable, athemable, and it has an interesting enough lore to make it conversation worthy.
“If RATM had released a party song once in a while they might not have sat out the Bush administration” *thinks about the Clear Channel blacklist and Audioslave* *steam coming out of ears* *cracks knuckles, types a thousand rage comments*
Also, my interpretation of the song: The after protest party. It's full of people who are knocked down, got back up, and decided to make a stink about the shit in the world because of it. Also there's a lot of liquor, dancing, sing alongs, weed, and hooking up.
"Pissing away" also means wasting something, so I wonder if they meant that phrase to mean both urinating and wasting the entire evening. Anyway, I love how many wacky, out of left field songs came out in the latter half of the 90's.
Thank you. I loved ʻTubthumpingʻ with every fiber of my being as a dopey suburban teenager who hadnʻt heard any "real" punk yet, and always felt vaguely embarrassed by that, until this video prompted me to listen to their other stuff. They really were the band I always knew they were deep down.
"if EMI was stupid enough to sign a band like Chumbawumba, why not?" TRUE! i love that for them. we absolutely stan Anarcho-Punks creating an accessible populist drinking song. i believe Godspeed You! Black Emperor is also some kind of AnCom Art Collective. all their songs are like 30+ minutes long though, so they avoid the charts like the plague.
This was legit my favorite song when I was 7. I thought the title was "I get knocked down but I get up again" but I'm sure a lot of people thought that.
They are not one hit wonders. The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony in the UK charted at number 2. They released another single off the same album where that charted to number 1 in the UK.
Oh gods, CASSETTE TAPES! I remember using my boombox to record songs from the radio onto tapes. And my old Lion King soundtrack from when I was 6... Oh, the memories.
Speaking from 2024, I'm inclined to agree that Chambawumba is the coolest OHW artist you've covered thus far. And this made me want to check out their discography. They sound sick as fuck and so does their other music. Also, Tubthumping feels like one of those songs that'll last forever. Like, I'm sure my children's children will know about this song. It also helps that it unironically slaps.
Yeah, definately EMI fucking with the video, rather than Chumbawamba. I imagine if they even know of this video's existence, they're just glad to get more exposure.
The band encouraged people to steal their albums. I doubt they'd have much issue with TH-cam uploads. Band's nowadays generally don't see much money from sales, downloads or streaming anyway. Its usually those who stand to gain the most money (ie record companies) enforcing copyright.
Legit too punk for punk, these guys :D Also, considering that they gave tens of thousands of dollars of their big label money and licensing fees to charity and activists, they objectively had more of an effect than most punk bands.
I still love listening to SLAP and SWINGING WITH RAYMOND ...All their stuff is good ...AND THEIR BIT OF SELLING OUT meant I got to see them live a bunch !
The KLF wrote a book called 'The Manual- How to have a number 1 the easy way'. It did what it said on the tin, or rather the book cover. You would seriously enjoy this book, noting when it was published. I think I'm correct in saying Chumbawumba followed the instructions in that book in order to have a no 1 hit. Why? Just for the hell of it. I may be getting confused with another band, but I don't think so. Just listen to the structure of this song- you mention most of the salient points, essentially something drunk guys will enjoy singing. Perhaps they were just trying to demonstrate how easy it was to have a big hit if you just conformed to the simple rules of pop. :-)
At the time of 'Tubthumping' becoming a big hit, I was working in a workers' co-operative which was affiliated to an umbrella organisation of co-ops called Radical Routes. Chumbawamba were also part of the Leeds RR network. I remember there being a great deal of earnest debate as to how the proceeds of 'Tubthumping's success should be spent - Chumbawamba never expected to make any serious money, and when they did, they were not the kind of band who'd have been happy to squander it all on drugs and fur coats like proper rock stars.
I love Chumbawamba. Their association with Crass (who I also like) helped. There is a DVD of their last concert called "Going...going...Gone". Alice Nutter dressed as a nun smoking, drinking, and kick dancing is the highlight for me.
@@tomobrien5345 Have a word with your patron saint, Cover up the cracks with a lick of paint. All the exits are double locked Because St Sebastian sways but he doesn't rock.
On th e cover of the single one of the band is holding a copy of 'The Manual' by the KLF guys. Diving down that rabbit hole will connect the dots between anarchists and pop number 1.
Glad this is back, although knowing the history of this review and copyright, it may not last long. Also, I can't hear "Amnesia" anymore without thinking about Billboard Breakdown.
I want to comment that this video on Chumbawamba inspired me to look at a lot of their other music, and I'm really glad about that. Thank you for this series. I'm sure it's probably helped turn people on to other artists' fuller catalogues.
I'd recommend you pick up "What you see is what you get" (WYSIWYG), I would personally call it their best album, and one of their more accessible ones.
