This predominantly Glaswegian act became one of the top-selling UK bands of the late 1980s/early 1990s. The group's members were Ricky Ross, Lorraine McIntosh, James Prime, Dougie Vipond, Ewan Vernal and Graeme Kelling.
Ross, a former school teacher originally from Dundee, was the group's frontman, penning the vast majority of Deacon Blue's songs. He married female vocalist Lorraine McIntosh in the later years of the band's career. McIntosh, born May 1964 in Glasgow joined the band in 1987 as a vocalist.
The band's first album, Raintown, produced by Jon Kelly and released in 1987, is regarded by many as the band's finest effort, spawning the singles "Dignity", "Chocolate Girl" and "Loaded". Many consider Raintown to be a concept album, since nearly all the songs contribute to the overall theme of being stuck in a dead-end life in a deprived city longing for something better. The city that the album's title refers to is Glasgow, and the memorable cover art of the album is a shot of the River Clyde's docks taken on a miserable day from Kelvingrove Park.
The second album, 1988's When The World Knows Your Name, was the band's most commercially successful, with the mega-selling singles "Real Gone Kid", "Wages Day" and "Fergus Sings The Blues". However, music critics began deriding the band at this stage for pursuing commercial success over artistic quality, citing the earlier achievements of Raintown.
Jon Kelly returned to the producer's chair in 1991 for Fellow Hoodlums, and the album was met with more critical success, but by now the group's honeymoon period was over and their success started to wane. This album was followed up with Whatever You Say, Say Nothing in 1993, a much more experimental album which gained praise from the critics, but was a commercial failure.
The band released a Greatest Hits compilation the following year.
With Vipond's decision to quit the group in favour for a career in television, Deacon Blue split up in 1994.
Five years later, the band held an unexpected reunion gig in 1999, and this led on to a new album, Walking Back Home, with the band now working on a part-time basis.
The band released another album, Homesick, in 2001.
Though Graeme Kelling died from cancer in 2004, the band has vowed to continue in his absence.
The year 2006 saw Deacon Blue returning to the studio to record three new tracks for a Singles album - including the track "Bigger than Dynamite".
The band performed at Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium, as the pre-match entertainment for the Rugby League Super League Grand Final on the 14 October, and continued on to a full UK tour in November.
The album The Hipsters was released in 2012.
http://www.deaconblue.com/, followed by A New House, Believers, City of Love and Riding On The Tide Of Love.
In 2023 the band released a greatest hits set titled "All The Old 45's" along with a box set of all their albums titled "You Can Have It All".
All I Want
Deacon Blue Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Would curl upwards like the wild sea
A special friend knowing all the ways of love
Would talk his way back inside a tiny second
Don't promise good intention
One in a thousand (maybe even me)
Don't know there are clouds in the sky
Baby, you already know
That all I want is to be with you
Call me over sooner
Call me right now
I'm standing underneath the blackest rolling sky
I don't know my way forward
I'm dizzy with the wind
Turning like a compass never true only spinning
All I want is to be with you
In the sad and lonely pines
Where no midday sun ever shines
As the clouds all float into thin air
Underneath the blackest sky somewhere
I hear the soul of man never dies
I hear that special will survive
Keeping time over the rolling roads
Staying with me as my thoughts all go
Chasing away in the green fields
Where every breath gives up and yields
To all I want
The song "All I Want" by Deacon Blue is a beautiful love song that expresses the longing of the singer to be with the person he loves. The song starts with a description of the setting - a cautious smile under the western sky that curls upwards like the wild sea. The singer talks about a special friend who knows all the ways of love and can talk his way back inside a tiny second. However, the singer is cautious about promising good intention as he is uncertain about the clouds in the sky and wonders if everyone will eventually say the same thing. But no matter what, he knows that all he wants is to be with the person he loves, and he implores them to call him over sooner or right now.
The second verse of the song talks about the singer standing underneath the blackest rolling sky, not knowing his way forward and turning like a compass that's never true, only spinning. However, despite the uncertainty and confusion, all he wants is to be with the person he loves. The singer then talks about the sad and lonely pines where no midday sun ever shines, and how the clouds all float into thin air underneath the blackest sky somewhere. But he also hears that the soul of man never dies, and the special will survive. The song ends with the singer talking about how his thoughts all go chasing away in the green fields, where every breath gives up and yields to all he wants - to be with the person he loves.
Overall, this song beautifully expresses the longing and desire to be with the person you love, even when there is uncertainty and confusion. It is a testament to the power of love and the way it can make everything else fade away.
Line by Line Meaning
A cautious smile under the western sky
A smile that is unsure, shown under the sky in the west
Would curl upwards like the wild sea
The smile would curve upwards, like the unpredictable and tumultuous sea
A special friend knowing all the ways of love
A close companion who understands how love works
Would talk his way back inside a tiny second
Could charm their way back into a situation quickly
Don't promise good intention
Do not make empty commitments
One in a thousand (maybe even me)
Only a select few are trustworthy
Don't know there are clouds in the sky
Blinded to the possibility of difficulties
Sooner or later everyone will say the same thing
Eventually, everyone will want the same thing
Baby, you already know
You already possess this knowledge
That all I want is to be with you
My main desire is to spend time with you
Call me over sooner
Summon me to you quickly
Call me right now
Phone me immediately
I'm standing underneath the blackest rolling sky
I am situated beneath the dark, moving sky
I don't know my way forward
I am unsure about my future path
I'm dizzy with the wind
The strong winds make me feel disoriented
Turning like a compass never true only spinning
Revolving without purpose, much like a compass that has lost its accuracy
All I want is to be with you
My main desire is to spend time with you
In the sad and lonely pines
Into the gloomy and solitary evergreens
Where no midday sun ever shines
Where the sun's rays never reach their fullest extent
As the clouds all float into thin air
When the clouds disappear without a trace
Underneath the blackest sky somewhere
Somewhere in the midst of the dark, murky atmosphere
I hear the soul of man never dies
I perceive that humans have an immortal essence
I hear that special will survive
I believe that exceptional people endure
Keeping time over the rolling roads
Following along on journeys that are unpredictable
Staying with me as my thoughts all go
Remains by my side when my concentration waivers
Chasing away in the green fields
Pursuing dreams in the lush meadows
Where every breath gives up and yields
Where every breath of air provides surrender
To all I want
To my greatest wish
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANTOINE SICOTTE, JAMES RENALD, JOHN ACOSTA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nigel Smith
on Long Window To Love
This whole explanation is completely wrong. The song is about the Labour Party not winning a general election