“Going Underground”. The Jam. Vídeo, letra e información.

Difíciles de clasificar. Activos desde finales de los 70, el grupo británico combinó tendencias punk rock, mode y New Wave. Liderados por Paul Weller, que formaría Style Council al disolverse The Jam en 1982, abandonaron el look dejado e inconformista y pusieron de moda los ochenteros trajes con pitillo ajustado que dejaba ver los calcetines blancos, y las corbatas estrechas.

Su primer número uno en las listas británicas y uno de sus temas más internacionales fue Going Underground publicado en 1980. Fueron uno de los grupos ingleses más representativos de la época y se retiraron con cuatro Top One en las listas inglesas.

A pesar del tono fresco y desenfadado de la canción, incluye, como muchas otras de The Jam, severas críticas a la policía inglesa que se enfrentaba a las protestas obreras, y al uso de dinero público en armas en lugar de gastarlo en sanidad. No falta una mirada acusatoria a la sociedad que con tal de tener más dinero es capaz de relajar el nivel de exigencia frente a sus representantes.

Some people might say my life is in a rut,
But I’m quite happy with what I got
People might say that I should strive for more,
But I’m so happy I can’t see the point.
Somethings happening here today
A show of strength with your boy’s brigade and,
I’m so happy and you’re so kind
You want more money – of course I don’t mind
To buy nuclear textbooks for atomic crimes
And the public gets what the public wants
But I want nothing this society’s got –
I’m going underground, (going underground)
Well the brass bands play and feet start to pound
Going underground, (going underground)
Well let the boys all sing and the boys all shout for tomorrow
Some people might get some pleasure out of hate
Me, I’ve enough already on my plate
People might need some tension to relax
Mem, I’m too busy dodging between the flak
What you see is what you get
You’ve made your bed, you better lie in it
You choose your leaders and place your trust
As their lies wash you down and their promises rust
You’ll see kidney machines replaced by rockets and guns
And the public wants what the public gets
But I don’t get what this society wants
I’m going underground, (going underground)
Well the brass bands play and feet start to pound
Going underground, (going underground)
Well let the boys all sing and the boys all shout for tomorrow
We talk and talk until my head explodes
I turn on the news and my body froze
The braying sheep on my TV screen
Make this boy shout, make this boy scream!
Going underground, I’m going underground!