X-Ray Spex at Rock-Against-Racism march/concert in London, April 1978. Via Andy Wilson, Flickr
“Some people think little girls should be seen and not heard
But I think
“Oh bondage, up yours”
One, two, three, four”
That is the intro to the 1977 incendiary single by X-Ray Spex. It is a statement of intent and a battle cry against female objectification. Due to what some have interpreted as literal BDSM terminology, the tune was banned by the BBC, which kept it off the charts. But the song had a lasting impact as a timeless feminist anthem and was important in developing the Riot Grrrl movement.
The lyrics were influenced by the personal experiences of lead singer and songwriter Poly Styrene (real name Marianne Joan Elliott-Said), born to a Somali father and a Scottish/Irish mother. Growing up as a multi-racial female in London, England, she experienced discrimination from all sides. In a 2008 interview with MOJO Magazine, she explained how her experiences influenced the tune: “I come from a religious background, and in the scripture, the whole idea of being liberated is to break free from bondage.”
The lyric is also a pointed critique of consumerism and analyzes how many are enslaved to materialism (“Chain-store chain-smoke. I consume you all. Chain-gang chain-mail. I don’t think at all”). The band’s saxophonist Lora Logic stated “I think Marianne felt that everyone was in a type of bondage—restricted, crushed, and alienated by modern materialistic society. The goal of our society is sense gratification—that is the only prize on offer. But one can never satisfy the senses; it is an impossible goal.”