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".
My America
Deacon Blue Lyrics
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This bright sky is singing for you and I
All the land goes laughing into that glad goodbye
All the land goes laughing into that glad goodbye
Oh my America my new found land
Oh my America my new found land
Church bells go ringing and strangers cry
People keep bring their sad,sad smiles
Time won't even listen to why we had to lie
Time won't even listen to why we had to lie
Oh my America my new found land
Oh my America my new found land
Listen to the wave crash
Listen to the wave on the wide sound
She's far and she's wide and she's one small step away
She's far and she's wide and she's one small step away
Church bells keep ringing for you and I
We rush,we live,we laugh for some time night
These green fields and roads go rolling in your eye
These green fields and roads go back and back and back
Oh my America my new found land
Oh my America my new found land
Church bells go ringing for you and I
This bright sky is singing for you and I
All the land goes laughing into that glad goodbye
All the land goes laughing into that glad goodbye
Oh my America my new found land
Oh my America my new found land
The song 'My America' by Deacon Blue is a reflection on the American dream and the hope it represents. The song begins with the sound of church bells ringing, a symbol of new beginnings and celebration. The singer describes the beauty of the country, referring to the landscape as green fields and roads, and the sky as bright and singing. The lyrics evoke a sense of joy and promise, with the land seemingly laughing in a joyful goodbye.
However, the song takes a melancholic turn, as the lyrics allude to a sense of falsity and disappointment with the American dream. The line "people keep bringing their sad, sad smiles" suggests that the dream is not as perfect as it first appears. Additionally, the line "time won't even listen to why we had to lie" hints at the idea of deceit being used to pursue the dream. Despite this, the singer still feels a sense of connection to America, referring to it as "My America, my new found land". The song ends with the church bells ringing again, as if calling the singer back to reality.
Overall, the song portrays a sense of hopefulness and disillusionment, evoking the complexities of the American dream.
Line by Line Meaning
Church bells go ringing for you and I
We are welcomed and celebrated by the people of America
This bright sky is singing for you and I
The beauty of America and its bright future is inspiring us
All the land goes laughing into that glad goodbye
The land around us is happy for our arrival, but we know we will eventually leave
Oh my America my new found land
America is a new and exciting place for us that we can’t wait to explore and call our own
People keep bring their sad,sad smiles
The people of America may put on a brave face, but they too have their own struggles and sadness
Time won't even listen to why we had to lie
The passage of time doesn’t care for our reasons, it only moves forward regardless of our actions
Listen to the wave crash
The sound of the ocean is calming and soothing to our souls
She's far and she's wide and she's one small step away
America may seem vast and far away, but it only takes one step to start our journey
We rush,we live,we laugh for some time night
We are making the most of our time in America by having fun and enjoying ourselves
These green fields and roads go rolling in your eye
The rolling hills and roads of America are a sight to behold and something to remember
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JIM PRIME
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