The entire Tubthumper album is solid stuff. I revisit it every couple of years and there's not a single track I skip. (The end of track skits, yes.) The musical complexity exemplified by the end of "Tubthumping" where the "we'll be singing....", "pissing the night away...", and "I get knocked down..." phrases are all intertwined happens several other times across the album. "Scapegoat" is a total banger track, too.
I love their song "Whatever happened to Mary" from the sound track for Stigmata. Such a good soundtrack. That and they also had a bunch of beautiful original music in the film Revengers Tragedy.
I always wondered why this band looked so much like they were straight British punk (Sex Pistols style real punk) but put out a pop anthem like Tubthumping. Now I know. This channel is amazing! Keep up all the good work! I am having a ball going through your playlist.
Speaking of that very same Chumbawumba album, the song "Mary Mary" was featured in the movie STIGMATA. Also, I still hear "Amnesia" on the radio when it does 90's throwback weekends.
I thought this song was just a dumb party anthem from a mediocre band with a catchy beat like a lot of one-hits but damn chumbawamba were a legit force to be reckoned with. True punks who stuck to their beliefs and didn’t let “selling out” go to their heads. I learn so much from these OHW videos, Todd!
I had no idea Chumbawamba was a punk band, but tubthumping makes Way more sense to me now. It feels like a 'realistic' punk anthem, where instead of ranting and preaching about how things Should be, they are dealing with and getting through how things still Are. To me, the song and it's context end up saying "The world sucks and people are screwing each other and we need revolution etc etc.. but I'm just one person in this machine and i still need to eat and sleep and pay bills. So to deal with this Mountain of Bullshit we live in, I'm going to get black out drunk with my friends."
As a fan of Chumbawamba from their anarcho-punk beginnings and even struggling but succeeding in enjoying their later pop-ish albums, I chuckled a bit as Todd tried going through their discography...which is ample and diverse. I kinda wish he added a bit about the acapella version of 'The Day The Last Nazi Dies'
I was once grocery shopping and a woman passed by with her cart. Her 3-4 year old daughter was lying on the bottom rack and started loudly singing Tubthumping and the woman looked confused/embarrassed and apologized to everyone else in the aisle.
A friend of mine is acquainted with some members of Chumbawumba. The story, as I've heard through my friend, is that Tub Thumping was a very deliberate sell out. Apparently the band all decided, let's have one massive pop smash that will pay for everything else we want to do. I salute that.
Yeah that honestly makes a lot of sense, like why not. I feel like lots of artists who are OHWs probably had this thought.
thats what wikipedia says too, are you friends with wikipedia? small world
@@InfiniteRhombus I didn't know that but I'm not surprised. Thing is the anarcho punk scene really is a small world. I have no reason to doubt that my friend met people who were in Chumbawumba. It's plausible and they're not the sort to bullshit me like that.
Legends.
Hard not to-"We need money to keep the collective going? Sure, let's do a big populist hit that can pay for our other left-of-the-dial shit!"
It's just too bad they didn't finance it using that Bootstraps Fund Thatcher came up with that Rick Astley used to get big. The thought of them farting in The Iron Bitch's face and using her two-faced bullshit money to do it would be the only thing better....
one of the little known facts about the "Charity singles" craze, was that they were all recorded without drums, they just used the sounds of the artists patting themselves on the back. (for you young-un's, that was a joke popular at the time.)
Like the best jokes, it's at least halfway true.
I love that their first album was called "Pictures of Starving Children Sell Records".
It’s honestly my favourite album from them I listen to it in full and I personally love dutiful servants and political masters
Gives me "Pretty Girls Make Graves" vibes. Lol.
They allowed a "Tubthumping" to be used to advertise automobiles and used to proceeds to fund an anti-carbon emissions group.
ElPayasoMalo But what did they do with the money, though? 😏
"used [the] proceeds to fund an anti-carbon emissions group"
That pretty much explains what they did with the money right there mate.
ElPayasoMalo That's the most punk thing I can think of. Selling out only to make enough money to stick it to the man.
correct but the song was Pass It Along not Tubthumping
Very Anarchist. XD
The lead singer, Danbert Nobacon ended up being a high school drama teacher in Twisp, Washington. I'm not joking, I was in the high school drama class and all of our plays were written by us and him and were ALL anti-conformity/anti-establishment. It was ridiculous in the best kind of way, our principal made up keep rewriting our plays until she couldn't take it any more. Too bad we would never hear the end of it when it came to him being in chumbawumba, not from him but everyone in our tiny, tiny town.
Great story...just to add, Danbert went to my high school in Burnley, Lancashire when he was a nipper....Habergham High, although he'd long gone by the time I arrived there. Always thought it cool that. He was the guy that dumped water over Prescott and when I asked our headteacher about it at the time he said "I certainly don't endorse it" whilst giving me one of those wry smiles that suggested he did on that particular occasion.
okay, what was his real name?
