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President Gas Lyrics
You have to have a party
When you're in a State like this
You can really move it all
You have to vote and change
You have to get right out of it
Like out of all this mess
You'll say yeah to anything
If you believe all this, but
Don't cry, don't do anything
No lies, back in the government
No tears, party time is here again
President gas is up for president
Line up, put your kisses down
Say yeah, say yes again
Stand up, there's a head count
President gas on everything but roller skates
It's sick the price of medicine
Stand up, we'll put you on your feet again
Open up your eyes
Just to check that your asleep again
President gas is president gas again
He comes in from the left sometimes
He comes in from the right
It's so heavily advertised that he wants you and I
It's a real cowboy set, the electric company
Every day is happy days
It's hell without the sin, but
Don't cry, don't do anything
No lies, back in the government
No tears, party time is here again
President gas is up for president
Line up, put your kisses down
Say yeah, say yes again
Stand up, there's a head count
President gas on everything but roller skates
It's sick the price of medicine
Stand up, we'll put you on your feet again
Open up your eyes just to check that your asleep again
President gas is president gas agayyyy-ain
Wo-oh-ohh-ohh-ohhh!
President Gas
Oh!
President Gas
Waaaar!
President Gas
Oh!
President Gas
Waaaar!
President Gasss
Oh!
President Gasss
Waaaar--arr-arr arr ohh!
President Gasss
Waaaar--arr-arr arr ohh!
I don't think the song necessarily seeks to discredit any particular political philosophy so much as it communicates a certain disdain for elected officials in general. With regard to the left and right ends of the political spectrum, the lyrics, "He comes in from the left sometimes; he comes in from the right," suggest that a candidate's political party doesn't matter. He seems to be primarily focused on reelection and self-preservation regardless of his affiliations. As such, most candidates -- conservative, liberal, etc. -- are about the same once elected. (i.e. "President Gas is President Gas again.")
I think you are right. I wondered at the term 'president' considering that they are English but 'president' has three solid syllables whereas 'prime minister' is a bit clunky. More importantly though, it reinforces that they don't care that much about specific countries and specific variations of political philosophies within the basic, democratic paradigm. The whole point of the song seems to me to be, 'It doesn't make any damn difference; I still can't afford a bloody doctor'. Personally, I think its more a resigned cynicism, rather than any sort of call to arms.
I think you are right. I wondered at the term 'president' considering that they are English but 'president' has three solid syllables whereas 'prime minister' is a bit clunky. More importantly though, it reinforces that they don't care that much about specific countries and specific variations of political philosophies within the basic, democratic paradigm. The whole point of the song seems to me to be, 'It doesn't make any damn difference; I still can't afford a bloody doctor'. Personally, I think its more a resigned cynicism, rather than any sort of call to arms.
First, this song was not "written under Carter". The Furs had two albums before this one, they weren't still rehashing songs from before the band even started. It was written during the Reagan/Thatcher era. And why would a song about Carter, as opposed to Reagan, have references to cowboys, Happy Days, or the massive increase in health care costs?
Also, the idea that Carter was "far left" is ludicrous. I can just barely believe an American in 2009 who gets all his beliefs from Fox News could think that; there's no way a Brit who grew up in 60s/70s Labour England would see Carter as anything but center-right.
But the song isn't directly a critique of Reagan, either. The whole point of the song is "He comes in from the left sometimes, he comes in from the right." Everyone else—especially other new wave bands who'd come out of the post-punk movement like the Furs—was criticizing Maggie and Ronnie as if the world had been perfect before them and would be perfect again once they were gone. Richard Butler was pointing out that everyone who gets to the top in a political system is going to be someone whose only value is his ability to get to the top. Reagan was horrible, but whoever replaced him in 1984 would be horrible too.
It's December 2016 and for some reason I keep thinking of this song. Donald Trump has been elected president and it's about a month until his swearing in. If there was ever a President Gas it has to be Donald Trump. Even though the song was recorded almost thirty-five years prior. Look at the lyrics. If they don't say Donald Trump, then tell me who else fits!
@neon56 @neon56 YES drumpf is a poisonous gas, & it's looking more & more like he may well be the ACTUAL antichrist!
@neon56 @neon56 YES drumpf is a poisonous gas, & it's looking more & more like he may well be the ACTUAL antichrist!
@neon56 maybe they should re-do the song..."President Trump is President Trump again!"...
@neon56 maybe they should re-do the song..."President Trump is President Trump again!"...
Thinking of the moment and not commenting much. I could not pass on this: It appears to me that most artists usually express opinions of their own vision or actions in that moment (i.e.: Smiths (his sexual suppression in the 80’s) or Morrisey (lost and confused in the 90’s)) same person in a new package. Remember we are life in a fluid that rarely changes any color; in essence we only see through a glass prism. If this is a true political song - it would lean me toward an English Prime Minister. Knowing that there was a new president...
