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".
Long Window To Love
Deacon Blue Lyrics
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Now the time has come and the cleansing's coming
You're turning down the lights
In this cruel light symbols mean nothing
You're taking down the signs
Turning round your eyes
From dreams that seem so brightFlying hope like kites
Hold loved ones tight
And turning to the light of that long window to love
And you forget about the years
About the planting and the dying and the growing
And you forget about your cares
But you remember that they've been forgotten
By the people sent to London
They're taking down your cares
Drinking off your tears
Gambling on your fears
For things that cost so dear
And won't be paid for years
Hoping you won't stare down that long window to love
They'd burgle all your sanity if it would let them hold you under
They'd knock on your door so hard the frame would crack under the strain
Its just the same ,just the same, Its just the same ,just the same
You're taking down the signs
Now the time has come and the cleansing's coming
You're turning down the lights
In this cruel light symbols mean nothing
Turning round your eyes
From dreams that seem so bright
Flying hope like kites
Hold loved ones tight
And turning to the light of that long window to love
The lyrics of Deacon Blue's song Long Window To Love are incredibly introspective and deep. The song speaks of a time of change and transformation, where the singer takes down the signs and turns off the lights, free from the constraints of symbols and images that no longer serve them. The lyrics capture the feeling of shedding old skin, a realization that sometimes to move on to a new chapter in life, we must let go of the past, and whatever has held us back. Symbolic of hope and love, the long window represents the possibility of a new beginning, a chance for the singer to find peace and find their way to long term happiness.
The song also touches on how people can be held back by others in their lives. The people that have been sent to London are a metaphor for those who have held us back, those who have tried to gamble on our fears, drinking off our tears and hoping that we won't stare down that long window to love. But despite these obstacles, the singer holds their loved ones tight and turns to the light of that long window to love. In the end, the song speaks of hope and the possibility of new beginnings.
Line by Line Meaning
You're taking down the signs
Removing the indications of the past and moving on.
Now the time has come and the cleansing's coming
It is high time to cleanse oneself from the past and start anew.
You're turning down the lights
Dimming out any harsh and cruel reality of life.
In this cruel light symbols mean nothing
In the harsh and challenging time of life, all the symbols or gestures of hope become irrelevant.
Turning round your eyes
Looking back towards past memories and experiences.
From dreams that seem so bright
Dreams that were once glittering with hope and expectations.
Flying hope like kites
Chasing after one's dreams with the lightness and soaring quality of a kite.
Hold loved ones tight
Clutching the people you love and care about with all your might.
And turning to the light of that long window to love
Looking towards a long path of love, hope, and happiness.
And you forget about the years
All the time that has passed becomes a blur.
About the planting and the dying and the growing
The cycles of life that everyone experiences become insignificant.
And you forget about your cares
All the worries and anxieties of life become trivial and unimportant.
But you remember that they've been forgotten
Acknowledging that the others whom we rely on have also forgotten our pain and sufferings.
By the people sent to London
The reference of people who have moved away or migrated to a foreign land.
They're taking down your cares
Others might not care about your concerns, and they might not prioritize them.
Drinking off your tears
People who take benefits from our emotional struggles and vulnerability.
Gambling on your fears
Taking advantage of one's weak points and fears for their gain.
For things that cost so dear
Risk is taken for things that are very costly and significant.
And won't be paid for years
The cost is still unpaid for a long time.
Hoping you won't stare down that long window to love
Hoping that one cannot see through the long path of love where we find solace and happiness.
They'd burgle all your sanity if it would let them hold you under
People who want to rob you of your sanity and play with your feelings to keep you in their control.
They'd knock on your door so hard the frame would crack under the strain
These kinds of people can go to any extreme to achieve their desired objectives.
Its just the same, just the same, Its just the same, just the same
The recurring pattern of events, where nothing is changed, and people struggle in the same vicious cycle of life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ROSS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nigel Smith
This whole explanation is completely wrong. The song is about the Labour Party not winning a general election