Going Underground

"Going Underground"
Single by The Jam
B-side	The Dreams of Children
Released	10th March 1980
Format	7" vinyl
Genre	Punk rock, Mod Revival
Length	2:50
Label	Polydor (UK)
Writer(s)	Paul Weller
Producer	Vic Coppersmith-Heaven
The Jam singles chronology
"The Eton Rifles" (1979) "Going Underground" (1980) "Start!" (1980)

Going Underground, back of single cover

"Going Underground" is the first British number-one chart single by The Jam, released in March 1980. It went straight in at number one, a rare feat at the time, and spent three weeks at the top. It was the first of three instant chart-toppers for the group.

Song profile

"Going Underground" was not released on any of the band's six studio albums initially, although it has appeared on many compilation/re-releases since then. The single's B-side was "Dreams of Children", which had originally been intended to be the A-side; following a mix-up at the pressing plant, the single became a double-A-side, and DJs tended to choose the more melodic "Going Underground" to play on the radio.

The song provided the inspiration for the Nemesis the Warlock character in the weekly comic book 2000 AD.^[1] The song was parodied in 2004 by the Amateur Transplants as "London Underground", a humorous song full of abuse at the London Underground Strike. It was also turned into "Go England" by Virgin Radio for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.^[2] In March 2005, Q magazine placed "Going Underground" at number 73 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks, and in October 2006 placed it at number 98 in their list of the 100 Greatest Songs Ever.

Lyrics

The song includes several indictments of the British policy on arms, and challenges its relative emphasis compared with social provision. It also points a telling finger at the "public" (ie electorate).

You want more money of course I don't mind / To buy nuclear textbooks for Atomic crimes

This line is a reference to the UK's commitment to nuclear weapons, implying (through the use of "I don't mind") a level of acceptance on the part of the general populace to the study ("textbooks") of annihilation - whereas,

You'll see kidney machines replaced by rockets and guns

highlights governmental choice to channel investment into weaponry at the expense of life-saving health care.

Cultural impact

The song has been used as the theme song for Air America Radio's The Majority Report.

The song is played at the end of the movie Football Factory.

The song has also been used by the 'Amateur Transplants' for their parody, 'London Underground'.

Welsh rock band Lostprophets have covered the song both in studio and live. the studio cover appears as a b-side to 4:AM Forever and the Punk The Clock Volume 3 compilation.

Manfred Mann's Earth Band released a cover version as the opening track of their 1986 album Criminal Tango.

It is featured in the video game Rock Band as of September 1st, 2009.

References

1. ^ [1] Reference from 2000AD website
2. ^ "Going Underground". The Truck Driver's Gear Change Hall of Shame. http://www.gearchange.org/descriptions/The%20Jam%20-%20Going%20Underground.html. Retrieved 2007-01-28.