{"id":2874,"date":"2020-03-07T07:00:40","date_gmt":"2020-03-07T07:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?p=2874"},"modified":"2025-10-10T15:15:05","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T14:15:05","slug":"no-change-why-stiff-little-fingers-second-album-nobodys-heroes-is-still-a-classic-as-it-celebrates-its-40th-birthday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?p=2874","title":{"rendered":"No Change: Why Stiff Little Fingers’ second album Nobody’s Heroes is still a classic as it celebrates its 40th birthday"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Nobody’s Heroes<\/strong>, the second album which many Stiff Little Fingers<\/strong> fans think tops even their incendiary debut, was unleashed on the public 40 years ago today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I\nwas a 13-year-old who had played catch-up with the band’s first\ncouple of years, after dropping pop music for punk when I went to\n‘big school’ and my circle of friends broadened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’d bought their first three singles, then debut album Inflammable Material <\/strong>after my mate’s older brother played it to me. It’s my favourite record ever, and probably always will be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related: National Album Day: Why Inflammable Material by Stiff Little Fingers is an album I just don’t skip<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So\nthen to March 1980, and my first chance to get a Stiff Little Fingers\nalbum on the day it came out. I ordered it from my local record shop\n(pre-orders didn’t exist then \u2013 and isn’t it the same thing?),\nsaved up enough pocket money to pay for it, and eagerly awaited the\nbig day, March 7.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\nwas a Friday, and I rushed to the shop, about a mile away from\nschool, as soon as we were sent home at 3.30pm. By 4pm I was on my\nhome on the bus, clutching my prize, and marvelling at the artwork,\nwhich was a big thing about albums back then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The front was a peculiar barcode-type design, which was supposed to say Stiff Little Fingers* if you held it away from you at a certain angle, so schoolyard legend had it, but I couldn’t see it \u2013 and still can’t! The back was a rejection letter from Chysalis, the major label the album was being released on after the band switched from indie Rough Trade.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Handily,\nthere was an inner sleeve containing the lyrics to the tracks \u2013\nwell, nine out of 10 of them anyway. And, unlike Inflammable\nMaterial’s, handling this one didn’t leave fingerprints all over it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’d\nheard a few of the songs before, as Gotta Gettaway and At The Edge\nhad been released as singles, while others had been recorded for John\nPeel sessions, but it was still with an enormous sense of\nanticipation that I lowered the needle onto side one before I’d even\ntaken my coat off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I waited for the familiar scuzzy intro of Gotta Gettaway<\/strong>. But lo and behold it was a re-recorded version which sounded much cleaner and sharper than the single. I still can’t decide which one I prefer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nalbum was recorded by what many people consider the classic Fingers\nline-up of Jake Burns (guitar and vocals), Henry Cluney (guitar), Ali\nMcMordie (bass) and new drummer Jim Reilly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Track two was Wait And See<\/strong>, which I fell in love with immediately. It’s basically the story of SLF, and how original drummer Brian Faloon left just at the point where things were taking off for them. I particularly love the lines \u201cyou’re not good enough to be a dance band, they told us, but we’re not giving up, we’re not giving up, we’re not giving up, we’ll show them!\u201d Brilliant, and still one of the songs that makes me lose my shit when they play it live, which sadly isn’t that often.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Next is the anthemic Fly The Flag<\/strong>, a song which the right-wing tried to appropriate, but failed miserably, as it’s not about nationalism, but a putdown of the ‘I’m all right Jack’ generation begat by Tory prime minister Margaret Thatcher. If any good came from her hateful reign it was giving punk bands plenty to write about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The single At the Edge<\/strong> is next, and what a song this was, about the frustrations of growing up with ambitions that you’re told you’ll never fulfil. \u201cHere’s somewhere I don’t believe in, wish someone would take it all away.\u201d I wonder how many teenage punks that resonated with. I know it did with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Side one finishes with Nobody’s Hero<\/strong>, the title track, and again it’s a stormer, with Jake exorting his listeners to \u201cget up, get out, be what you are\u201d. They’re words I’ve tried to live my life by for the last 40 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flip over and we start side two with Bloody Dub<\/strong>, the band’s first (and last) attempt at a dub reggae instrumental. It’s probably the weakest song on the album, but showed they wanted to try new things, and not keep to the same formula as the first record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next up is Doesn’t Make It All Right<\/strong>, a song which Jake merrily confesses \u201cwe stole from The Specials\u201d. The ska revival band were on the same label, and had included the song on their debut album Specials a few months earlier. SLF toughened it up a bit, and the breakdown after Jake screams \u201cGo!\u201d is still one of my favourite pieces of music, ever.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I Don’t Like You<\/strong> is one of the best ‘fuck you’ songs I’ve ever heard, if only because it finds so many ways to deliver that message without swearing. If you haven’t heard it in a while go and listen to the lyrics: \u201cIf a thought came into your head, it would die of loneliness, you rate absolute zero, no more and not even less\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No Change<\/strong> sees Henry takes lead vocals, and addresses people’s changing attitudes to the band when they went back to Ireland, which they had left for London as they sought to make it in the music industry. Not a classic, but not a bad song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last, but no means least, is the mighty Tin Soldiers<\/strong>, a song so good it was released as a double A-side single with Nobody’s Hero, and remains a popular live set closer to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s\nabout a fan who signed up to the army \u201cfor just three years, it\nseemed a small amount, but they didn’t tell him that the first two\ndidn’t count\u201d. Another SLF classic, and probably one of their top\n10 songs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nalbum wasn’t particularly well-received by the weekly music papers,\nwho seemed to think the band had lost some of the raw energy which\nhad been the trademark of Inflammable Material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Me? I loved it. Even at my tender age I knew bands couldn’t just make the same record again, otherwise they would stagnate, and this was a band I could believe in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If\nI was writing a review of Nobody’s Heroes today I would give it at\nleast 8.5\/10, probably 9 if I was in a good mood. It’s still one of\nmy favourite albums, particularly when I listen to the\nlarynx-shredding chorus on Fly The Flag, the teenage angst-them At\nthe Edge or the bittersweet Wait And See. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happy birthday Nobody’s Heroes. I look forward to you soundtracking the next 40 years of my life, as you have the last 40.