"Rough Justice" is a song written and recorded by English girl group

Girl group

A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...

 Bananarama

Bananarama

Bananarama are an English female pop duo who have had success on the pop and dance charts since 1982. Rather than relying on a two part harmony, the duo generally sings in unison, as do their background vocalists. Although there have been line-up changes, the group enjoyed their most popular...

. It was the third single released from their self-titled second album

Bananarama (album)

Bananarama is the second album released by the British girl group Bananarama. Released in 1984, the album peaked at no.16 on the UK album chart and was certified Silver by the BPI....

 in 1984.

The song is one of several composed by Bananarama

Bananarama

Bananarama are an English female pop duo who have had success on the pop and dance charts since 1982. Rather than relying on a two part harmony, the duo generally sings in unison, as do their background vocalists. Although there have been line-up changes, the group enjoyed their most popular...

 at the time which lyrically addressed "serious" topics, in this case societal injustice

Injustice

Injustice is the lack of or opposition to justice, either in reference to a particular event or act, or as a larger status quo. The term generally refers to misuse, abuse, neglect, or malfeasance that is uncorrected or else sanctioned by a legal system. Misuse and abuse with regard to a particular...

s towards child

Child

Biologically, a child is generally a human between the stages of birth and puberty. Some vernacular definitions of a child include the fetus, as being an unborn child. The legal definition of "child" generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority...

ren, poverty

Poverty

Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...

, starvation

Starvation

Starvation is a severe deficiency in caloric energy, nutrient and vitamin intake. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage and eventually, death...

 and innocent bystander

Bystander

A bystander a person who, although present at some event, does not take part in it; an observer or spectator.*Bystander effect, a social psychological phenomenon wherein individuals do not offer help in an emergency situation when other people are present...

s who are given "no time to smile before they die". Although the music was upbeat, the heavy lyrical content did not prove to be as successful as their prior single ("Robert De Niro's Waiting"). It peaked at number twenty-three in the UK singles chart

UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

. In Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, the song failed to chart and it was not released as a single in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

"Rough Justice" was remix

Remix

A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....

ed slightly from its album version when released as a single, most notably in the track's introduction.

Music video

The music video

Music video

A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

 features the girls preparing for an appearance on a show at a TV studio. Their plans change when they spontaneously interrupt the broadcast of a different show in order to get their message out to the public.

Track Listing

7" vinyl NANA7

1. "Rough Justice (single version)" 3:38
2. "Live Now" 3:31

+ some copies of the 7" came with free poster

+ some copies of the 7" came with a 3D sleeve NAND7
12" vinyl NANX7

1. "Rough Justice (12" Version)" 5:13
2. "Rough Justice (Album Version)" 5:05
3. "Live Now" 3:31

+ some copies of the 12" came with three 3D cards NANDX7

Charts

Chart (1984)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	23
Dutch Singles chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top...	16