Masses Against the Classes
Manic Street Preachers
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THE COUNTRY WAS FOUNDED ON THE PRINCIPLE THAT THE PRIMARY ROLE OF THE GOVERNMENT IS TO PROTECT PROPERTY FROM THE MAJORITY AND SO IT REMAINS 1, 2, 3, 4 Hello it's us again We're still so in love with you And yes we mean it too Yes we're so in love with you Hello it's us again You thought you were our friends Success is an ugly word Especially in your tiny world The masses against the classes I'm tired of giving a reason When the future is what we believe in We love winter It brings us closer together So can you hurt us anymore Can you feel like it was before Or are you lost forever more Messed up and dead on alcohol Hello, fond farewell my dears I hope you hear this nice and clear Our love is unconditional Our hate is yours to feed upon The masses against the classes I'm tired of giving a reason When the future is what we believe in We love the winter It brings us closer together The masses against the classes I'm tired of giving a reason When we're the only thing left to believe in We love the winter It brings us closer together A SLAVE BEGINS BY DEMANDING JUSTICE AND ENDS BY WANTING TO WEAR A CROWN
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Written by: JAMES BRADFIELD, NICHOLAS JONES, SEAN MOORE
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
8 facts about this song
Release & Chart Performance"The Masses Against the Classes" was released by Manic Street Preachers on January 10, 2000. Despite its political message, the song achieved chart success and became the band's second number 1 single on the UK Singles Chart.
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Lyrics & ThemeThe song takes its title from a quote by 19th century British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone: "All the world over, I will back the masses against the classes". This quote also prefaces the song on the single.
- The lyrics are a biting critique of societal class divide and inequalities, which is a recurring theme in Manic Street Preachers' works.
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Limited Release & WithdrawalThe single's release was strictly limited to 200,000 copies and was deleted on the day of release, meaning that no more copies were produced. This led to the unusual situation of a number one record dropping straight out of the Top 20 in its second week of chart eligibility and exit from the Top 40 two weeks later.
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Music VideoThe music video for "The Masses Against the Classes" was directed by W.I.Z., who had previously worked with other artists like Oasis and Arctic Monkeys. The video was filmed on the Severn Beach line, a local railway in Bristol, UK.
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Live PerformancesThe song became a crowd favourite at live shows, often being the choice for opening, and was part of their setlist for their 2002 Long Black Coat tour.
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Audio SampleThe intro of the song features a short sample of Noam Chomsky delivering a lecture, while the end uses a sample from a speech given by British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. These samples further add to the political commentaries embedded in the song.
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Return to StyleAccording to many fans and critics, "The Masses Against The Classes" was seen as a return to the Manic Street Preachers' earlier, more political and 'rockier' style after their more commercial album "This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours".
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AwardsEven with its limited release, the single went on to win the "Best Track" award at the 2000 NME Premier Awards.
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Citation
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