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* I’ve been informed by reader Lorraine in October 2025, five years after I wrote this article, that it says Nobody’s Heroes, not Stiff Little Fingers. No wonder I couldn’t read it!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nobody’s Heroes, the second album which many Stiff Little Fingers fans think tops even their incendiary debut, was unleashed on the public 40 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I loved these Irish punks as soon as I heard them. They had the lot: anger, energy, musicianship, melody, and lyrics that made you think. Their 1979 debut long-player Inflammable Material\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Album Review"","block_context":{"text":"Album Review","link":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?cat=3"},"img":{"alt_text":"go for it","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/slf-go-for-it-cover.jpg?fit=1165%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/slf-go-for-it-cover.jpg?fit=1165%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/slf-go-for-it-cover.jpg?fit=1165%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/slf-go-for-it-cover.jpg?fit=1165%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/slf-go-for-it-cover.jpg?fit=1165%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1198,"url":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?p=1198","url_meta":{"origin":2874,"position":1},"title":"National Album Day: Why Inflammable Material by Stiff Little Fingers is an album I just don’t skip","author":"Gary Welford","date":"12th October 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s National Album Day, which aims to remind us of the importance of the long-playing record in these days of digital downloads, playlists and streaming your favourite songs on your phone. For many music lovers \u2013 particularly those of a certain age (40+ I\u2019d reckon) \u2013 there\u2019s still nothing like\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Album Review"","block_context":{"text":"Album Review","link":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?cat=3"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/slf-im.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/slf-im.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/slf-im.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/slf-im.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/slf-im.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1345,"url":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?p=1345","url_meta":{"origin":2874,"position":2},"title":"Stiff Little Fingers announce their March 2020 tour dates, with support from The Professionals and TV Smith","author":"Gary Welford","date":"22nd October 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Irish punk legends Stiff Little Fingers have announced the much-anticipated dates for their March 2020 UK tour. Jake Burns of Stiff Little Fingers during their March 2019 UK tour. Pic: Gary Welford. The band, formed in Belfast in 1977, have become as popular as ever in recent years, and the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Gig News"","block_context":{"text":"Gig News","link":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"stiff little fingers","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/slf1.jpg?fit=1200%2C880&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/slf1.jpg?fit=1200%2C880&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/slf1.jpg?fit=1200%2C880&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/slf1.jpg?fit=1200%2C880&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/slf1.jpg?fit=1200%2C880&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13311,"url":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?p=13311","url_meta":{"origin":2874,"position":3},"title":"Philly punks The Menzingers return with new single Nobody\u2019s Heroes","author":"Gary Welford","date":"24th February 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Philadelphia punk institution The Menzingers have today released their first new music in more than two years. New single Nobody's Heroes - nothing to do with the Stiff Little Fingers classic of the same name - is their first release since 2023 seventh album Some Of It Was True. Recorded\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Music News"","block_context":{"text":"Music News","link":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?cat=6"},"img":{"alt_text":"menzingers","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/THE-MENZINGERS-2026-pic-by-pond-creative.jpg?fit=1073%2C715&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/THE-MENZINGERS-2026-pic-by-pond-creative.jpg?fit=1073%2C715&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/THE-MENZINGERS-2026-pic-by-pond-creative.jpg?fit=1073%2C715&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/THE-MENZINGERS-2026-pic-by-pond-creative.jpg?fit=1073%2C715&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/THE-MENZINGERS-2026-pic-by-pond-creative.jpg?fit=1073%2C715&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8830,"url":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?p=8830","url_meta":{"origin":2874,"position":4},"title":"Stiff Little Fingers roll back the years on their Everyone Is Someone tour","author":"Gary Welford","date":"19th March 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"GIG REVIEW: Stiff Little Fingers + Slim Jim Phantom Trio, O2 City Hall, Newcastle, Thursday 16 March 2023 Irish punk legends Stiff Little Fingers have been 'putting the fast in Belfast' since 1977, but, as with many bands of their generation, recently announced they'll be slowing things down a little.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Gig Review"","block_context":{"text":"Gig Review","link":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"stiff little fingers","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/slf-jake-smiles-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/slf-jake-smiles-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/slf-jake-smiles-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/slf-jake-smiles-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/slf-jake-smiles-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12628,"url":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?p=12628","url_meta":{"origin":2874,"position":5},"title":"Stiff Little Fingers announce their March 2026 tour dates, including Barrowlands double header","author":"Gary Welford","date":"29th September 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Irish punk legends Stiff Little Fingers have today announced the 2026 dates for their traditional March tour. The Raise Your Voice Tour will kick off in Brighton on 10 March and conclude 10 days later in Birmingham. In between, Jake Burns, Ali McMordie, Steve Grantley and Iain McCallum will play\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Gig News"","block_context":{"text":"Gig News","link":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"stiff little fingers","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/slf-jake-smiles-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/slf-jake-smiles-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/slf-jake-smiles-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/slf-jake-smiles-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/slf-jake-smiles-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ipamusic.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/nobodys-heroes-1.jpg?fit=2160%2C1688&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2874","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2874"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2874\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12669,"href":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2874\/revisions\/12669"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2876"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2874"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2874"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2874"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}