First a music lesson Oi! It’s a strand of music which came out of punk in the late 1970’s early 1980’s lead by bands such as Sham69 and the Angelic Upstarts. A blend of Skinhead and Punk it pulled away from the commercial punk scene of the Clash and the Jam etal and started afresh with simple if not crude “melodies” and lyrics that echoed the experiences of the band members. Often playful and always po-go-able the scene drew in many people from both subcultures. Me among them.
So since becoming a Christian I have looked hard to find a christen band that plays “Oi!” to a decent level and with good lyrics. I have at last found a good song in this style by a band called Flatfoot 56 (see last week’s Amazing Grace post). Not only are they an “Oi!” band they also take the pogues as one of their influences and have added Scottish bagpipes to their sounds.
This song is about the fight we all face. The battle that is within us but it also hints at our brothers standing beside us and how if we fall Jesus will pick us up. The lyrics are as follows:-
I remember the boys who took a stand,
Who stood there strong when things got rough,
They would shout and scream at the things that were tough,
No weapon formed against them would live,
A punch to the face, a kick to the rib
Their cause was justice and they strove to be pure,
All of hell shook when their knees hit the floor,
Never look back never give up,
There’s someone behind who will pick you up,
I got a sword in my hand and I’m ready for the attack.
Raise up the flag let them see,
Our creed is a symbol for those who are free,
We fight against evil, we fight against sin,
Our battles not outward, our battles within.
Here is their video version. I hope you like it.
