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".
Disneyworld
Deacon Blue Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's important to me
Everyone should look good
And when they die they should die with their boots on
And their hearts on fire
When I die they'll cry
I'll have candy and chocolate whirlsAnd party gowns framing bonny girls
Will carry me off to Disneyworld
I think the whole world should be funny
That's important to me
If you can't be funny don't be ugly
When they speak they should speak with their hands firmly on their hearts
When I die they'll cry
I'll have candy and chocolate whirls
And party gowns framing bonny girls
Will carry me off to Disneyworld
I like to see people happy
Singing on the way to work
Children and animals happy
When they laugh they should laugh like us
Not like other creatures do
When I die they'll cry
I'll have candy and chocolate whirls
And party gowns framing bonny girls
Will carry me off to Disneyworld
In Deacon Blue's song Disneyworld, the singer expresses their desire for the world to be beautiful, funny, and happy. They believe that everyone should look good and speak with their hearts on fire. They also feel that it's important to be able to find humor in life, and if you can't, at least avoid being ugly. The singer wants to see people happy, singing on their way to work and with animal companions by their side.
The chorus of the song reveals a rather unique funeral plan. The singer wants to be remembered with candy, chocolate whirls, and surrounded by party gowns framing bonny girls. They want to be carried off to Disneyworld, ostensibly to continue the fun in the afterlife. Perhaps this is meant to be a metaphor for the singer's belief in the transformative power of beauty, humor, and joy.
One interpretation of the lyrics could be that the singer aims to live life to the fullest and wants to be remembered for their passion for happiness and beauty. The song suggests that the singer believes that the pursuit of these things should be a priority for everyone, as you should try to make the world as bright and joyful as possible.
Line by Line Meaning
I think the whole world should look good
The songwriter values the appearance of the world and believes that it should be aesthetically pleasing.
That's important to me
This is a personal opinion or value of the songwriter.
Everyone should look good
The songwriter thinks that everyone should dress and present themselves in a visually attractive manner.
And when they die they should die with their boots on
The songwriter believes that people should live their lives to the fullest and give their all, even until the end.
And their hearts on fire
This emphasizes the importance of passion and enthusiasm in life.
When I die they'll cry
The songwriter imagines that when they pass away, people will mourn their loss and be emotional.
I'll have candy and chocolate whirls
This suggests that the songwriter's funeral or send-off will be joyful and celebratory, with treats and fun activities for guests.
And party gowns framing bonny girls
This adds to the festive atmosphere of the songwriter's imagined final farewell, with beautiful dresses on attractive women.
Will carry me off to Disneyworld
The songwriter envisions being taken away to a magical and happy place, like Disneyworld, after their death.
I think the whole world should be funny
The songwriter values humor and believes that it should be present in the world and in people's lives.
If you can't be funny don't be ugly
The songwriter suggests that if someone cannot be funny, they should at least avoid being unpleasant or unattractive towards others.
When they speak they should speak with their hands firmly on their hearts
The songwriter believes that people should speak with conviction and sincerity, and that words should come from the heart.
I like to see people happy
The songwriter finds joy in the happiness of others.
Singing on the way to work
This suggests that the songwriter enjoys hearing people singing and feeling joyful even during mundane or everyday activities.
Children and animals happy
The songwriter includes innocent and vulnerable beings, such as children and animals, in their desire for happiness in the world.
When they laugh they should laugh like us
This implies that the songwriter has a specific way of laughing or expressing joy, and they hope that others can share in that same kind of positive emotion.
Not like other creatures do
The songwriter distinguishes human laughter from the laughter or expressions of other creatures, perhaps indicating the unique and special nature of human experience.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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