I might be wrong but I've always assumed that the "Sus-sus-sus-sus-pect device" chorus was a reference to the highly controversial "sus laws" that were in force in the UK in the late 70s/early 80s. Essentially, you could be arrested if a police officer merely suspected that you might be thinking of committing a crime. Yes, seriously...(the law was repealed in the 80s)
@smallard Thanks for the interpretation! I was just 4 years old, when this song was published, luck of late birth! This is one of the greatest punk songs I like!
@smallard Thanks for the interpretation! I was just 4 years old, when this song was published, luck of late birth! This is one of the greatest punk songs I like!
Funnily when I first heard this, I thought of a Smartphone as a suspect device (because I thought it might be of the last decade, as a post punk song, Spotify knows me better than I myself, there is so much music out there which still needs to be discovered....). But the law in UK in the early Thatcher years was completely bullshit. I have the feeling today the liberty or...
Funnily when I first heard this, I thought of a Smartphone as a suspect device (because I thought it might be of the last decade, as a post punk song, Spotify knows me better than I myself, there is so much music out there which still needs to be discovered....). But the law in UK in the early Thatcher years was completely bullshit. I have the feeling today the liberty or freedom is again in danger....most people just don't care about personal freedom and rights as long as it feels fluffy and creamy enough. The golden cage problem, if you are not aware,...
@smallard A "suspect device" was a phrase used during The Troubles. It refers to a bomb. In these lyrics it symbolizes the singer as a "suspect device". A man so angry about the situation he is a bomb about to explode.
@smallard A "suspect device" was a phrase used during The Troubles. It refers to a bomb. In these lyrics it symbolizes the singer as a "suspect device". A man so angry about the situation he is a bomb about to explode.
@smallard Hi mate, nope, I grew up in NI during the Troubles conflict there, and a "suspect device" was any concealed object which might be a bomb. The termin originated in N Ireland during the Troubles. It was commonly used in news reports of the period in N Ireland, e.g., "The centre of X town was sealed off by the army while attempts were made to defuse a suspect device". Jake Burns' deliberate stammering was just something done for effect, in the best rock tradition of e.g. The Who's deliberate stammer on "My Generation"...
@smallard Hi mate, nope, I grew up in NI during the Troubles conflict there, and a "suspect device" was any concealed object which might be a bomb. The termin originated in N Ireland during the Troubles. It was commonly used in news reports of the period in N Ireland, e.g., "The centre of X town was sealed off by the army while attempts were made to defuse a suspect device". Jake Burns' deliberate stammering was just something done for effect, in the best rock tradition of e.g. The Who's deliberate stammer on "My Generation"
I might be wrong but I've always assumed that the "Sus-sus-sus-sus-pect device" chorus was a reference to the highly controversial "sus laws" that were in force in the UK in the late 70s/early 80s. Essentially, you could be arrested if a police officer merely suspected that you might be thinking of committing a crime. Yes, seriously...(the law was repealed in the 80s)
@smallard Thanks for the interpretation! I was just 4 years old, when this song was published, luck of late birth! This is one of the greatest punk songs I like!
@smallard Thanks for the interpretation! I was just 4 years old, when this song was published, luck of late birth! This is one of the greatest punk songs I like!
Funnily when I first heard this, I thought of a Smartphone as a suspect device (because I thought it might be of the last decade, as a post punk song, Spotify knows me better than I myself, there is so much music out there which still needs to be discovered....). But the law in UK in the early Thatcher years was completely bullshit. I have the feeling today the liberty or...
Funnily when I first heard this, I thought of a Smartphone as a suspect device (because I thought it might be of the last decade, as a post punk song, Spotify knows me better than I myself, there is so much music out there which still needs to be discovered....). But the law in UK in the early Thatcher years was completely bullshit. I have the feeling today the liberty or freedom is again in danger....most people just don't care about personal freedom and rights as long as it feels fluffy and creamy enough. The golden cage problem, if you are not aware,...
@smallard A "suspect device" was a phrase used during The Troubles. It refers to a bomb. In these lyrics it symbolizes the singer as a "suspect device". A man so angry about the situation he is a bomb about to explode.
@smallard A "suspect device" was a phrase used during The Troubles. It refers to a bomb. In these lyrics it symbolizes the singer as a "suspect device". A man so angry about the situation he is a bomb about to explode.
@smallard Hi mate, nope, I grew up in NI during the Troubles conflict there, and a "suspect device" was any concealed object which might be a bomb. The termin originated in N Ireland during the Troubles. It was commonly used in news reports of the period in N Ireland, e.g., "The centre of X town was sealed off by the army while attempts were made to defuse a suspect device". Jake Burns' deliberate stammering was just something done for effect, in the best rock tradition of e.g. The Who's deliberate stammer on "My Generation"...
@smallard Hi mate, nope, I grew up in NI during the Troubles conflict there, and a "suspect device" was any concealed object which might be a bomb. The termin originated in N Ireland during the Troubles. It was commonly used in news reports of the period in N Ireland, e.g., "The centre of X town was sealed off by the army while attempts were made to defuse a suspect device". Jake Burns' deliberate stammering was just something done for effect, in the best rock tradition of e.g. The Who's deliberate stammer on "My Generation"