@@floydlooney6837 hahahahahahahahaha
i knew his kids when i was younger, i remember it being really weird finding out that chumbawumba had a huge hit
Words cannot express how much I envy you, that man is an absolute legend.
True irony is a video getting taken down for violating an anarchist band's copyright.
Kimi FW pretty sure EMI owned the rights to Tubthumping. After they broke up it was probably passed to one of the innumerable entities that scavenged its corpse.
Calling Out Fascists Online you watch every single youtuber i do i swear
If the video gets taken down, I guarantee you it'll get put back up again.
Pretty sure the record companies own the rights to song distributions.
the tub or my masturbation chamber.
I get a copyright strike
but I repost again
but I get a copyright strike again
KSJDbv No, I meant repost. It's also correct.
In this case since it's his first time "reposting" the correct phrase would either be "but I post again" or "but i repost."
Striking the night away...
Sup Bryan I wasn't talking about this video specifically, I was making fun of how Todd's videos get immediately taken down often.
Gets banned in Germany
Get's banned for Japanese
Get's banned in USA
Get's banned for 30 days
He posts on Vimeo pining for some good times
He reposts on TH-cam pining for some better times
Tiny brain- Tubthumping is a good song.
Regular Brain - Chumbawumba were a punk band who sold out.
Super Brain- Chumbawumba were committed musicians and activists. Their pop works feature some genuinely good tunes that satirise popular music and their later works spotlight working class folk songs from throughout British history, I'd argue that their entire discography is worth listening to.
Galaxy Brain- Tubthumping is a good song.
Anarchist Mugwump Bravo. Sometimes the best thing we can do is enjoy something.
@Anarchist Mugwump - Yup! Tubthumping is a great song... 100%! The rest I cannot actually comment on... (See a comment I have left for Todd...) - It was the wrong Era for me...
But, Maybe they can send Todd a Thank you... I am actually GENUINELY INTERESTED to hear more of their work! Both old and Not so old (Not exactly new as they have long since broke up!).
Memes in text form. Sure as hell got my like.
@@Phoenix2312 Their whole discography is fucking great, this video is a good summary of their history.
They were serious drinkers, before they had the hit they played my university and I had a shift at the bar that night. Alice Nutter was ordering quad vodkas all night and drinking them neat. I guess she literally spent many nights pissing.
Chumbawamba approves of re-uploading copy right strike videos.
And abolishing copyright
I can't think of a single other band who essentially sold out, got popular, decided to stop selling out and looked back on the whole thing fondly. That is really strange.
Their attitude towards their journey is punk rock in and of itself
Not to mention, their original fans still loved them afterwards. That's even more bizarre. Lol.
"Maybe if RATM had recorded a party song once in a while..." If RATM had recorded a party song, it would either be the worst thing ever or the best thing ever.
Damn right.
Also: They burned very quick, but brighter and angrier than anyone else
If Renegades Of Funk isn’t a party song, I don’t know what is
@@storkksoundmedia7778 it is also a cover, so does it really count?
Garrett Eulett good point!
If they did, it would probably be JU$T like Run The Jewels (Get it?).
A punk band who rebels against the punk culture, now THAT deserves respect.
some guy Also see: Against Me! 🙂
That's kinda sorta what Devo did too although that was just because they did whatever the hell they wanted.
Punk shouldn't be about boundaries. Punk should be about tearing them down.
KUKL/the Sugarcubes kind of did that too, didn't they?
some guy Also basically post-punk in a nutshell?
I'm a huge fan of Chumbawamba, and the song interpretation that suits me the most is that this is indeed about an impoverished working class guy getting wasted in a pub, but they are not mocking him, they take his side, they don't scoff at him like most radical thinkers do, they genuinely understand that binge drinking, singing and chanting at football are the things that help him carry on with his life.
They don't want him to give it up for rallying, they want to be part of his life, they want to give him a song to enjoy and sing along with them. For me the message of Chumbawamba is not "FUCK THE SYSTEM! FUCK THE SYSTEM!" but "LET'S FUCK WITH THE SYSTEM AND HAVE SOME FUN WHILE DOING SO!"
This.
I like that. TBH, I understand that guy.
"I swear to fuck, that we fight more systems when we're passed out on the floor, than the works of Kropotkin ever could, and all the works of Karl Marx ever fucking could" wise words of Johnny Hobo
I love that
Filip Schneider isn't the chorus about the resurgence of the Labour Party in the UK? I'm sure they said that.
"I get took down. But I get posted again!" - This channel's theme song.
“You ain’t keeping my content down”
Claims he doesn't know much about anarchism. References Bakunin. Probably been telling people to google Murray Bookchin, too.