Thinking of the moment and not commenting much. I could not pass on this: It appears to me that most artists usually express opinions of their own vision or actions in that moment (i.e.: Smiths (his sexual suppression in the 80’s) or Morrisey (lost and confused in the 90’s)) same person in a new package. Remember we are life in a fluid that rarely changes any color; in essence we only see through a glass prism. If this is a true political song - it would lean me toward an English Prime Minister. Knowing that there was a new president in the United States (Reagan) inheriting a torn nation from the Vietnam War to the Iranian hostages in the Middle East; while dealing with Russia on the newly signed - Strategic Arms Limitation Talks II (Salt II treaty: 1979).
Reagan might be (arguably) the first outspoken MAGA (Make America Great Again) presidents; but we must ask ourselves when was America great or not great? This will depend on how you, the individual view’s this moment in time. He was also known to say, “It’s a new day”. This was so we could have a warm fuzzy feeling and to soften a severe recession we were experiencing in the 80’s. The nation was also coming out of an unpopular Carter presidency. The far right found an unconditional love with Reagan which in many ways caused the left to barely keep any peace within their own ranks, not unlike today’s right.
Peter Bart’s piece (November 5, 2020), “Donald Trump Stole the Reagan Strategy and Slogan but Failed to Make His Presidency Great Again”. So, if this song is in fact a political statement through poetry. I am not sure that Trump known for his grifting would be a good choice to reference here. Maybe, the Ford or Nixon cabinets (political rivels known to be caught in an oil and gas war that was created by OPEC or just the Iran and Iraq war raging in the middle east in 1979 to 1988). I could go deeper but I will digress from going any further into this topic. Although, “Make America Great Again” was a main part of the red wave that hit the US at that time ("Let's make America Great Again” or “We Can Make America Great Again.") was famously used in Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign ads at the time. The United States was suffering from a worsening economy marked by stagflation; he also used the motto “Every new day begins with possibilities” in many of his ads.
Seems to me this song works on two levels. On the face of it, could be about politics, but could equally be about drugs.
'Say yeah to anything', 'on everything but roller skates', "it's sick; the price of medicine" etc.
The gas could be NO2.
@v00n President gas Oh oh oh oh ohhh
@v00n President gas Oh oh oh oh ohhh
You have to have a party, when you're in a 'state' like this...
You have to have a party, when you're in a 'state' like this...
etc.
etc.
this song is absolutley brilliant i dont believe noone has commented,, id love to knwo if anyone out there would have the chords for this?
This is a great song for the sign of the times..everytime I hear it reminds me of the current state we are in.
This is a great song for the sign of the times..everytime I hear it reminds me of the current state we are in.
When the song came out everything seemed reaganesque, now that Trump won, he probably thinks this song is about him(no pun intended). Yesterday on the day China visits the fake president, some idiot calls for retaliation on Syrian gas attack that killed children, like China has a remarkable human rights record, part of the show like a peacock, Propaganda is used, to dismiss any signs of misconduct. Keep people in fear and they'll believe anything. Anyhoo Trump was probably at studio 54, with his hands on someones twat, by that age his affluenza would have kept him out of the mudd club or CBGB, he still 35 years later is still out of touch with reality, and very paranoid. What a great song that fits the times. Regards from Canada furs fans
@Nofan9 forgotten rebels, bomb the boats and feed ....
@Nofan9 forgotten rebels, bomb the boats and feed ....
Carter was gone by the time the song was written, or at least on his way out; Reagan had taken office. With that in mind, it is more likely the songs lines such as "it's sick, the price of medicine" deal with a Republican opposition to Health Care Reform as with The Carter Administration's failure to impliment a national Health Care System.
Bare in mind this song was written 7 years before I was born AND I'm British, so if I have this all wrong then apologies.
@jamesisnose One minor correction, on health care: Reagan wasn't opposed to health care reform. In fact, he was the one who wanted to reform the system—but in a disastrous way. He argued that allowing for-profit HMOs and completely deregulating the insurers would let the market magically fix the system. And when he won and implemented his plan, it had exactly the effect Anderson and Bush predicted in the primaries: insurance cartels and provider cartels began colluding, and prices skyrocketed, and they've never stopped.
@jamesisnose One minor correction, on health care: Reagan wasn't opposed to health care reform. In fact, he was the one who wanted to reform the system—but in a disastrous way. He argued that allowing for-profit HMOs and completely deregulating the insurers would let the market magically fix the system. And when he won and implemented his plan, it had exactly the effect Anderson and Bush predicted in the primaries: insurance cartels and provider cartels began colluding, and prices skyrocketed, and they've never stopped.
I think he was pretty disgusted with Thatcher-era politics as well as the previous left wing administrations' inability to get much done for the working man. That said, Butler was no fan of Reagan...
Oh, please, people. It's about Reagan, with Thatcher and politicians in general thrown in for good measure. jmesisnose and daniel82 are not off the mark, but we used to play this on college radio in the early and mid '80s and there wasn't any question who it was about.
Its quite obviously about their dislike for Ronald Reagan