Belle and Sebastian released their first two albums in 1996: Tigermilk, recorded over three days, and If You're Feeling Sinister, recorded in a week, at the peak of the chamber pop movement. At first, some critics in Britain's music weeklies tied the band into the subgenre, yet the group was too pretty, too delicate, to bear that label. Through their first two years of public existence, the band shielded their personalities, submitting publicity photos featuring a girl, who was a friend of the band and reluctantly posing for photo shoots. Furthermore, they performed in odd venues, playing not only the standard coffeehouses and cafes, but also homes, church halls, and libraries.
Prior to the formation of Belle and Sebastian, Murdoch suffered from a protracted battle with chronic fatigue syndrome, which forced him to drop out of school and spend seven years living in his parents' home crippled by his condition.Whilst in his parents home, Murdoch wrote a short story about a boy named Sebastian and a girl named Isabelle based on the names from Madame Cecile Aubery's children's book Belle et Sebastian. On New Year's Day 1996, Stuart attended a party at which he met a young singer and cellist named Isobel Campbell. In a letter to his brother Fraser, Murdoch explained how he was making a single for Stow college at the end of February. Murdoch opted to use the name Belle&Sebastian for the project because it was occupying him at the time. Murdoch took to songwriting as an escapism from the four walls surrounding him in his room and eventually recorded demos with bassist Stuart David whom he met at a government training programme called Beatbox. Murdoch quickly met a series of other musicians through social and musical circles in his hometown Glasgow and they agreed to help with the Stow project. The members he found for this initial lineup were Stevie Jackson (guitar), Mick Cooke (trumpet), Chris Geddes (keyboards), Stuart David (bass), Richard Colburn (drums), and Isobel Campbell (cello). The Stow College record was to be issued by Electric Honey, but it turned into a full album. The course instructor Alan Rankine determined that Murdoch had enough good material to record a full LP and could do so if they could get it all done in three days, studio time allotted for the single. Murdoch and his musicians rose to the challenge and recorded ten tracks putting the songs in order as they would appear on the record and mostly completing them in just a few takes.
In May of 1996, Belle and Sebastian self-released their debut album, Tigermilk, on Electric Honey Records. Only 1,000 copies of the album, which was only pressed on vinyl, were released, but it unexpectedly became a sensation, earning terrific word of mouth throughout the UK. As a result, the band became slightly more than a school project — it became an actual band. If You're Feeling Sinister, released on the independent Jeepster label, followed in November of 1996. By the time the album was released in America on the EMI subsidiary The Enclave, it had earned considerable critical acclaim in the U.K. — not only from music weeklies, but from newspapers like The Sunday Times and magazines like The Face — and a large cult following; by some accounts, Tigermilk was being sold for as much as 75 pounds. Over the course of 1997, word of mouth continued to grow in America, even as the band pulled out of an American tour because The Enclave went bankrupt and closed.
As the band cult continued to build in 1997, Belle and Sebastian released three EPs — Dog on Wheels (May), Lazy Line Painter Jane (July), and 3.. 6.. 9 Seconds of Light (October). Each subsequent EP placed higher on the indie charts and received great critical acclaim. Later in the year, violinist Sarah Martin became a member of the band. By the end of the year, the group finalized an American deal with Matador Records, issuing The Boy With the Arab Strap in September 1998. The following year saw the eagerly anticipated wide re-release of Tigermilk, the album that started it all. It was the biggest selling album but is unpopular with the group themselves. Following completion of 2000's Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant, Stuart David left Belle and Sebastian to focus full-time on his solo project, Looper, being replaced by Bobby Kildea of V-Twin. In 2001, the group released two EPs — Jonathan David and I'm Waking Up to Us — and recorded the soundtrack for Todd Solondz's film Storytelling. Just before the soundtrack's release in spring 2002, Belle and Sebastian embarked on a comprehensive tour of the United States and Canada before returning to Europe for the summer festival season. Midway through the tour, Isobel Campbell left the band, citing the usual differences.
Another major change that soon took place was the band leaving Jeepster and Matador to sign with Rough Trade, with their next record, late 2003's Dear Catastrophe Waitress, produced by the inimitable Trevor Horn (who also produced Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Yes, and scores of others). The record spawned the brilliant "Step into My Office, Baby" and "I'm a Cuckoo" singles, the latter of which was the group's biggest U.K. hit, reaching number 14 in early 2004. After a long worldwide tour that found Belle and Sebastian reaching new levels of success, they retired to Scotland and began preparing for the recording of their seventh full length album, The Life Pursuit, released in 2006.
