Crass - Big A Little A

This has to be one of my favourite punk songs of all time. Coming on the b-side of "Nagasaki Nightmare" (1980), There's nothing I can say about Crass that hasn't been written about before by many others. But for me, personally I was first exposed to Crass in around 1985 and since then have always come back to handful of songs that I rate and can still enjoy and listen to as well as "Big A Little A" such as: "Working Class Rip Off", "I Ain't Thick, It's Just a Trick", "Banned From The Roxy", "Reality Whitewash", "Rival Tribal Rebel Revel", "How Does It Feel", and maybe one or two others. The rest I can live without.

Here are the crucial lyrics and two clips. The first is the audio of the original track and the second clip is a great live clip of Steve Ignorant from Crass on stage with Conflict at the infamous "Gathering Of The 500" gig at the Brixton Academy in 1987.

We Don't Want Your F**king War

After the death toll of British soldiers reaches 184 n Afghanistan, topping the 179 killed so far in Iraq, I am reminded of one of the greatest ever anti-war songs by the legendary anarcho punk group Crass with `How Does It Feel' released in 1983, a comment on the Falklands War and lyrics aimed at the head of Margaret Thatcher, A record that resulted in an attempted prosecution by the government under the Obscene Publications Act.

The lyrics still strike a chord today, especially the lines:

"Throughout our history you and your kind
Have stolen the young bodies of the living
To be twisted and torn in filthy war"

"You say "Think of what those young men gave"
As you try to bind us in your living death"

For full lyrics click here.