I think "the Answer" is ...
from various on the LFW:

9 July 1998

PTKOLB

And no-one seems to know about
The death-wish that they've signed

Ah, life's unkind  ... Ah, life's unkind
Life's unkind, life's unkind

From poor old U2 to poor old Simple Minds
No amnesty for murderers of poor old working class
Rope or gas, rope or gas, rope or gas
No amnesty for murderers of poor old working class
Rope or gas, rope or gas ...

I've found myself singing this verse a lot the past couple days and I started wondering about it ...

Any one have an idea of what they were intending here?   I came up with a few possibilities:

1. U2 and Simple Minds were struggling to fulfill their big dollar, long-term record deals when they were both dying creatively (imho!)?
2. These two bands had postured to the proletariat but
it sounded empty coming from millionaires?
3. These two bands were sincerely representing the downtrodden?
4. People were always replying "Bless You" whenever Achtung Baby! was said?
5. It has been a long ways from Johnny & the Self Abusers (SM) and Boy-era (U2) and these bands were vastly different than their origins?
6. They disliked these bands?
7. They liked these
bands?
8. These two bands made a big deal out of working with Amnesty International?

OK, there are my eight guesses, although I'm voting for number 1. I am quite confident that someone else better understands this. Any other ideas?

R. Laughton

I've always thought along the lines of number 2. I have the same impression of the ("new") Labour Party in the UK.

D. Maciuszek

I've been thinking about this, too, for some time. I think the answer's (2), as well as (5). Wasn't someone doing a most-pointlessly-nasty-TBS-quote poll ? I'd surely have voted for these lines.

Can you imagine this was played on British Forces' Broadcasting Station (BFBS) ? It's one of those tunes where the melody is so sweet that the radio people don't regognize it's actually a fight song for communist world revolution.

Twinkle

I'd go for number 8, I know for sure Jim Kerr et al were/are heavily into the amnesty international thing.

T. Wai-Poi

I think the word old is the key here.

They are talking about the bands U2 and simple minds which have been around for over a decade each, still churning out material, and making obscene amounts of money.

But they have lost their creative way. The material they are releasing has become tired. Life's unkind upon the bands for taking away their creative thoughts, time has not treated these bands well.

They should be put out of their misery. (Rope or Gas)

There is possible a little of the Housemartin-esque comments on the bands forgetting their roots. Both bands started as "working class bands", yet their lyrics no longer reflect this working class appeal.

I find this kind of ironic since Paul Heaton, has headed in the same direction.

So I guess that means I'm for 1 or 2.

PTKOLB

I think the same thing. Almost 20 years of U2 and SM have really left me disinterested. I think the last few releases from each have been crap. I think its kind of funny but the last time I actually paid for a record from either of these bands was about the same time I bought my first HM record!

They'd signed big multi-record deals and were "choking" (on rope or gas) to continue releasing records. Don't get me wrong- I really enjoy some of these bands' material and have seen them both in concert (U2 in 1982,1983 and SM in 1985) would see them again if it was convenient- but I don't sit on the steps waiting for their new releases like I have for HM/TBS.

Your comments on Paul's irony are thought-provoking as well. It also makes me wonder if it is perhaps a bit of Paul's sharp tongue turning sour grapes into an intoxicating song--U2 and SM were "big rock stars" and the PH projects have been sadly under-appreciated outside of the UK and are really much more deserving (in the 90s).

Life's unkind to the masses because in turning U2 into superstars, they created and sustained them and are ultimately left to suffer with each new release.

Life's unkind to the superstars because it forces them to go on when they shouldn't. Lifes unkind to TBS by the masses not supporting them. Life's also unkind to the masses because they are missing out on them.

Aaron

I would have to disagree with you here:   "Both bands started as "working class bands", yet their lyrics no longer reflect this working class appeal. I find this kind of ironic since Paul Heaton, has headed in the same direction"

Want to explain this better? I don't see it happening.

T. Wai-Poi

What I was meaning from the above, was that the mentioned bands started off with some politically aimed lyrics, and songs which supported the working class. Now their lyrics do not contain the same level of "socialism and social commentary".

Paul Heaton started off as very political and songs aimed towards social commentary. This was with the Housemartins. Over the last few albums he has stepped away from this kind of thing.

Paul supported movements like the miners strike in his early years, now his music does not tend to show the same kind of support. Have a read of the Housemartin biography, and this demonstrates the changing attitude of Paul Heaton's lyrics.

He has changed what he is writing about. Sure he still has the occasional strong "working class" lyric, but not as strong as in the Housemartins.

Escapology

I was always kind of leaning towards #6 but i never really thought that much about it.

James

The song is very cheerful and bright until the final verse -- and I think that represents a lot of people's lives.... cheerful and bright, until their final days. So the band has become very successful, forgiven the people they used to hate, sworn that they won't become the scum they met en route, and are toasting their drinks to a world where everybody's happy and equal....and they think the answer's yes to their toasts . But then you start thinking of death and can get kinda depressed. Rope or gas, or old age, you're going to die sometime.

... trust me, I'm going somewhere with this ...

"And no-one seems to know about the death-wish that they've signed"

If you think about it, life is a terminal disease that everybody is given at birth. There isn't a person -- no matter how successful -- that has found a cure for this disease. You know how when people find out they are going to die because of a disease, they tend to forgive people, tell their parents 'I love you', try to make the world a better place, live life to the fullest...? Well how is this really any different than all of us who are healthy? We're all going to die, except we have a longer time frame for it to happen. So shouldn't we all be forgiving people, telling our parents "I love you", trying to make the world a better place, and living life to the fullest? Well, I think the answer's yes.

... have I lost you yet? ... are you still with me?

Maybe that's why life's unkind. We all work hard to become better than our peers. Some seek fame and fortune and become as successful as U2 and Simple Minds. But life's unkind because at the end of the day, no matter how successful you are, you've still got that terminal disease. Rope or gas, or old age, you're going to die sometime. (U2 and Simple minds work and earn money ... so, like the rest of us, they're still "working class". They think they've murdered the "working class" within them, but they haven't.

What do you think?