Shame there was no Tolstoy in there
But Bakunin is well known tho
@@wowisntitanamazinglyamazin9550 Not to many people outside of Leftist theory, or deep in political theory
Do you suffer from long-term memory loss?
I don't remember...
😂😂😂😂
@@wowisntitanamazinglyamazin9550 Baku is not talked about by socialists publicbly and is not part of their indoctrination since he predicted Soviet Union.
We weren't allowed to listen to any secular music in my house. When my dad was in earshot, we couldn't even listen to contemporary Christian music. To get around this, when I was around 12, I saved up my Sunday School points for an alarm clock radio, and would spend my insomnia-ridden nights with the volume the lowest it could be, pressed up to my ear.
This was in the early 2010's, so this song was played on a 'classics' station. So now, it's always interesting looking at how those songs actually functioned in the real world, because even though I had no idea what the words meant (like, what's lager? What's pissing?), the earnestness of the escapism, fun, and longing would have me crying as silently as I could - but outside of my weird bubble, these throwback songs were meant to be silly references when played, and the contemporary ones of the time were heard as silly too.
Interesting. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Wow, that kind of religious radicalism is only seen in a Muslim theocratic country under Sharia law, or in the US (that hypocritically swears they’re against that kind of law).
another victim of religious bs - so sad.
Hilariously, I'm almost positive he would have been more than ok with some of their other work. The band itself was worth so much more than just a "one hit wonder"
Seriously, if anyone has a "secular dad" who would frown upon a song like "Tubthumping" then play "Coal Not Dole" for him, and tell them it's the same band.
Just saying, they're worth a re-listen, in this day and age where their catalog is at your fingertips at any given moment
@@moaningpheromones religion is a personal journey. Most of the secular beliefs that plague Christianity were passed down from the "Puritan's" we like to celebrate on Thanksgiving.
The "get with me, *OR GO TO HELL,"* types that close themselves off to the world, "because I am right, and you are wrong!"
Their are two types of gospel that get preached in America (maybe globally, but my experience does not apply): A "Fear of God" gospel, and a "Love of God" gospel.
Avoid the first (regardless) and embrace the second (if such is your want). Not ideologically, just embrace the people, because they're the good ones. "Fisher's of men" with patience, understanding, and respect, instead of these "dynamiters of the lake," scaring people for profit.
Television pastor's are the worst, but a lot of revival preacher's are like this, too.
And I'm so sorry you got saddled with one of, what I'm guessing was, the typical "High-holier than thou" Christian-types (if that was your experience, and not just someone you know, my Step-dad came up with a mother like that, fu¢$ed him up, _hard),_ but that's _never_ been what Christianity was supposed to be about (despite the holy wars, crusades, and every heinous act ever undertaken "in the name of God" to throw in my face, "to the contrary, my good man," style)
Religion is a personal journey, and I wish you well in yours, my friend.
" Punks that got old " is a seriously good band name.
If there isn’t a band called that, then I call dibs.
James Mason A good album name would be "Punk got old".
This is the most wholesome story about selling out I have ever heard, you have literally restored a tiny sliver of my faith in humanity, thank you.
One of my favorite Chumbawamba facts is that they recorded an EP called "In Memoriam: Margaret Thatcher", where it could only be pre-ordered prior to Margaret Thatcher's death. Once she died, they sent out the EP and immediately canned sales to it. You can find the EP on youtube, but the whole album is essentially a giant middle finger to her, which I find entertaining.
Railing against the main conservative leader is the least entertaining, original, or clever thing in all of music.
@@8bitorgy taking a shit isn’t entertaining, original, or clever, but you still need to do it. Or else the shit comes out your mouth like it does yours.
@@florencec1707 I agree, brainwashing is an essential part of taking your money and freedoms.
@@8bitorgy Shut up, defending thatcher is low even for a conservative.
@@8bitorgy When said leader was such a massive cunt like thatcher then she deserves it.
Chumbawumba are legitimately cool. They're one of the most authentic punk bands ever, they just do their own thing forever. They're so non-conformist they didn't even conform to any non-conformist subcultures.
Let's be honest a lot of "non-comformist" are the most up their own ass people one will ever met. They suck joy and fun out of every room they enter because if anyone is having a good time, that means they don't care about the world's problems. Chumbawumba very much care but they know that party needs no reasons besides "party."
_"Truth is I thought it mattered, I thought that music mattered. But does it bollocks; not compared to how people matter."_ -Danny Ormondroyd (Pete Postlethwaite), "Brassed Off" (1996); quoted in the intro of Tubthumping on the album
“Some people think it’s a song that parodies the meaningless nostalgic existence of blue collar pub life. I think that’s overthinking it. I think it’s a genuine celebration of it.”
I’ve always assumed like the best art it is somehow both and the performer is unconcerned with “picking a side” and so the song isn’t too snide nor too sincere.
“Pissing the night away” has always clearly meant to me “night after night, you/we are pissing our lives away” but there’s also culture and empathy there so it works.
i take a whiskey drink. i take a vodka drink. and when i have to pee, i use the kitchen sink!
Sorry about your dad, Laura
How’s Annie?
Misquoted Homer Simpson!
I like how instead of whining about it or just admitting defeat you just keep uploading the videos. Stick it to the man (And by man I mean bots but whatever)
so you could say when they take his videos down... he puts them up again?
huntercrunch TH-cam’s never gonna keep him down.
TH-cam really needs to sort its systems
You can literally just keep claiming the same video over and over
I heard that they wrote Tubthumping using "The Manual - How To Have a No 1 The Easy Way" by Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty (The KLF)
Antony Hollingworth wouldn’t surprise me. They were cut from the same cloth as the KLF, really. And I mean that with huge respect.
That's what I had heard as well. It wouldn't surprise me that they had used the Manual as a guide.
@@Ashethetics They were a lot more political & The KLF were more artistic
"3AM Eternal" would be a great One Hit Wonderland episode... I mean, the KLF burned a million pounds on stage on one occasion, and opened fire over the heads of the crowd with AK-47s loaded with blanks on another. Kids think Blink 182 and their ilk are punk? Fuck that. Chumbawamba & the KLF are the punkest bands ever to walk this earth.
@@haolekoa737 KLF brought Extreme Noise Terror, a fucking grindcore band, to play 3am Eternal with them on an awards show. They wrote a smash hit, then dived out of the window flipping double birds at the industry they just fleeced. Fuck, I love the KLF.
"Give The Anarchist A Cigarette" is my favorite Chumbawumba track.
They did exactly what they wanted to do; proved how stupid the recording industry is and that they could slay in it if they really wanted to. They could have done an entire album of number one tracks if they really wanted to; but they did just enough to prove their point and then tanked their own career. Mainstream career anyway. This is a group that could have spent their 30 years defining mainstream music, proved it, and went back to just being brilliant and creative on their own. They proved that they weren't outsiders complaining about a reality they were outside of, they proved they understood the inner workings of the things they bucked against and could dominate it if they gave the slightest care.
the other tracks that i like are: jacobs ladder, pass it along, salt fare north sea, when i'm bad, tubthumping, amnesia
Honstly I'm kinda liking "She's Got All the Friends That Money Can Buy" myself. These guys seem like the best kind of activists, fighting for a cause, but completely self aware about it and willing to poke fun about the issues as well as themselves at times.
Do you know where they got the image from for their Anarchy album cover. The picture of the baby being born? I was trying to find information on it. Like, the story behind it.
@@VideosSmokin Drip, Drip, Drip
*drops mic*
give the anarchist a cigarette is my favourite, too. its really great
If you want another interesting band who deserves more than one hit wonder status, I suggest Blind Melon.
some guy IVE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR YEARS
They have two other sizable hits, though.
They have two other sizable hits.
"Galaxie" and "Tones of Home"?
Those were minor hits on the alternative charts, IIRC.
also, I'm still waiting for his review of Soup. I hope it's not part of Trainwreckords.
Hal Emmerich and Change
I'm glad you used the They Might Be Giants cover for the end.
AV Club FTMFW
Chumbawumba's own country version would've been the other natural choice.
I will forever associate the failed follow up ("Amnesia") with Spectrum Pulse
The Wonky Angle OMG HI I LOVE YOUR REVIEWS. THANKS FOR BEING ONE OF FEW ELECTRONIC MUSIC REVIEWERS WHO ARE ACTUALLY ENTERTAINING!
The Wonky Angle Rewatching this review actually solved the ongoing mystery of what that song was. I've always wondered because it sounded great but I could never understand the lyrics enough for me to try to look them up.
And now that I know the name of it and can listen to the full song I finally figured out what she's saying.
Good taste. Been w/ Mark's channel near the beginning. My fave music channel
Spectrum Pulse Mark? More like Melon.
"Amnesia" didn't fail. It did respectably well in the U.S. and is very well known.
I love that they allowed GM to use "Pass It Along" (which is a great song) in their ads for $ 70K and then used the money to fund a campaign against GM. They are geniuses.
As someone who loves punk "most of it sucks" actually sums it up. Chumbawamba rules. Man they are good.
Agreed
i wonder if Todd has heard Zounds when researching this video, that is some genuinely good stuff.
Does Green Day count as that? I live in the same part of California as them, and sometimes even I find their music whiney and annoying. Then again, lean more towards metal than punk.
He was talking about anarcho-punk, not punk in general.
And most of punk does not suck. Hell, I'm not too fond of anarcho-punk (not because of their politics, I just don't like the music), and I still wouldn't say it sucks.
punk sucks in just the right way to be fun.
saying they lived in a filthy squat in Leeds is redundant
Ayy
West Leeds is crazy.
