 The Specials (1979) [ larger cover art ] |
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Bernie Rhodes knows Don't Argue
Why must you record my phone calls?
Are you planning a bootleg LP?
Said you've been threatened by gangsters
Now it's you, that's threatening me
Can't fight corruption with con tricks
They use the law to commit crime
And I dread, dread to think what the future will bring
When we're living in gangster time
Don't call me scar face
Can't interrupt while I'm talking
Or they'll confiscate all your guitars
And Catch 22 says if I sing the truth
They won't make me an overnight star
Don't offer us legal protection
They use the law to commit crime
I dread to think what the future will bring
When we're living in real gangster time
Bernie Rhodes knows Don't Argue
| philinnz (Wellington, New Zealand) | Posted: Mar 06, 2013 - 03:14 I thought it was Madness - and I love it |
| perrygibbs | Posted: Mar 06, 2013 - 03:12 That's more like it! |
| cdysthe (Round Rock, TX and Oslo, Norway) | Posted: Jan 24, 2013 - 04:35 I was so tired of punk back then when The Specials came along with a new kind of party. |
| creekgirl | Posted: Jan 02, 2013 - 11:13 After a mess of myopic folkies and hipsters, the humor of ska and the Specials is so refreshing! |
| Shesdifferent (Just visiting this planet) | Posted: Jan 02, 2013 - 11:09 Nice to hear this from The Specials |
| msymmes (Toronto, CA) | Posted: Nov 22, 2012 - 11:32 Ska on Thanksgiving Day. Love it. |
| sajitjacob (Christchurch NZ) | Posted: Aug 29, 2012 - 18:31 Hey! have you been in my mind? Ska: no more than 2 tracks a day,"do not exceed stated dose" ziakut wrote: This is wonderful in smaller doses...much like the way I feel about Madness. |
| ziakut (The Windy City) | Posted: May 17, 2012 - 08:37 This is wonderful in smaller doses...much like the way I feel about Madness. |
| Proclivities (Carrboro, NC) | Posted: May 17, 2012 - 08:37 Foot wrote: Are you kidding! Instant classic circa 1982... Yes, great song - circa 1979, however. |
| johnjconn (chicago land) | Posted: Apr 25, 2012 - 07:22 Anger is better than pity. Be mad neuticle wrote: If you don't like this, I don't know if I feel sorry for you or am mad..tough one.. |
| SinisterDexter | Posted: Apr 15, 2012 - 15:02 neuticle wrote: If you don't like this, I don't know if I feel sorry for you or am mad..tough one.. I was just about to say: I'm not a big fan of the Specials, but I do like this one. |
| neuticle (fog fog fog) | Posted: Mar 24, 2012 - 14:08 If you don't like this, I don't know if I feel sorry for you or am mad..tough one.. |
| iTuner | Posted: Feb 21, 2012 - 21:40 Back in the day you either dug the Specials or you didn't. I loved them. |
| Stingray (NWO reloaded) | Posted: Jan 11, 2012 - 10:39 musicdan wrote: Great Friday afternoon music! ...give it a try on a rainy Monday morning! SPECIAL! |
| Foot (NorCal / Wine) | Posted: Dec 10, 2011 - 15:15 Are you kidding! Instant classic circa 1982... |
| trissi (allupinya) | Posted: Sep 16, 2011 - 12:37 musicdan wrote: Great Friday afternoon music! And how! |
| musicdan (West Coast of Michigan) | Posted: Sep 16, 2011 - 12:35 Great Friday afternoon music! |
| zenhead (Maine) | Posted: Aug 06, 2011 - 14:54 anything with that ska beat get's me skankin'! |
| afreelunch | Posted: May 13, 2011 - 12:16 For 30 years, have remebered this performance on SNL as one of the all-time best. After hearing now, went to YouTube to confirm. http://youtu.be/iP-0MIs_Jjk Verdict: Yep. |
| lasker98 (Canada) | Posted: May 13, 2011 - 11:59 great song that sounds as fresh now as it did when it first came out. |
| Proclivities (Carrboro, NC) | Posted: Jul 23, 2010 - 06:43 rickhoran wrote: don't call me scarface! I always thought he was saying "Don't call me snot-face". |
| NoEnzLefttoSplit | Posted: Jul 23, 2010 - 06:42 Did anything actually come of these guys regrouping? There was a report in the Grauny last year that they were getting back together. |
| ick (S.E. La Jolla) | Posted: Jun 21, 2010 - 09:53 lemmoth wrote: great song from a great record produced by Declan Patrick Aloyisius MacManus Elvis Costello |
