“New Song” by Howard Jones
“New Song” by Howard Jones
“New Song” is Howard Jones’ first single released as a solo artist. The song reached number three in the UK Singles Chart, staying in the Top 75 for over two weeks. On the UK 7-inch singles, the words of the song are printed on a spiral on both the A-sided label, and the B-side with the credits appearing below them. The outro of the song is also printed on both sides.
The single became a worldwide success, peaking at number six on the US charts. “New Song” was politically charged, writing about social change and political oppression. “New Song” was an immediate hit, going straight to number one in the UK and the US, becoming a huge international hit. Jones said about the song, “It was quite an emotional experience for me, it was about the time when I realised that all the abuse that we’d been getting was not coming from the press or the radio, it was coming from the public – the people. The press and the radio were just whitewashing the worst songs out there.”
“New Song” remains one of the best political songs ever recorded, with an unforgettable delivery by Jones. In the chorus, Jones sings about how “we’re the change that you want to see” – this is a profound statement, considering the amount of corruption and political oppression in the world today. Jones has continued to discuss issues of social change, political oppression, and the problems of extreme wealth inequality in modern society. Jones was also recently involved in a case involving the suppression of the California grape industry.