Chumbawamba are an English band that started out playing Anarcho-punk, but over a 25-year career have gone on to play music ranging from pop-influenced dance music and world music to acoustic folk music. The band are best known for their song “Tubthumping” and are generally influenced by anarchist political stances and an irreverent attitude to authority.
Tubthumping
Chumbawama The song addresses themes such as being defeated, but rising again:
I get knocked down, but I get up again; you’re never gonna keep me down
The liner notes on the album Tubthumper, from which “Tubthumping” was the first single, puts the song in a radical context, quoting a UK anti-road protester, Paris 1968 graffiti, details about the famous McLibel case and the short story “The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner”. The album version of the song opens with a sample of a monologue performed by Pete Postlethwaite in the movie Brassed Off:
Truth is, I thought it mattered. I thought that music mattered. But does it? Bollocks! Not compared to how people matter.
Near the end of the song, the melody of the Prince of Denmark’s March is played on a horn.
http://djallyn.org/media/Chumbawamba-Tubthumping.flv(We’ll be singing, when we’re winning, we’ll be singing)
I get knocked down, but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down
I get knocked down, but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down
I get knocked down, but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down
I get knocked down, but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down(Pissing the night away, pissing the night away)
He drinks a Whiskey drink, he drinks a Vodka drink
He drinks a Lager drink, he drinks a Cider drink
He sings the songs that remind him of the good times
He sings the songs that remind him of the better times
(Oh Danny Boy, Danny Boy, Danny Boy)I get knocked down, but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down
I get knocked down, but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down
I get knocked down, but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down
I get knocked down, but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down(Pissing the night away, pissing the night away)
He drinks a Whiskey drink, he drinks a Vodka drink
He drinks a Lager drink, he drinks a Cider drink
He sings the songs that remind him of the good times
He sings the songs that remind him of the better times
(Don’t cry for me, next door neighbour)I get knocked down, but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down
I get knocked down, but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down
I get knocked down, but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down
I get knocked down, but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me downI get knocked down, (we’ll be singing) but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down (when we’re winning)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing) but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down (ooh)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing) but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down (when we’re winning)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing) but I get up again
You’re never gonna keep me down (ooh)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing)
But I get up again (pissing the night away)
You’re never gonna keep me down (when we’re winning)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing)
But I get up again (pissing the night away)
You’re never gonna keep me down (ooh)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing)
But I get up again (pissing the night away)
You’re never gonna keep me down (when we’re winning)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing)
But I get up again (pissing the night away)
You’re never gonna keep me down (ooh)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing)
But I get up again (pissing the night away)
You’re never gonna keep me down (when we’re winning)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing)
But I get up again (pissing the night away)
You’re never gonna keep me down (ooh)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing)
But I get up again (pissing the night away)
You’re never gonna keep me down (when we’re winning)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing)
But I get up again (pissing the night away)
You’re never gonna keep me down (ooh)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing)
But I get up again (pissing the night away)
You’re never gonna keep me down (when we’re winning)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing)
But I get up again (pissing the night away)
You’re never gonna keep me down (ooh)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing)
But I get up again (pissing the night away)
You’re never gonna keep me down (when we’re winning)
I get knocked down, (we’ll be singing)
But I get up again (pissing the night away)
You’re never gonna keep me down (ooh)
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