"Two Tribes" is an anti-war song by British band Frankie Goes to Hollywood, released in the UK by ZTT Records on 4 June 1984.
The song was later included on the album Welcome to the Pleasuredome. Presenting a nihilistic, gleeful lyric expressing enthusiasm for nuclear war, it juxtaposes a relentless pounding bass line and guitar riff inspired by American funk and R&B pop with influences of Russian classical music, in an opulent arrangement produced by Trevor Horn.
The single was released at a time when the Cold War had intensified and fears about global nuclear warfare were at a peak. Although Johnson would attest in a 1984 radio interview that the "two tribes" of the song potentially represented any pair of warring adversaries (giving the examples of "cowboys and Indians or Captain Kirk and Klingons"), the line "On the air America/I modelled shirts by Van Heusen" is a clear reference to then US President Ronald Reagan. Reagan had advertised for Phillips Van Heusen in 1953 (briefly reviving the association in the early 1980s). The title of his first film had been Love Is On The Air.
The lyric "working for the black gas" is, according to Johnson, "About oil surpassing gold. How you might as well be paid in petrol."And the line "Are we living in a land where sex and horror are the new gods?" was inspired by the 1959 British film Cover Girl Killer.
Johnson explained, "The TV was on in the background while I was doing me ironing and suddenly this character came out with that statement." (The actual dialogue, which occurs at about 48 minutes 24 seconds into the film, is "Surely sex and horror are the new gods in this polluted world of so-called entertainment?")
The track featured snippets of narration from actor Patrick Allen, recreating his narration from the British Protect and Survive public information films about how to survive a nuclear war. (The original Protect and Survive soundtracks were sampled for the 7-inch mixes.)
A - Two Tribes »Cowboys And Indians« (3:54)
Vocals – Holly Johnson, Paul Rutherford
Written-By – Johnson, O'Toole, Gill
B - One February Friday »Doctors And Nurses« (4:56)
Performer [Played By] – Brian Nash, Mark O'Toole, Peter Gill
Written-By – Nash, Johnson, O'Tolle, Morley, Rutherford, Gill
Companies, etc.
- Record Company – Ariola Eurodisc GmbH
- Phonographic Copyright (p) – Zang Tuum Tumb
- Published By – Perfect Songs
- Pressed By – Sonopress
- Printed By – Mohndruck Graphische Betriebe GmbH
- Distributed By – Ariola Group Of Companies
Credits
- Art Direction – XLZTT
- Engineer – Steve Lipson
- Photography By [Of V.I. Lenin] – Anton Corbijn
- Producer – Trevor Horn
Released: 1984
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single
Country: Europe
Genre: Synth-pop
Label: Island Records
Catalog# 106 495
