Grounds by Idles (2020)

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Grounds Cover

Idles, an English rock band formed in 2009, Bristol. The band consist of 5 personnels; Joe Talbot(vocals), Mark Bowen (guitar), Lee Kiernan (guitar), Adam Devonshire (bass) and Jon Beavis (drums). The single Grounds is from the band’s Ultra Mono album, released in September 2020. [1]

Idles the Band

Key Lyrics

There’s nothing brave and nothing useful

You scrawlin’ your aggro shit on the walls of the cubicle

Sayin' my race and class ain’t suitable

So I raise my pink fist and say black is beautiful

Do you hear that thunder?

That's the sound of strength in numbers

I am I

Unify

I am I

Unify,

unify,

unify [2]

Black Empowerment

Idles took their anger into something positive, their anger turned into song. Grounds written with the current situations, the state of affairs in mind. The track is perfect to sum up with the situation happened in the world right now.

The band’s vocalist said about the song Grounds in an interview:

“We wanted to write a song that embodied self-belief, and gave us self-belief—a counter-punch to all the doubt we build up from all the noise we so easily let in. We wanted to make the sound of our own hearts’ marching band, armed with a jackhammer and a smile. We wanted to make the sound of our engine starting. So we did. Thank you.” [3]

They took part in supporting the Black Lives Matters movement and protests by conducting fundraising. As well as represented by their song, Grounds, also expresses solidarity and unity, shown in line, “So I raise my pink fist and say, ‘Black is beautiful’”. As well as calling for unity in the line, “Do you hear that thunder? / That’s the sound of strength in numbers” and “I am I / Unify”.

The band’s anger voicing their frustration of inequality in the society, especially between Black and White communities. The song’s lyrics also contain a meaningful, anti-racist message. For Idles, this is not their first time using music to talk about social and political issues, as in their previous song, commenting on Brexit in Great. [4]

References

  1. Idles. Wikipedia. Retrieved January 18, 2021
  2. Grounds IDLES. Genius. Retrieved January 18, 2021]
  3. Stewart, Laura. IDLES Release Single “Grounds” and Announce Third Album, Ultra Mono. 25yearslatersite. June 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2021
  4. Marshall, Ellen-Woods. Single Review: Grounds // IDLES. Indiependent. June 25, 2020. Retrieved February 6, 2021