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
White Collar Boy
Belle and Sebastian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Give in to the pressure the cops gonna getcha
You were a thieving dog at work until they caught your little paw
Your wage won't stretch, to picking up checks
A custodial sentence you narrowly avoided
Community service you had to go along with
You're banging the rocks at the old city docks
Poor boy poor boy poor boy poor boy
You were chained to a girl that would kill you with a look
It's a nice way to die she's so easy on the eye
She said let's get away, but you played it by the book
You're a warden's pet, she's a screaming suffragette
We ain't in prison, we'll just finish up and go home?
She said, ?Not for me, I've got plans for later on?
So she belted the sarge and she jumped on a barge
You fell, you fell you fell you fell
White collar, got dirt in your pants
You got egg in your hair
You got spit in your chin
White collar, scared to be bored
Blue Collar, she's opening doors
White collar boy, on the run from the law
She said ?You ain't ugly, you can kiss me if you like?
Go ahead and kiss her, you don't know what you're missing
You said ?Baby, you're special,
But there's something not quite right.?
She's a Venus in flares and you wanna split hairs!
I am innocent, you are a rocket.
Things were ok till you took out the copper?
Leave me alone, and get used to the chains
You're a pain, a pain, a pain, a pain
White collar, got dirt in your pants
You got egg in your hair
You got spit in your chin
White collar, scared to be bored
Blue Collar, she's opening doors
White collar boy, on the run from the law
Belle and Sebastian's "White Collar Boy" is a song that explores the tension and conflict between living a conventional life and a life of rebellion. The song opens with the line "You're a white collar boy and you gave into the law" which sets the tone for the entire song. It's a story of a man who used to be a "thieving dog at work" who is now trying to live an honest life, but is finding it difficult. The song would seem to suggest that the singer is someone who is constantly struggling to maintain his identity between living a life of conformity and giving in to the pressures of society.
As the song continues, we learn that the singer is "chained to a girl that would kill you with a look." The girl is a "screaming suffragette" who wants to be free and who encourages the singer to come with her. However, the singer is scared, and ends up falling behind as she takes off on a barge. The song ends with the lines "White collar, got dirt in your pants… White collar boy, on the run from law" which implies the singer is still trying to figure out what to do with his life.
Overall, "White Collar Boy" is a song about the struggles of identity and conformity, and how one can easily lose themselves if they give in to societal pressures.
Line by Line Meaning
You're a white collar boy and you gave into the law
You succumbed to the rules of society and became a law-abiding citizen
Give in to the pressure the cops gonna getcha
The police will pressure you into conforming to the law
You were a thieving dog at work until they caught your little paw
You were caught stealing at work like a sneaky dog with his paw in the cookie jar
Your wage won't stretch, to picking up checks
Your income isn't enough to meet the expenses of your lifestyle
A custodial sentence you narrowly avoided
You almost went to jail for your misbehavior
Community service you had to go along with
As punishment for breaking the law, you were required to do community service
You're banging the rocks at the old city docks
You're doing hard labor at the docks as part of your community service
Poor boy poor boy poor boy poor boy
You are in a difficult financial and social situation
You were chained to a girl that would kill you with a look
You were in a relationship with a girl who had a commanding presence
It's a nice way to die she's so easy on the eye
Even if it would kill you, you wouldn't mind because she's so attractive
She said let's get away, but you played it by the book
She suggested you escape, but you followed the rules instead of taking risks
You're a warden's pet, she's a screaming suffragette
You act like you're friendly to authority figures, while she screams for social justice
We ain't in prison, we'll just finish up and go home?
We're not in jail, just finishing up work and going home, right?
She said, ?Not for me, I've got plans for later on?
She declined because she had other plans
So she belted the sarge and she jumped on a barge
She hit the sergeant and escaped using a barge
You fell, you fell you fell you fell
You were left behind and feeling let down
White collar, got dirt in your pants
Although an educated professional, you are doing manual labor and getting your clothes dirty
You got egg in your hair
You have an unprofessional appearance
You got spit in your chin
You have poor hygiene and cleanliness
White collar, scared to be bored
You are afraid of being unoccupied or having nothing to do
Blue Collar, she's opening doors
She's providing you opportunities to work and escape poverty
White collar boy, on the run from the law
Even as a professional, you're still trying to evade the law
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
@nmerrick
how did you know i wanted to listen to this song twice!!
@vagnerkavallera
I'm from Brazil, and i like this music...it's wonderfull!!!! congratulations belle & sebastian....tanks for great moments in my life!!!!!
@sonial1839
Whenever I listen to a song from this record, i immediately think of Germany 2006 and that summer at home, some days sunny, some days cloudy, waiting for my birthday and enjoying my friendly home town, feeling that everything was fine.
@koko1974ify
Love the song. Love the video. The Scots know how to live!
@deanviescas1705
Best band from the 90's maby ever Stuart Murdoch is a god
@giselaviento60s42
Amo a belle and sebastian!! Y a stuard Murdoch. Saludos desde ciudad de México.
@roygbiv7534
Hola! Como' estas mi amigo!
@giselaviento60s42
@@roygbiv7534 soy chica!
@roygbiv7534
@@giselaviento60s42 Los siento mi amiga!
@andrewd.harris656
Been listening to yall since the 00's. Love the style.