| nerakdon (Colorado) | Posted: Jun 21, 2010 - 09:44 tapatia1072 wrote: FABULOUS set this morning! Thanks Bill for making my first Monday back at the office post-vacation a bearable - even pleasant - one. Agreed! |
| tapatia1072 | Posted: Jun 21, 2010 - 09:43 FABULOUS set this morning! Thanks Bill for making my first Monday back at the office post-vacation a bearable - even pleasant - one. |
| garycha (Bristol, UK) | Posted: Mar 18, 2010 - 06:01 "Ghost Town" flicks my switch |
| Albert1967 (Leusden, the Netherlands) | Posted: Mar 18, 2010 - 05:58 Bridieboo wrote: Fab! 2nd! |
| Chumbawamba-1984 | Posted: Dec 13, 2009 - 19:49 Thank you for your quick answer. Nice song IMHO. oppositelock wrote: Amy Winehouse has covered a couple Specials songs including Hey Little Rich Girl, Monkey Man and Your Wondering Now. Not sure about Gangsters. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu3XcgI6VOA |
| Bridieboo (Halifax, NS) | Posted: Nov 12, 2009 - 10:01 Fab! |
| lemmoth (NYC) | Posted: Jun 07, 2009 - 10:14 great song from a great record produced by Declan Patrick Aloyisius MacManus |
| rickhoran (Eastern PA) | Posted: Dec 31, 2008 - 09:52 don't call me scarface! |
| prophetzarquon (woodstock 1969) | Posted: Oct 29, 2008 - 06:02 A song (excellent by the way) from the economically troubled times of 1979 - how apt Bill! Thanks. |
| Excelsior | Posted: Sep 27, 2008 - 14:11 Wow, that was spectacularly horrid. |
| squidish (Big island near SF) | Posted: Jun 24, 2008 - 19:32 Me luffs Terry Hall. |
| oppositelock (Centennial, CO) | Posted: Jan 19, 2008 - 11:20 Chumbawamba-1984 wrote: Help! There is a cover of this song. I can't remember who did it.
Amy Winehouse has covered a couple Specials songs including Hey Little Rich Girl, Monkey Man and Your Wondering Now. Not sure about Gangsters. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu3XcgI6VOA |
| Chumbawamba-1984 | Posted: Jan 19, 2008 - 11:07 Help! There is a cover of this song. I can't remember who did it. |
| kazuma (Austin, TX) | Posted: Jan 19, 2008 - 11:06 algrif wrote: Don't call me Scarface!
 |
| CafeRacer (Still Waiting To Wake Up, Indiana) | Posted: Oct 17, 2007 - 05:27 This'll wake you up! |
| ssg (Redmond, WA) | Posted: Jul 14, 2007 - 21:13 "Don't ask me cause I don't know" part is from Dallas soundtrack :) |
| lunar1963 (Netherlands) | Posted: May 13, 2007 - 02:32 rocco1207 wrote: for my high school talent show, me and my friends formed a band and did a Specials medley of this song, Nite Club and one other one. We called ourselves Rudy and the Mod Vespas
Awesome! Wish I'd been at that school! |
| rocco1207 (the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat) | Posted: Apr 11, 2007 - 14:21 for my high school talent show, me and my friends formed a band and did a Specials medley of this song, Nite Club and one other one. We called ourselves Rudy and the Mod Vespas |
| Wizzuvvoz (Innerspace) | Posted: Apr 11, 2007 - 14:20 oppositelock wrote: Don't call me Ska Face! Pretty much sums it up. More Specials!      |
| Sunman (The 'Nard in SOCAL) | Posted: Apr 11, 2007 - 14:20 Oh yeah... |
| oppositelock (Centennial, CO) | Posted: Nov 19, 2006 - 20:59 Don't call me Ska Face! |
| rolokan (Chicago) | Posted: Nov 19, 2006 - 20:59 Schweet transition from the delgados. Er, nice recovery I mean. |
| oppositelock (Centennial, CO) | Posted: Oct 21, 2006 - 15:15 Brought the house down with this song on SLN a couple of years ago, I mean a couple of decades ago.    |
| strick (Syracuse- your sympathy accepted...) | Posted: Sep 22, 2006 - 07:33 Where's my lederhosen????  |
| junebaby65 (Cleveland, OH) | Posted: Sep 22, 2006 - 07:31 I'm liking it...and I'm an old school metal head! |
| TonyBear (London, England) | Posted: Sep 22, 2006 - 07:30 Love this band, they still get heavy rotation at my ranch 20+ years on |
| daveesh (birthplace of the american revolution) | Posted: Sep 22, 2006 - 07:30 very cool. brings back some crazy, hazy memories! |