The trio performed a mixture of both traditional folk songs (though often creatively arranged), hymns and carols, and their own original compositions. Most of their albums were released on the No Masters label (the No Masters Co-operative is a recording and publishing company run by songwriters, singers and musicians based in the North of England).
Much of their music was political in nature, but they also performed sacred music, and released two albums consisting of Christmas carols and hymns (the latter receiving extensive airplay on Classic FM around Christmas time from DJ Natalie Wheen).
In addition to the three vocalists, the nature of the line-up was somewhat fluid, with additional singers joining in as required. Their Christmas recordings were sometimes accredited to 'Voices at the Door', while the trio was also part of the occasional folk 'supergroup' Blue Murder along with members of Waterson:Carthy and The Watersons.
From 2005 they frequently collaborated with label mates Chumbawamba, contributing vocals on the latter's albums "A Singsong and a Scrap", "Get On With It! Live" and "The Boy Bands Have Won".
The trio often worked with choirs and others on various projects, eg. Kerstbestand - a concert about the Christmas truces of WW1, and Private Peaceful - a collaboration with author Micheal Morpurgo about a young soldier shot for cowardice.
The trio gave their final performance in October 2017, as part of the 2017 Derby Folk Festival.
Official website: www.coopeboyesandsimpson.co.uk
Lay me Down
Coope Boyes & Simpson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gave up everything that couldn't last
Borrowed money that you never paid back
And left a hole in this town
They don't make 'em like you no more
Your mama's working at the liquor store
But we don't talk about it anymore
And you don't come around
Everybody's lonely
Oh babe, just look around
You got a way (of letting me down)
You got a way (of letting me down)
Of letting me down
You were in another dream I had
Still running from your dead beat dad
I had a feeling it would turn out bad
And I never woke up
Bad luck you know it don't come cheap
But shit changes baby, nothing's concrete
A full moon above an empty street
I only wanted your love
Everybody's lonely
Oh babe, just look around
Everybody's lonely
Oh babe, just look around
You got a way (of letting me down)
You got a way (of letting me down)
Oh, you got a way
Way, way
Of letting me down (of letting me down)
You keep letting me down (letting me down)
Letting me down
Down, down, down
The lyrics of "Lay Me Down" by Coope Boyes & Simpson are a reflection of a person's emotions and thoughts after a loved one has left them. The opening lines "School was done and you were gone so fast, Gave up everything that couldn't last" show a sense of disappointment, as the person they loved gave up things that really mattered and left them. The following lines "Borrowed money that you never paid back and Left a hole in this town" explain that the loved one didn't care about the impact they left behind and left the person feeling empty and alone.
The chorus "Everybody's lonely, Oh babe, just look around" highlights that the pain is not just felt by the person singing the song, but is something that is shared by many others around them. The lyrics "I had a feeling it would turn out bad, And I never woke up" express how the person knew all along that things wouldn't work out with their loved one, but they still kept their hope up. The lyric "A full moon above an empty street" contrasts the vibrancy of the moon with the emptiness of life without their loved one.
The lyrics "You got a way (of letting me down), You keep letting me down" express how the person feels someone close to them continuously lets them down. The repetition of "you got a way" suggests that this is a habit or behavior that is recurring and is causing the person to feel hurt and disappointed. The song concludes with the same refrain of "Letting me down, down, down," highlighting the cyclical nature of disappointment and the continuous cycle of feeling let down.
Line by Line Meaning
School was done and you were gone so fast
You left school quickly and without delay
Gave up everything that couldn't last
You abandoned things that weren't going to last anyway.
Borrowed money that you never paid back
You took money from others and never returned it.
And left a hole in this town
You left a noticeable and significant absence in this town.
They don't make 'em like you no more
People like you are a rare find these days.
Your mama's working at the liquor store
Your mother is employed as a liquor store worker.
But we don't talk about it anymore
We no longer discuss this topic.
And you don't come around
You no longer visit or communicate with us.
Everybody's lonely
Every one of us feels a sense of loneliness.
Oh babe, just look around
As evidence, all you need to do is take a look at your surroundings.
You got a way (of letting me down)
You have a talent for disappointing me.
You were in another dream I had
I dreamt about you again.
Still running from your dead beat dad
You're still trying to avoid your neglectful father.
I had a feeling it would turn out bad
I had an intuition that things would go badly.
And I never woke up
I never returned to reality.
Bad luck you know it don't come cheap
Bad luck isn't inexpensive.
But shit changes baby, nothing's concrete
But things can change unpredictably, nothing is permanent.
A full moon above an empty street
A full moon illuminating an abandoned street.
I only wanted your love
All I ever desired was to be loved by you.
You got a way (of letting me down)
You have a talent for disappointing me.
You got a way (of letting me down)
You have a talent for disappointing me.
Oh, you got a way
You definitely have a unique ability.
Way, way
You have a knack
Of letting me down (of letting me down)
Of always falling short.
You keep letting me down (letting me down)
You continue to disappoint me.
Letting me down
Failing to meet my expectations.
Down, down, down
A steady decline deeper into disappointment.
Lyrics © Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: Jeremy Ivey, Margo Price
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind