Manic Street Preachers hit #2 on UK charts with 'The Love of Richard Nixon

[Wat_Tyler]

How's that for situationism?

(for the uninitiated, the Manic Street Preachers are the most eloquent left-wing political band on the planet, and have been for the past 15 years)

Here are the lyrics.

The world on your shoulders
The love of your mother
The fear of the future
The best years behind you
The world is getting older
The times they fall behind you
The need it still grows stronger
The best years never found you

The love of Richard Nixon, death without assasination
The love of Richard Nixon, yeah they all betrayed you
The love of Richard Nixon, death without assasination
Yeah they all betrayed you
Yeah and your country too

Love build around the sandy beaches
Love rains down like Vietnam's leeches
Richard the third in the White House
Cowering behind divided curtains

The world is getting older
The times they fall behind you
The need it still grows stronger
The best years never found you

Ah, the love of richard nixon, death without assasination
The love of Richard Nixon, yeah they all betrayed you
The love of Richard Nixon, death without assasination
Yeah they all betrayed you
Yeah and your country too

The love of Richard Nixon, death without assasination
The love of Richard Nixon, yeah they all betrayed you
People forget China and your war on cancer
Yeah they all betrayed you
Yeah and your country too

In all the decisions I have made in my public life,
I have always tried to do what was best for the nation.
I have never been a quitter

[vi5]

1. They are still around?

I'll be honest with you, all I remember about that band was their first album which I remember being pure cock-rock, bordering on Guns and Roses sounding.

I've heard the odd song here and there since then and have enjoyed them but for some silly reason whenever I hear their name mentioned I think of that first album.

[Wat_Tyler]

2. The first album is a total glam-metal record.

I actually rather like it, but as a German friend pointed out, if you take away the political lyrics, it's pretty much the Scorpions.

[vi5]

3. Yeah, it wasn't bad but maybe I didn't pick up on the political stuff

...then again, it wasn't really promoted all that much here in the states. It wasn't horrible I just remember reading about them and expecting something along the lines of the clash or more rowdy political punk and the disconnect between expectations and the reality of the sound of that first record threw me off.

[Wat_Tyler]

4. They definitely matured with age.

The first two records are half-decent glam-punk with metal persuasions. After that they settled into a pretty good position, like a rockier New Order.

[vi5]

5. I think I'm going to finally re-check them out....

This conversation has inspired me. I will re-examine their recorded output.

[Wat_Tyler]

6. Neat. There's a compilation out - Forever Delayed.