I used to love Whatever Else You're Supposed to Name Your Anarchist Punk Band, but their second album was kind of lame.
I could help you with the definition of anarchism.
Anarchism: a system of society that power is distributed horizontally instead of vertically. Basically the word means "without rulers". Its not about no rules, just saying.
basically a society without any unjust hierarchy, what exactly constitutes unjust is debatable, many would argue there is no such thing as a just hierarchy
@@rileyyoung4762 I’d argue a parent telling their child not to touch a hot stove is an example of justified authority/hierarchy. If they didn’t, it could literally be considered child neglect
@@rashotcake6945 You could argue that they should explain to their child that it's hot and will burn them and hurt them but they still dont have the right to physically prevent them from doing so because that logic: "they are less intelligent than I am therefore I have the right to force what I believe is best for them on them against their will", sets a pretty bad precedent
@@rileyyoung4762 yet children don’t always listen and need either a physical example for their parent to prevent them from harming themselves before they reach controlled thinking, and even then. All hierarchies can be just and unjust simply based on the context, and I always saw anarchism as throwing the puzzle out the window instead of solving it. Hell, horizontal power structures can also be unjust, as it forces people in the system to follow a horizontal system with forced responsibility, when forcing responsibility of knowledge or work in society is a direct lead to depression and suffering.
@@rileyyoung4762 Please don't have kids.
Actually, "tubthumping" doesn't mean campaigning. It means going drinking after protesting.
Basically, the song is about protesters celebrating a job well done with a few drinks.
only urban dictionary believes that buddy
I heard a similar meaning. Not "campaigning" in the election meaning of the word. More like stating your viewpoint. The American idiom would "shouting from the top of your soapbox."
I had one friend say "Tubthumping" referred to the inevitable hangover you'd experience after a hard night of drinking.
i bet this song makes more sense when listening to their whole album front-to-back
@James Chris nah its what i did yesterday
English Rebel Songs 1381-1984!
Seriously. It's the best thing they ever released. I really really wish you had mentioned it.
That's really selling the rest of their material short
I love that album!!
"The Day The Nazi Died" is one of my favorite political songs of all time.
Also Amnesia was the theme to Before They Were Rock stars on VH1. Watched that a lot as a kid
We'll never rest again.
@@SpamNapkin jesus H Christ I should be so lucky. Also good!
Read your Bakunin, Todd.
Read your Mutual Aid!
Read clifford the big red dog.
The song had all the elements of a memorable one hit wonder: foreigners, sang by kids & dudes at bars, controversy ("pissin' the night away"), can be played at any event (sports, weddings, AA/NA), danceable, athemable, and it has an interesting enough lore to make it conversation worthy.
“If RATM had released a party song once in a while they might not have sat out the Bush administration”
*thinks about the Clear Channel blacklist and Audioslave*
*steam coming out of ears*
*cracks knuckles, types a thousand rage comments*
I saw MicTheSnare Deep Discog Dive on their full discography, it is wild and has one of the most punk rock endings ever.
Also, my interpretation of the song: The after protest party. It's full of people who are knocked down, got back up, and decided to make a stink about the shit in the world because of it. Also there's a lot of liquor, dancing, sing alongs, weed, and hooking up.
Who says leftists have to be boring?
People who slog through the academics
I don't care what people say
Tubthumper by Chambawamba is a good song
"Pissing away" also means wasting something, so I wonder if they meant that phrase to mean both urinating and wasting the entire evening. Anyway, I love how many wacky, out of left field songs came out in the latter half of the 90's.
Thank you. I loved ʻTubthumpingʻ with every fiber of my being as a dopey suburban teenager who hadnʻt heard any "real" punk yet, and always felt vaguely embarrassed by that, until this video prompted me to listen to their other stuff. They really were the band I always knew they were deep down.
"if EMI was stupid enough to sign a band like Chumbawumba, why not?" TRUE! i love that for them.
we absolutely stan Anarcho-Punks creating an accessible populist drinking song.
i believe Godspeed You! Black Emperor is also some kind of AnCom Art Collective.
all their songs are like 30+ minutes long though, so they avoid the charts like the plague.
This was legit my favorite song when I was 7. I thought the title was "I get knocked down but I get up again" but I'm sure a lot of people thought that.
Gotta do an episode on The Verve or the similarly named band The Verve Pipe. Both one hit wonders with interesting stories.
Ash Lengerich I love bittersweet Symphony!
I hope you're fucking kidding. The Verve are one of the biggest and best British bands ever.
Jojo- get out. My friend loved her but I haven't heard shit from her since that album.
Verve had quite a few songs, The Verve Pipe only 1 I think
They are not one hit wonders. The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony in the UK charted at number 2. They released another single off the same album where that charted to number 1 in the UK.
