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".
Back Here In Beanoland
Deacon Blue Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Talking diamonds talking steel
Don't talk things that, folk don't know
Talk about money and stuff that's real
Back here in beanoland the bubble is bursting
All things get busted, some things get builded
Old ladies write letters old men dream memoriesBack here in beanoland all things are real
Everyday my neighbour drives
For the company from the south
Tells the stories of how things are there
Talks about their life talks about ours
Back here in beanoland the bubble is bursting
All things get busted, some things get builded
Old ladies write letters old men dream memories
Back here in beanoland all things are real
I've trying to find a reason
I've been trying to leave this house
Everyday they cross that great bridge
And watch those trains pull in and out
Those trains, those trains, those trains
Yeah, those trains, those trains
Back here in beanoland the bubble is bursting
All things get busted, some things get builded
Old ladies write letters old men dream memories
Back here in beanoland all things are real
All things are real
The song Back Here in Beanoland by Deacon Blue is an insightful commentary on the stark contrast between the sensational headlines of the news and the daily lives of common people in society. The lyrics of the song highlight how the media focuses on writing about diamonds, steel, and things that people may not relate to, while ignoring the reality of everyday life, like money and true experiences that people face in their daily lives. The song suggests that the media can create a bubble that separates people from the real world and gives them a false sense of reality.
Furthermore, the song seems to highlight the difference between people who live in “beanoland” and those who do not. Beanoland may represent a place where common people live and are aware of the struggles and hardships of everyday life, as opposed to those living in modernity, who may not see the harsh reality of life. The song mentions how people keep receiving news from neighbor's accounts and are aware of what's happening around them. The chorus of the song, “Back here in Beanoland the bubble is bursting” indicates that the veneer of a perfect world portrayed by the media is a bubble that is bound to pop where every harsh reality of the world has to be faced.
Overall, the lyrics of the song suggest that people need to look beyond the headlines and the media to see the real world, the people living in it, and the things that happen daily. Life is not all diamonds and steel, and sometimes it is the simple and real things that matter the most.
Line by Line Meaning
Every day they write the headlines
Media outlets publish daily news stories
Talking diamonds talking steel
News stories focus on luxury items and material possessions
Don't talk things that, folk don't know
Avoid discussing topics that the general public may not understand
Talk about money and stuff that's real
Focus on topics that have a tangible impact on people's lives, like finance and economics
Everyday my neighbour drives
My neighbour commutes to work on a daily basis
For the company from the south
My neighbour works for a company located in the southern region
Tells the stories of how things are there
My neighbour shares experiences and insights about the company's location
Talks about their life talks about ours
My neighbour compares and contrasts their lifestyle with ours
Back here in beanoland the bubble is bursting
In Beanoland, the economy is experiencing a downturn
All things get busted, some things get builded
During times of economic hardship, some industries will decline while others will grow
Old ladies write letters old men dream memories
The older generation reflects on the past and communicates through written correspondence
Back here in beanoland all things are real
In Beanoland, people are facing real economic struggles and hardships
I've trying to find a reason
I am searching for an explanation
I've been trying to leave this house
I have been attempting to move away from this area
Everyday they cross that great bridge
People commute across a large bridge on a daily basis
And watch those trains pull in and out
People observe the movement of trains
Those trains, those trains, those trains
The trains are a recurring symbol of change and progress
Back here in beanoland all things are real
In Beanoland, people are facing real economic struggles and hardships
All things are real
The struggles and hardships faced in Beanoland are not imaginary – they are tangible and impactful
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ROSS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@JSm-y4s
Great song
@ericmartin6363
Un jour comme un dimanche.
@Kentikki
One of their best
@davesanderson707
still love it to the day when it was first released pure quality for all deacon blue people.🍻 happy days.
@rhysd3748
thanks for putting this on, not heard it since I was at college 20 years ago. my copies too scratched to play
@billymcdiarmid1407
more poignant than ever after Thursday....the dream lives on
@dcfcdjc9664
im 17 and this is an absolute banger blud