At their height, the band comprised distinctive and diminutive Scottish singer Jimmy Somerville, backed by fellow Scot Steve Bronski and Londoner Larry Steinbacheck, both of whom played keyboards and percussion.
Formed in 1983, their debut hit came the following year - the striking tale of a boy who was cast away by his family and neighbours for being gay. Called Smalltown Boy, it peaked at Number 3 in the UK and was accompanied by a memorable video of Somerville leaving home, forlornly eating an apple on a train, being attacked by a homophobic gang and being returned to his family by the police.
The song quickly established the trio as an outlet for gay issues – all three members were homosexual – and the follow-up single Why? pursued the same energetic and electronic formula musically, while the lyrics focussed more centrally and darkly on anti-gay prejudice. Again, it made the Top 10 in the UK.
At the end of 1984, the trio released an album which was provocatively titled The Age Of Consent. The sleeve inside listed the varying ages of consent for homosexual sex in different nations around the world. At the time, the age of consent for gay men in the UK was 21.
A third single was released from it, again causing controversy. It Ain't Necessarily So, the George and Ira Gershwin classic (from Porgy and Bess) which questions the authenticity of Biblical tales, reached the UK Top 20. Playing the clarinet solos in the song was Richard Coles, with whom Somerville would later team up to form The Communards.
In 1985, the trio joined up with Marc Almond to record a version of the Donna Summer classic I Feel Love. The full version was actually a medley, also incorporating snippets of "Love to Love You Baby" and "Johnny Remember Me." It reached Number 3 in the UK charts, equaling the feats of "Smalltown Boy," and was memorably described by one critic as "the gayest record ever made".
Following the remix album Hundreds & Thousands, Somerville quit the band, stating he wanted a career which was "more political". Presumably this related to internal politics rather than the lyrical direction of the band, as his new project relied almost entirely on unpolitical songs and cover versions – and they were a huge success in doing so. He teamed up with Coles to form The Communards and in 1986 outsold all other singles in the UK with their version of Don't Leave Me This Way.
Bronski Beat recruited John Foster as Somerville's replacement. A very catchy single called Hit That Perfect Beat managed to equal the two previous biggest hits by reaching Number 3 in the UK charts. In 1986, they released their second album, Truthdare Doubledare.
In 1989, Jonathan Hellyer became lead singer, and the band extensively toured the U.S. and had one minor hit with the song Cha Cha Heels, a one-off collaboration sung by American actress and singer Eartha Kitt.
Bronski Beat released their third and final album, Rainbow Nation, in 1995. They split that year.
The songs "Smalltown Boy" and "Why" were sampled by producers Steve Angello and Axwell under the moniker Supermode (originally Supermongo) for their song "Tell Me Why". "Tell Me why" peaked at #13 on the UK singles chart.
In 2018, London Records issued a remastered and expanded 2CD edition of their debut, The Age of Consent. Remastered from the original 1984 analogue tapes, it includes demos, BBC sessions, remixes and unreleased tracks.
Smalltown Boy
Bronski Beat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To your soul
Cry
Cry
Cry
You leave in the morning with everything you own in a little black case
Alone on a platform, the wind and the rain on a sad and lonely face
Mother will never understand why you had to leave
But the answers you seek will never be found at home
The love that you need will never be found at home
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away
Pushed around and kicked around, always a lonely boy
You were the one that they'd talk about around town as they put you down
And as hard as they would try they'd hurt to make you cry
But you never cried to them, just to your soul
No, you never cried to them, just to your soul
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away (crying to your soul)
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away (crying to your soul)
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away (crying to your soul)
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away
Cry, boy, cry
Cry, boy, cry
Cry, boy, cry, boy, cry
Cry, boy, cry, boy, cry
Cry, boy, cry, boy, cry
Cry, boy, cry, boy, cry
Cry, boy, cry, boy, cry
Cry, boy, cry, boy, cry
You leave in the morning with everything you own in a little black case
Alone on a platform, the wind and the rain on a sad and lonely face
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away
The lyrics of Bronski Beat's "Smalltown Boy" recount the story of a gay man who leaves his hometown due to the intolerance he experiences there. The song starts off with the repeated phrase "To your soul, cry", emphasizing the emotional strain the singer experiences while facing his problems. He is depicted as a lonely young man who needs to leave his home to find himself and avoid the social pressure arising due to his sexual orientation. The way he leaves, with everything he owns in a black case, shows that he has cut ties with his past and is looking for a fresh start.
The chorus of the song, which repeats the phrase "Run away, turn away", mirrors his inner turmoil as he grapples with the decision to leave his home behind. Despite the pain he feels in his hometown, he knows that his new life will not be without challenges. The line "Pushed around and kicked around, always a lonely boy" describes the mistreatment the singer experienced due to his sexuality, but also highlights his own resilience, as he never broke down in front of his bullies. At the core of this song lies the singer's emotional journey: running away from his hometown is not a solution to his problems; he must learn to be comfortable with himself, even when facing societal pressure.
Line by Line Meaning
To your soul
There's a deeper part of you that feels the pain.
To your soul
The cause of both happiness and sorrow is rooted in the soul.
Cry
Express your pent-up emotions and let it all out.
Cry
Allow yourself to react to the pain you feel without inhibitions.
Cry
The only release for the trapped emotions is through tears.
You leave in the morning with everything you own in a little black case
He leaves behind his old life and sets out for a new one.
Alone on a platform, the wind and the rain on a sad and lonely face
The situation is depressing and lonely, and he's left alone to face it.
Mother will never understand why you had to leave
His mother will never comprehend his inner turmoil and the decision to leave.
But the answers you seek will never be found at home
He needs to strike out on his own to find his own meaning in life.
The love that you need will never be found at home
His home cannot provide him with the love and acceptance he yearns for.
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away
The act of withdrawing from the source of pain repeatedly.
Pushed around and kicked around, always a lonely boy
He's been ill-treated by others and left alone even in a crowd.
You were the one that they'd talk about around town as they put you down
The town gossip and his cruelty injured him even more.
And as hard as they would try they'd hurt to make you cry
Others hurting him is part of his existence even though it's not his preference.
But you never cried to them, just to your soul
He held his sorrow in and revealed his true feelings only to himself.
No, you never cried to them, just to your soul
He didn't reveal to others how they hurt him; he only wept on the inside.
Cry, boy, cry
He accepts that it's time to let out his distress unreservedly.
Cry, boy, cry
He urges himself to cry since emotional release is long overdue.
Cry, boy, cry, boy, cry
He repeats the phrase as a reminder of how crucial crying is.
Cry, boy, cry, boy, cry
In spite of the difficulty, he encourages himself to cry.
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away (crying to your soul)
The cycle of emotional escape and sorrow continues aloud but only known to himself.
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away (crying to your soul)
He continues giving voice to his inner hurting and his way of coping with it.
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away (crying to your soul)
The lyrics summarize his mechanism of avoiding the pain in the outside world and finding solace within himself.
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away
He reiterates the theme of constant fleeing as a way to keep his head above water.
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away
The song closes in the same manner that it opened, returning to the idea of evading the cruelty of the world that surrounds him.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: James William Somerville, Larry Steinbacheck, Steve Bronski
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind