Brinsley Schwarz was popular in the U.K. and many European territories, touring Great Britian in 1972 as an opening act for Paul McCartney & Wings. The band also tried playing the UK's regional pub & hall circuit with artists Dave Edmunds, Atomic Rooster, Ducks DeLuxe, and the Grateful Dead, even headlining the first Glastonbury festival. In addition to Schwarz and Nick Lowe on bass & vocals, the band featured American Billy Rankin on drums, and Bob Andrews on Hammond B-3 organ, with additional guitarist Ian Gomm added in 1970.
Brinsley Schwarz signed a contract with manager Dave Robinson, who developed a plan to earn the group some wide scale publicity. They first played America on a fiasco laden press junket opening for Van Morrison at the Fillmore East in New York City in 1970 but were not well rested or well received. The group never toured the states again. Before breaking up in 1975, they released a total of 12 albums and 21 singles for United Artists. The band also notably were the first group to play live in 1973 on the BBC's 'Old Grey Whistle Test' programme and had a cameo in the film 'Stardust' with David Essex.
In 1970, Brinsley Schwarz released Despite It All, which had a definite country sound to it, and later added Ian Gomm to the band. Their wild performances soon garnered the band a large fanbase on the London pub rock scene, at venues such as 'The Tally Ho' in Kentish Town. Along with other bands like Eggs Over Easy, Brinsley Schwarz was soon dubbed "pub rock" by rock journalists. They sounded, at times, very much like The Band, with Schwarz's guitar work influenced greatly by Robbie Robertson's.
1972's ironic take on country rock, Nervous on the Road, received excellent reviews but did not reach the charts; neither did a series of singles or Please Don't Ever Change (1973). They continued recording for a time, but broke up in 1975.
Schwarz and Andrews joined Graham Parker & the Rumour, later Andrews moved to New Orleans and now plays in Dos Jefes Uptown Cigar Bar and has a web page www.neworleanspiano.com.
Rankin joined Terraplane and then Big Jim Sullivan's Tiger.
Lowe and Gomm both began solo careers, achieving moderate mainstream success, including Lowe's (1980) single "Cruel to Be Kind", originally Brinsley Schwarz's composition, and Gomm's 1979 hit "Hold On."
Lowe went on to greater acclaim than any other member, starting off as Stiff's in house producer he recorded the debut discs of Elvis Costello, The Damned & The Pogues, recorded several albums with Rockpile and had some late 70s solo hit singles. Lowe married Johnny Cash's step daughter Carlene Carter Cash for a spell in the 80's, and later made a million from the inclusion of Curtis Stigers' cover version of "(What's So Funny About) Peace Love & Understanding" on the multi-platinum soundtrack to Whitney Houston's film "The Bodyguard".
Gomm, once described in a 1971 NME issue as "the best guitarist in Britain" attempted a solo career, and later became a Welsh studio owner & record producer who worked with The Stranglers and Alexis Korner.
The original version of Elvis Costello's hit "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding," written by Lowe, was released by the band in 1974 on their album The New Favourites of Brinsley Schwarz and also featured on the multi million selling soundtrack of the movie The Bodyguard, where it was performed by Curtis Stigers.
Brinsley Schwarz Discography:
Brinsley Schwarz (April 1970)
Despite It All (December 1970)
Silver Pistol (October 1971)
Nervous on the Road (September 1972)
Please Don't Ever Change (October 1973)
The New Favourites of Brinsley Schwarz (July 1974)
The Last Album (June 1975)
Rarities (July 2000)
The Ugly Things
Brinsley Schwarz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm gonna make it up to you somehow
For all I've fooled you through
For the ugly little things I do
I'm gonna make it up to you somehow
Cause you understand to well
With someting I can't tell
On my mind
I'm gonna try to get a hold of myself
And ask for one more chance
Cause for you I got so much romance
I'm gonna try to get a hold of myself
And this time I really will
And if you want me still
Baby say you will
You will be mine
One more time
Cause baby it's wrong
Oh expecting you to understand all the things I do
And baby I want you to remain
Cause if you go girl
I know I've no one to blame
I'm gonna make it up to you somehow
And this time I really will
And if you want me still
Oh we can climb any hill
And those ugly things those ugly things
Oh those ugly things
I'll make them up to you
The lyrics to Brinsley Schwarz's song The Ugly Things are sorrowful and introspective. The singer acknowledges that he has not been a good partner, and recognizes how he has hurt his significant other with ugly things he has done. He expresses a deep desire to fix what's broken to keep his partner around. The first verse of the song highlights the singer's understanding of the hurt that he has caused his loved one. He regrets all the ugly things he has done and seeks redemption. In the second verse, the singer attempts to convince his love that he will change his ways and that he is worthy of another chance.
The chorus of the song is a repeated declaration of the singer's pledge to make it up to his partner. He acknowledges that what he has done is wrong but he wants their love to remain intact. The song is a story of regret, redemption, and hope. It is a subtle reminder that in relationships, everyone makes mistakes, but it's how we confront them that help us grow and evolve. The Ugly Things prompts the listener to take stock of their own relationships and consider how they can make amends for the wrongs they might have done.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm gonna make it up to you somehow
I will find a way to make it up to you after fooling you in the past.
For all I've fooled you through
Acknowledges having fooled the person to whom the song is directed.
For the ugly little things I do
Refers to the negative actions or behaviors that the singer engages in.
Cause you understand too well
The singer believes that the person he is addressing understands him too well.
With something I can't tell
The singer is referencing something that he is not comfortable discussing.
Is on my mind
Whatever the singer is hesitant to discuss is on his mind quite often.
I'm gonna try to get a hold of myself
The singer will attempt to gain control of his emotions or actions.
And ask for one more chance
The singer is hoping that the person he is addressing will grant him another opportunity to make things right.
Cause for you I got so much romance
The singer has a lot of love and affection for the person he is addressing.
And this time I really will
The singer is dedicated to making things right this time around.
And if you want me still
The singer is hoping that the person he is addressing still wants to be with him, despite the ugly things he has done.
Baby say you will
The singer is asking the person he is addressing to confirm that she still wants to be with him.
Cause baby it's wrong
The singer acknowledges that his past actions were wrong.
Oh expecting you to understand all the things I do
The singer realizes that it is unfair to expect the person he is addressing to understand everything that he does.
And baby I want you to remain
The singer wants the person he is addressing to stay with him.
Cause if you go girl
The singer is emphasizing the importance of the person he is addressing staying with him.
I know I've no one to blame
The singer believes that he will have nobody to blame for his negative actions if the person he is addressing decides to leave him.
Oh we can climb any hill
The singer and the person he is addressing can overcome any obstacle together.
And those ugly things those ugly things
The singer is again referencing the negative actions or behaviors that he has engaged in.
Oh those ugly things
Reiterating the ugly things that the singer is trying to make up for.
I'll make them up to you
The singer is committed to making amends for the negative things he has done.
Contributed by Emily T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
PL S
An LA rocker, Eugene Edwards, did a great cover of this that appears on the tribute album, Lowe Profile.
Peter Mateer
SO good for '74 from these guys.