In 2010, they released their eighth full length album, Write About Love.
Official website: www.belleandsebastian.com
THE BLUES ARE STILL BLUE
Belle and Sebastian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He's teaching mamas and papas how to be a little cool
He's changing fashion, the way he dress
The tracksuits are old, and the hoody's way too moody
For a kid with the will to funk
He dances in secret; he's a part-time punk
She's getting off the plane
The kids fighting up the lane
Shop lifting, just drifting
Like The Switchblade And The Cross
But if there's trouble she's got the moves
She's taking an elementary class in Kung fu
I left my washing in the launderette
You can put some money on it, you can place a little bet
That when I see my washing
The black will be grey and the white will be grey
But the blues are still blue
I'm crying out for my mum
If the malady don't go away we're in a little trouble
With the boss of the company
I'm a singer, a swinger I'm a layabout but laying on
The dock in the lazy sun
Will never quite relegate me to a bum
I left my lady in the launderette
You can put some money on it, you can place a little bet
That when I see my lady
The black will be white and the white will be black
But The Blues Are Still Blue
Baby, I love your face
I've been creeping round this town because?
Well, creeping's just my way
But with a little wink I'll be there
I'll be excited for a week, but then excitement starts to fade
I know your young, but you're out of touch
You're French, your vocabulary's not quite formed
I left my homework in the launderette
I got a letter from my mamma which my stoopid dog has ate
I hid behind the fence
Here comes the deputy head with the bark of a bulldog
He's not making much sense
I left my lady in the launderette
You can put some money on it, you can place a little bet
That when I see my lady
The black will be white and the white will be black
But the blues are still blue?
The lyrics of "The Blues Are Still Blue" by Belle and Sebastian tell a story about young people trying to find their place in the world. The first verse introduces us to a confident kid who defies convention by teaching adults how to be cool. He shows his rebellion through his unique sense of style and his secret love for punk-rock. The second verse presents a contrasting character- a young woman who wants to make a difference in the world by researching disadvantaged populations. She is not afraid to face the rough realities of life and knows how to protect herself with Kung Fu moves.
The chorus of the song takes us to a more introspective place, where the singer talks about his own struggles. He left his washing in the launderette and is afraid that when he sees it, everything will be grey, except for the blues, which will still be blue. This line can be interpreted as a metaphor for depression or anxiety- things may seem dull and lifeless, but sadness is still present. In the last verse, the singer reveals his love for someone who may not understand him completely. He confesses that he is a bit of a stalker, but the excitement of the chase wears off quickly. The song ends on a note of uncertainty, leaving us wondering if the blues will ever stop being blue.
Overall, "The Blues Are Still Blue" is a song about the complexities of youth, the search for identity, and the struggle to find meaning in a seemingly mundane world. The lyrics are relatable, honest, and poetic. They capture the essence of growing up and trying to make sense of the world around us.
