Fan video:

Here at Teatro Triste del Clown, we first encountered The Fun Boy Three in February of 2008 when I wrote about Bananarama’s “He Was Really Saying Something”. We later encountered the primary singer in The Fun Boy Three, Terry Hall, as the primary singer in The Colourfield. Later, we’ll meet the groundbreaking ska band that the titular three emerged from, The Specials.

Though they only lasted two albums (not unlike The Fratellis, who we were listening to just a few days ago, though the sound is entirely different), they had a large impact and some rather decent sized hits. In addition to Terry Hall, the band consisted of Neville Staple on percussion and vocals and Lynval Golding on guitar and vocals.

Their self titled debut album was released in 1982 to acclaim and chart success. Its interesting to note that this album’s tracks are almost entirely percussion and vocals with a small amount of guitar.

“The Lunatics (Have Taken Over The Asylum)” is a hypnotic, danceable song about political oppression:

take away my right to choose
The lunatics have taken over the asylum – take away my point of view
The lunatics have taken over the asylum
The lunatics have taken over the asylum – take away my dignity,
Take these things away from me
The lunatics have taken over the asylum
The lunatics have taken over the asylum – take away my family,
Take away the right to speak
The lunatics have taken over the asylum take away my point of view,
Take away my right to choose

As things have gotten increasingly odd in the United States political arena, I find myself thinking of this song more and more. In fact, sometimes listening to it while I read about, say, the debt ceiling crisis makes things a little more bearable.