It's one of those songs that everyone knows, but nobody knows the name of.
I know, right? It's been in my music folder listed as "I Get Knocked Down". Can't honestly say I feel a need to change it.
I had it on cassette when it came out so... nah, I knew the name of it.
Oh gods, CASSETTE TAPES! I remember using my boombox to record songs from the radio onto tapes. And my old Lion King soundtrack from when I was 6... Oh, the memories.
Jaceblue04 I call it, "I get Knocked down!"
I love the littel attention to detail with the red and black colors in the thumbnail
In the 80s you could send them blank cassette tapes and some stamps and they'd send it to you back full of their music.
Speaking from 2024, I'm inclined to agree that Chambawumba is the coolest OHW artist you've covered thus far. And this made me want to check out their discography. They sound sick as fuck and so does their other music.
Also, Tubthumping feels like one of those songs that'll last forever. Like, I'm sure my children's children will know about this song. It also helps that it unironically slaps.
I can't wait to see Todd's reaction when someone finally bribes him into covering Devo.
There's a funny degree of irony in getting your video copyright-botted for a song by an anarchist band.
Makes more sense when the song in question belongs to soul-crushers EMI, of course.
Yeah, definately EMI fucking with the video, rather than Chumbawamba. I imagine if they even know of this video's existence, they're just glad to get more exposure.
The band encouraged people to steal their albums. I doubt they'd have much issue with TH-cam uploads. Band's nowadays generally don't see much money from sales, downloads or streaming anyway. Its usually those who stand to gain the most money (ie record companies) enforcing copyright.
@@TheRadPlayer And if they do, they can't do much about it, since EMI owns the distribution rights.
Legit too punk for punk, these guys :D
Also, considering that they gave tens of thousands of dollars of their big label money and licensing fees to charity and activists, they objectively had more of an effect than most punk bands.
Saw them live, and it is still one of the best shows I‘ve seen.
WAIT! SPECTRUM PULSE USED AMNESIA AS HIS INTO FOR BILLBOARD BREAKDOWN?!
Amnesia was played on Radio Disney pretty regularly. The fact that it's a Chumbawumba song blew my mind just now.
I still love listening to SLAP and SWINGING WITH RAYMOND ...All their stuff is good ...AND THEIR BIT OF SELLING OUT meant I got to see them live a bunch !
The KLF wrote a book called 'The Manual- How to have a number 1 the easy way'. It did what it said on the tin, or rather the book cover. You would seriously enjoy this book, noting when it was published. I think I'm correct in saying Chumbawumba followed the instructions in that book in order to have a no 1 hit. Why? Just for the hell of it. I may be getting confused with another band, but I don't think so. Just listen to the structure of this song- you mention most of the salient points, essentially something drunk guys will enjoy singing. Perhaps they were just trying to demonstrate how easy it was to have a big hit if you just conformed to the simple rules of pop. :-)
At the time of 'Tubthumping' becoming a big hit, I was working in a workers' co-operative which was affiliated to an umbrella organisation of co-ops called Radical Routes. Chumbawamba were also part of the Leeds RR network. I remember there being a great deal of earnest debate as to how the proceeds of 'Tubthumping's success should be spent - Chumbawamba never expected to make any serious money, and when they did, they were not the kind of band who'd have been happy to squander it all on drugs and fur coats like proper rock stars.
I love Chumbawamba. Their association with Crass (who I also like) helped. There is a DVD of their last concert called "Going...going...Gone". Alice Nutter dressed as a nun smoking, drinking, and kick dancing is the highlight for me.
I saw them at Glastonbury during the Anarchy era and she was dressed as a nun with a gas mask on. Looked great
@@tomobrien5345
Have a word with your patron saint,
Cover up the cracks with a lick of paint.
All the exits are double locked
Because St Sebastian sways but he doesn't rock.
I remember when I first got into Crass, my punk friend told me one of the members of Chumbawamba had played with them my brain just hit the floor.
As a big fan of Chumbawamba, I wondered if your video would do them justice, and it really did. Well done!
On th e cover of the single one of the band is holding a copy of 'The Manual' by the KLF guys.
Diving down that rabbit hole will connect the dots between anarchists and pop number 1.
Amnesia. "and THIS is Billboard BREAKDOWN."
Complete Plebian 🎵we suffer from a long term memory loss I can’t remember...🎵
Their song Mary, Mary from the same album was also on the Stigmata soundtrack.
It's completely different in tone and I still love it.
Glad this is back, although knowing the history of this review and copyright, it may not last long.
Also, I can't hear "Amnesia" anymore without thinking about Billboard Breakdown.
I didn't realize until I watched this that Amnesia is the opening to Billboard Breakdown, a show I've watched religiously since 2015..... What?