Line by Line Meaning
Look at the kid from school
Observing the young man who didn't seem to care about what people think of him
He's teaching mamas and papas how to be a little cool
The boy is showing older people a new way of dressing and acting cool
He's changing fashion, the way he dress
He's creating a new style by purposely wearing clothes that most people would not wear
The tracksuits are old, and the hoody's way too moody
Standard everyday clothing is outdated and not fashionable
For a kid with the will to funk
The boy's desire to create a new fashion style comes from his will to be different and unique
He dances in secret; he's a part-time punk
He's practicing his dance moves in private and identifies with the punk movement
She's getting off the plane
She's arriving by plane at a new location
She wants to write a thesis on the population underprivileged
Her academic goal is to write a thesis based on people with less privilege than herself
The kids fighting up the lane
Young people fighting in the local area
Shop lifting, just drifting
Young people without a purpose, stealing from shops and drifting aimlessly
Like The Switchblade And The Cross
The young people seem dangerous, like a switchblade, but also helpless like a cross
But if there's trouble she's got the moves
She knows how to deal with difficult situations and has skills to protect herself
She's taking an elementary class in Kung fu
She is learning martial arts for basic self-defense
I left my washing in the launderette
The singer left his laundry in the laundry shop
You can put some money on it, you can place a little bet
There's a guarantee that the clothes will change colour after being washed
That when I see my washing
The singer expects to see his clean clothes when he returns for them
The black will be grey and the white will be grey
The colours will blur, and there will be no difference between the different colours of clothes
But the blues are still blue
The colour blue will remain the same as before washing the clothes
I'm crying out for my mum
The singer is feeling helpless and calls out to his mother for comfort
If the malady don't go away we're in a little trouble
If the problem doesn't go away, it will cause trouble
With the boss of the company
The singer mentions the importance of the company's boss
I'm a singer, a swinger I'm a layabout but laying on
He describes himself as a singer and a person who enjoys life, but is also lazy
The dock in the lazy sun
He lies on the pier, enjoying the sun
Will never quite relegate me to a bum
He enjoys life but doesn't want to be seen as a lazy person all the time
You're French, your vocabulary's not quite formed
The woman he's talking to is French and still learning the language
I left my homework in the launderette
The singer left his homework in the laundry shop
I got a letter from my mamma which my stoopid dog has ate
His dog ate a letter from his mother
I hid behind the fence
The singer hid behind a fence to avoid getting caught
Here comes the deputy head with the bark of a bulldog
The stern school official will scold the singer like a bulldog barking
He's not making much sense
The official's message is not clear
But The Blues Are Still Blue
The colour blue remains unchanged through all the ups and downs of life
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB KILDEA, CHRISTOPHER GEDDES, MICHAEL COOKE, RICHARD COLBURN, SARAH MARTIN, STEPHEN JACKSON, STUART MURDOCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@yulenisillas9708
Look at the kid from school
He's teaching mamas and papas how to be a little cool
He's changing fashion, the way he dress
The tracksuits are old, and the hoody's way too moody
For a kid with the will to funk
He dances in secret; he's a part-time punk
She's getting off the plane
She wants to write a thesis on the population underprivileged
The kids fighting up the lane
Shop lifting, just drifting
Like The Switchblade And The Cross
But if there's trouble she's got the moves
She's taking an elementary class in Kung fu
I left my washing in the launderette
You can put some money on it, you can place a little bet
That when I see my washing
The black will be grey and the white will be grey
But the blues are still blue
I'm crying out for my mum
If the malady don't go away we're in a little trouble
With the boss of the company
I'm a singer, a swinger I'm a layabout but laying on
The dock in the lazy sun
Will never quite relegate me to a bum
I left my lady in the launderette
You can put some money on it, you can place a little bet
That when I see my lady
The black will be white and the white will be black
But The Blues Are Still Blue
Baby, I love your face
I've been creeping round this town because…
Well, creeping's just my way
But with a little wink I'll be there
I'll be excited for a week, but then excitement starts to fade
I know your young, but you're out of touch
You're French, your vocabulary's not quite formed
I left my homework in the launderette
I got a letter from my mamma which my stoopid dog has ate
I hid behind the fence
Here comes the deputy head with the bark of a bulldog
He's not making much sense
I left my lady in the launderette
You can put some money on it, you can place a little bet
That when I see my lady
The black will be white and the white will be black
But the blues are still blue…
I left my lady in the launderette
You can put some money on it, you can place a little bet
That when I see my lady
The black will be white and the white will be black
But the blues are still blue…
@mathildetobin4314
Belle and Sebastian is the sound of my childhood and this will for ever be one of my favourite songs
@jadenreed8917
Agreed. I'm constantly realizing how much their music has affected my music taste throughout my life. Iconic.
@scottanderson8167
If Belle and Sebastian had come around in 1962, they would have been as big as the Beatles.
@mediamonarchyplus
i've been a belle head since '98 but i find this is the album i come back to again and again, the soul style melodies and upbeat pacing. i cant fight and say it's their best but it's my favorite <3
@ascotia
Forget it being just their best, it's one of my favorite albums period.
@beckyboo1001
For some reason this song makes me smell cider and hear my friends sitting around drinking and having fun. It's a nice feeling
@xxpeeblesxx
My boyfriend dumped me and this is my current source of happines. Thank you music.
@abhay6445
how is life after 7 years?
@MichaelWilliams-fd7nj
Fuck him ✌
@danielm8855
How ya holding up?