Working For William

Album: Party In The War Zone (1980)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song is part of Vivabeat's debut album, Party In The War Zone. Marina Muhlfriedel, a keyboard player and vocalist in the group, told Songfacts the story behind it:

    "Working for William" grew out of a regal minor chord progression and slinky melodic synth line, set against the turbulent political climate of 1979, that I was working on. The song organically took on a reggae feel as the band worked on the arrangement, and Connie deSilva added a dreamy synth arpeggiation.

    At the time, Margaret Thatcher had become Prime Minister of the UK, and the Iranian Revolution incited widespread upheaval, while China and the US were forging an unlikely friendship, which I found fascinating. I gave considerable thought to the concept of power at the time. Where it comes from and how it's held onto. How it shifts and why people aspire to it. The idea of power felt foreign to me - a different emotional palette.

    Lyrically, William represents a political figurehead who no longer has the guts, drive, or vitality to run his country, so a deputy, a power-hungry second in command, steps up to do so, posturing that everything he does is at the bidding of the leader. All he wants is power, though, so he exercises it in the leader's name, planning to one day declare it as his own.
  • In 2024 "Working For William" showed up in the "Can I Play With Madness" episode of the Peacock horror series Hysteria!
  • Vivabeat was a short-lived band that made a mark in the West Coast New Wave scene. Their song "The House Is Burning (But There's No One Home)" landed in the 1984 movie Body Double, and Peter Gabriel, who helped the band get their record deal, may have been influenced by the Vivabeat song "Man From China" for the whistling in his song "Games Without Frontiers." Many of Vivabeats songs were reissued on the 2025 compilation The House Is Burning: The Best Of Vivabeat.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")Song Writing

Director Mark Pellington on Pearl Jam's "Jeremy," and music videos he made for U2, Jon Bon Jovi and Imagine Dragons.

Emmylou Harris

Emmylou HarrisSongwriter Interviews

She thinks of herself as a "song interpreter," but back in the '80s another country star convinced Emmylou to take a crack at songwriting.

Neal Smith - "I'm Eighteen"

Neal Smith - "I'm Eighteen"They're Playing My Song

With the band in danger of being dropped from their label, Alice Cooper drummer Neal Smith co-wrote the song that started their trek from horror show curiosity to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Punk Photography of Chris Stein

The Punk Photography of Chris SteinSong Writing

Chris Stein of Blondie shares photos and stories from his book about the New York City punk scene.

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17Songwriter Interviews

Martyn talks about producing Tina Turner, some Heaven 17 hits, and his work with the British Electric Foundation.

Ian Astbury of The Cult

Ian Astbury of The CultSongwriter Interviews

The Cult frontman tells who the "Fire Woman" is, and talks about performing with the new version of The Doors.