Babylon's Burning
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| "Babylon's Burning" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by the Ruts | ||||
| from the album The Crack | ||||
| B-side | "Society" | |||
| Released | June 1979 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:30 | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Mick Glossop | |||
| The Ruts singles chronology | ||||
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"Babylon's Burning" is a single by the English punk rock band the Ruts. Released in 1979, "Babylon's Burning" was the Ruts' debut single for Richard Branson's Virgin Records. The single peaked at number 7 on the UK singles chart, prompting the band's appearance on BBC Television's Top of the Pops. Later in 1979, the band re-recorded the song and included it on their debut studio album, The Crack. "Babylon's Burning" is considered one of the Ruts' signature songs.
Music journalists have described "Babylon's Burning" as a punk rock song first and foremost,[1] with some identifying reggae influences as well.[2] The Ruts' bassist, John "Segs" Jennings, stated that the song was "rooted in reggae".[3]
Jennings would play a scale during warmups, which the Ruts' guitarist Paul Fox adapted into the main riff of "Babylon's Burning" during a warmup session. Malcolm Owen wrote the lyrics.[4] Jennings stated that Owen wrote the lines "with anxiety" in a way that was intended to excite audiences during live performances: "I realize now if I'm playing it [live], what's the bit you sing along with? You sing along, 'with anxiety.' The whole crowd goes wild, [so] what he added to that was great."[3]
The version of "Babylon's Burning" that appears on The Crack begins with the sound of a blaring alarm against the backdrop of police car sirens. The alarm and sirens are absent from the single.[4]
The lyrics of "Babylon's Burning" are political in nature and touch upon the theme of unrest and strife in British urban centres.[5][6] The lyrics also explore urban riots[7] and took specific inspiration from the Southall riots in April 1979 and the death of Blair Peach, an anti-fascist protestor whose killing came to symbolize police brutality.[4]