I want to comment that this video on Chumbawamba inspired me to look at a lot of their other music, and I'm really glad about that. Thank you for this series. I'm sure it's probably helped turn people on to other artists' fuller catalogues.
You made me wanna listen to more of this band
I'd recommend you pick up "What you see is what you get" (WYSIWYG), I would personally call it their best album, and one of their more accessible ones.
Anarchy, Readymades & Pictures of Starving Children Sell Records are highly recommended, too.
is that the tmbg cover at the end? i've waited for the day they show up here. maybe an episode on birdhouse in your soul sometime?
This is still one of my favorite intros because the cut from the piano to the song isn't really expected and just makes it feel even more awesome.
You know, I'm noticing that a very, very large number of my favorite songs are on your "One Hit Wonderland" series. Huh.
My vids are down
But i post them again
TH-cam's never gonna keep me down
you win so many points for putting the TMBG version at the end. Thank you :D
The end covers are always the best
If there's one ep of OHW I've been dying but never got to it's this. Thanks man 😎
Still nuts that they managed to get a song that has "pissing the night away" as its chorus on the radio
Always found it interesting how this song was so big in the US when its such a british and 'laddish' sounding song.
Ever heard of "Down Under"? Songs that are basically stereotypes for other countries do well with Americans.
The entire Tubthumper album is solid stuff. I revisit it every couple of years and there's not a single track I skip. (The end of track skits, yes.) The musical complexity exemplified by the end of "Tubthumping" where the "we'll be singing....", "pissing the night away...", and "I get knocked down..." phrases are all intertwined happens several other times across the album. "Scapegoat" is a total banger track, too.
This song has a lot of significance to me. I used to listen to it all the time with my uncle. Nostalgia at its finest!
I love their song "Whatever happened to Mary" from the sound track for Stigmata. Such a good soundtrack. That and they also had a bunch of beautiful original music in the film Revengers Tragedy.
I always wondered why this band looked so much like they were straight British punk (Sex Pistols style real punk) but put out a pop anthem like Tubthumping. Now I know. This channel is amazing! Keep up all the good work! I am having a ball going through your playlist.
Speaking of that very same Chumbawumba album, the song "Mary Mary" was featured in the movie STIGMATA.
Also, I still hear "Amnesia" on the radio when it does 90's throwback weekends.
Moskau by dschingis khan... For one hit wonderland
Jake Tucker I think there title song was also a hit
redblueandgray well obviously it wasn't in up the us
They had more than 1 hit. Their most known hit is probably Dschingis Khan.
Their album Readymades is phenomenal. It's like dance music for the heartbroken. I'm a huge fan from top to bottom
That intro with the sudden aggressive fist pumping made me die laughing!
I had never seen this episode until now. Man this was good shit. Thanks Todd!
Chubbawumba: “We’re the most interesting one hit wonder by far!”
Midnight Oil: “Hold my beer.”
"Hold ma pint, mate."*
I thought this song was just a dumb party anthem from a mediocre band with a catchy beat like a lot of one-hits but damn chumbawamba were a legit force to be reckoned with. True punks who stuck to their beliefs and didn’t let “selling out” go to their heads. I learn so much from these OHW videos, Todd!
You should do a video on Radiohead with the song "Creep."
Just kidding, that would be sacrilege.
That would be like calling Gorillaz a one hit wonder because of Feel Good Inc.
11:30 ‘card carrying anarchist’ OH THE IRONY! Lov yur presentations Todd.
I had no idea Chumbawamba was a punk band, but tubthumping makes Way more sense to me now. It feels like a 'realistic' punk anthem, where instead of ranting and preaching about how things Should be, they are dealing with and getting through how things still Are. To me, the song and it's context end up saying "The world sucks and people are screwing each other and we need revolution etc etc.. but I'm just one person in this machine and i still need to eat and sleep and pay bills. So to deal with this Mountain of Bullshit we live in, I'm going to get black out drunk with my friends."
As a fan of Chumbawamba from their anarcho-punk beginnings and even struggling but succeeding in enjoying their later pop-ish albums, I chuckled a bit as Todd tried going through their discography...which is ample and diverse. I kinda wish he added a bit about the acapella version of 'The Day The Last Nazi Dies'
A great chumba wumba song "always tell the voter what the voter wants to hear" great folk punk.
I came in here already knowing all this so let me say, you did good lad. You did real good.
Likewise, and agreed.
My love for their album Picture of Starving Children... is probably top 20. Def.
I was once grocery shopping and a woman passed by with her cart. Her 3-4 year old daughter was lying on the bottom rack and started loudly singing Tubthumping and the woman looked confused/embarrassed and apologized to everyone else in the aisle.
No mention about how this is apparently Dick Tracy's favorite song?
El Fusilado is such a fantastic and catchy song that’ll never get enough recognition
True