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".
Are You There
Deacon Blue Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are you there with another girl
Instead of me
I hear your laughter and there's something I've got to know
Are you there with another girl
Instead of me
I'm standing on your doorstep and I don't know what to doShould I ring your door bell or just walk away
My friends all say you were never true
(hiding in the shadows)
I see two silhouettes at the back of your window shield
Are you there with another girl
When I am gone
I can't believe you'd break the promises that you made
If your there with another girl I can't go on
I only know I love you I couldn't say why
So if there's another I don't want to know
If you should go I would surely die
Love requires faith I've got a lot of faith but
I hear the music coming out of your radio
I only know I love you I couldn't say why
So if there's another I don't want to know
If you should go I would surely die
You would never leave me hurt me or deceive me
I'm a fool to doubt you worry so about you
Love requires faith I've got a lot of faith but
I hear the music coming out of the radio
Hmmn yeah, I hear the music , coming out of your radio
And your there with another girl
I hear the music
I don't want to know
The lyrics to Deacon Blue's song "Are You There" depict a story of a woman who is questioning her partner's faithfulness. She hears music coming from her partner's radio, and wonders if he is with another girl instead of her. The sound of his laughter only adds to her confusion and pain, as she contemplates whether to ring his doorbell or walk away. She sees two people standing in the shadows behind a window shield and begins to question whether the promises he made were ever true. The song expresses her deep love for her partner, and her hope that he is not with someone else. She concludes that love requires faith, and though she doubts him, she has faith in their relationship.
The lyrics of this song express the universal emotions of doubt, insecurity, and love. They are relatable to anyone who has questioned the faithfulness of their partner and struggled with feelings of jealousy and pain. The music of the song is also notable for its upbeat tempo and sweet melody, which creates a sharp contrast to the painful emotions depicted in the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
I hear the music coming out of the radio
The singer hears music playing on the radio.
Are you there with another girl instead of me
The singer suspects their partner might be with someone else.
I hear your laughter and there's something I've got to know
The singer hears their partner laughing and wants to know if they are with someone else.
I'm standing on your doorstep and I don't know what to do
The artist is at their partner's doorstep but is unsure about what they should do.
Should I ring your door bell or just walk away
The artist is unsure if they should ring the doorbell or leave without saying anything.
My friends all say you were never true (hiding in the shadows)
The singer's friends have told them that their partner hasn't been truthful.
I see two silhouettes at the back of your window shield
The singer sees two shadows through their partner's window.
Are you there with another girl when I am gone
The artist suspects their partner might be with someone else when they are not around.
I can't believe you'd break the promises that you made
The artist is disappointed that their partner might have broken their promises.
If you're there with another girl I can't go on
The artist feels that they cannot continue the relationship if their partner is with someone else.
I only know I love you I couldn't say why
The singer loves their partner but doesn't know why.
So if there's another I don't want to know
The artist doesn't want to know if their partner is with someone else.
If you should go I would surely die
The singer would be devastated if their partner were to leave them.
Love requires faith I've got a lot of faith but
The singer thinks love needs faith but is unsure.
I hear the music coming out of your radio
The singer hears music playing on the radio.
The sweet sweet music And you're there with another girl
The artist hears music and thinks their partner is with someone else.
I don't want to know
The artist doesn't want to know if their partner is with someone else.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Hal David, Burt Bacharach
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@7Limousine
Amazing song....written by the late Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Burt and Hal thank you so much for all the great songs and that you may rest both in peace!
@erikaavalos8505
Preciosa canción
@OjaiRoy
good upbeat version
@MrDeaconJack
Fond memories, folks. Great stuff.
@cerialun
Absolutely fabulous song sung by a great band.
@BetterTheDevilYouKnow
i've always loved this.
@kjm949
I love this track. thank you for posting this.
@ThickhairCoUk
Went to see the Musical Close to you today! A bit of a mash up of Burt Bacharach songs, now listening to all of the Deacon Blue versions which do the songs much more justice?
@pljms
Why the question mark?
@CarlosRentero
I think so. regards