Chelsea - Right To Work - 1977 45rpm

Chelsea - Right To Work

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Punk
• New
• Wave
• Chelsea
• Right
• To
• Work
• Gene
• October
• 1977
• 45rpm

[muzz1977]

Most punks I knew always avoided working while singing about the right to work !!! The right not to work would be better

[peterkvideo]

Yes! They are right! Unemployment is one of the greatest problems of capitalist society!

[reggaechicken]

..The lyrics themselves aren't much to go on: 'Standing around just waiting for our caviar, I don't take drugs no I don't drink beer'

The point is, just because we want a song to be about something, doesn't mean that it is. When I was a kid I assumed Depeche Mode's 'Master & Servant was a political song, then later I realised it was about s&m..

[reggaechicken]

@sceptiquele

I'm pro-trade union and I like Chelsea, got their first 2 albums anyway. I'm just telling you what the song is about, as was reported in the press at the time and mentioned in various punk histories/blogs over the years. I'd love this to be a working class socialist anthem, but it just happens that it isn't. It's a personal song based on the fact that he got turned away from jobs because of the closed shop. Nothing to do with strikes..

[sceptiquele]

@reggaechicken

But he doesn't mention trade unions one single time. Not even in a subtle way. And he speaks about not having a future, so this is obviously about general unemployment and not about short-time unemployment because of a temporary strike. And anyway: Trade unions being the reason for unemployment has been undeniably exposed as the propaganda lie it was by now.

[reggaechicken]

@sceptiquele

I think people assume it's a protest against unemployment from a left-wing p.o.v. but the SWP's 'right to work' campaign came later. when Gene wrote this he was complaining that he couldn't get a job because of the closed shop. the 'Right To Work' law was U.S. anti-trade union legislation outlawing the closed shop.

[sceptiquele]

@reggaechicken

Why the hell is this supposed to be an anti-trade union song?

[StevenRodriguez92]

love this !!!!! makes me want to get up and do wild stuff :D

[PunkyTom1962]

love this song ...( pure punkz )

[reggaechicken]

possibly the finest anti-trade union song ever written by a rent boy

[nathar40]

Occupy Wall Street unofficial theme song.

[WolvoExPunk]

Is it true when Chelsea played this song in Glasgow, that Rab C Nesbitt and Jamesie Cotter threw bottles at Gene October?