Tubthumping

Words and music, Chumbawumba

I was unable to find if all their songs were credited as group collaborations, but this one was. For years I had been hearing, from a number of sources, that the group broke up after the success of this song. Fighting about the money, I was told. But actually, they were a going concern for almost a third of a century, from 1982 to 2012.

Their stance was said to be anachro-communist/libertarian socialist. They made an EP called In Memorian: Margaret Thatcher intended to be released after her death, which it was in 2013, the year after they broke up. Incidentally, at their final UK show a group in the front row all wore Margaret Thatcher masks.

Chumbawumba drew from punk rock and folk as well as pop. They backed a number of social and political causes, were indeed in the forefront of the ‘80s arachno-punk movement, playing benefits for a number of causes. By the late ‘80s and early ‘90s day jobs were left behind, and the band became a full time concern, going in more pop-y techno and rave-inspired directions. In the late ‘90s, the band turned down $1.5 million from Nike to use the song “Tubthumping” in a World Cup advertisement. According to the band, the decision took approximately thirty seconds to make.