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".
Queen Of The New Year
Deacon Blue Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you know so much
Heaven help us all
From the tales you tell
You're so old
And innocent as hell
How I love your questions
You queen of the new year
And you know so much
My mind's not made up
About the way forward
And now my heart
You know these things
My name for you
Is queen of the new year
All the stars in heaven go dim
To the lights on me and him
All the stars in heaven are proud
As the lights on us go out
Now I'm telling you this
In a difficult year
You know your mother
She gave me problems
What am I gonna do
With your honest heart
The champion of love
The queen of the new year
All the stars in heaven go dim
To the lights on me and him
All the stars in heaven are proud
As the lights on us go out
All the stars in heaven go dim
All the stars in heaven go dim
All the stars in heaven go dim
All the stars in heaven go dim
To the champion of love
The queen of the new year
To the champion of love
The queen of the new year
To the champion of love
The queen of the new year
To the champion of love
The queen of the new year
The opening lines of Deacon Blue's "Queen of the New Year" speak of a clash between youth and experience, as the singer marvels at the insight of their young companion while also noting the potential dangers of their youthful naivety. The song progresses to touch on themes of love, heartbreak, and the challenge of moving forward in difficult times. The chorus repeats the title phrase, "queen of the new year," a honorific bestowed upon the song's subject, who is referred to as a "champion of love" and praised for their pure heart.
Despite its highly personal nature, the song's meaning remains somewhat elusive, with its cryptic lyrics offering hints at a complex emotional landscape that its listeners must interpret for themselves. The imagery of stars and lights, as well as the mention of difficult times and interpersonal conflicts, all suggest a certain degree of melancholy, while the chorus's emphasis on renewal and new beginnings offers a glimmer of hope for the future.
Overall, "Queen of the New Year" is a powerful and evocative meditation on the joys and challenges of love and life, with its ambiguous lyrics and complex emotions lending it a timeless appeal that continues to captivate listeners to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
You're so young
Despite your youth, you possess an abundance of knowledge and experience.
And you know so much
Your level of understanding surpasses what is expected of someone your age.
Heaven help us all
Your insights and revelations are so powerful that they may have the ability to radically change the current state of the world.
From the tales you tell
Your stories and experiences are both captivating and impactful.
You're so old
While still youthful, you possess an inner wisdom commonly reserved for those with many years of life under their belts.
And innocent as hell
Your purity of heart and innocence is undeniable and awe-inspiring.
How I love your questions
Your endless curiosity and tireless pursuit of knowledge is both endearing and admirable.
You queen of the new year
You hold within you the potential for great things, which may lead to a profound change in the world.
My mind's not made up
I'm still not sure which path I should take.
About the way forward
I'm uncertain about the best course of action to take in order to move forward.
And now my heart
My emotions and instincts are calling out to me.
You know these things
You possess an intuitive understanding of what I'm going through.
My name for you
You possess so much power and potential that I can only refer to you as royalty.
Is queen of the new year
You embody the hope and possibility of new beginnings, and have the ability to create change and light in the world.
All the stars in heaven go dim
The strength and depth of our love are so powerful that they can make everything else pale in comparison.
To the lights on me and him
Our love shines brightly, illuminating everything around us.
All the stars in heaven are proud
Our love is worth bragging about - it's something to be proud of.
As the lights on us go out
As our love fades, everything else around us seems to lose its luster and shine.
Now I'm telling you this
I need to share this with you - it's important that you understand how I feel.
In a difficult year
This has been a challenging time, but you give me hope and comfort.
You know your mother
You understand the complicated and messy relationships in my life, and this makes you all the more special to me.
She gave me problems
My relationship with your mother has caused me struggles and heartache.
What am I gonna do
I'm unsure how to navigate this situation, and need your guidance.
With your honest heart
Your pure and genuine nature gives me hope and inspiration for the future.
The champion of love
Your ability to love deeply and unconditionally makes you a champion of the human spirit.
To the champion of love
You are a true hero when it comes to spreading love and light in the world.
To the champion of love
You embody all the core values associated with being a champion of love.
The queen of the new year
You embody the hope and possibility of new beginnings, and have the ability to create change and light in the world.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JIM PRIME, RICKY ROSS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@306master
Not only are they fantastic singer's they have the musicians to back their raw talent
What a band the likes that will never be seen again
@jeffreythompson9267
You've missed so much
@agnesfriel1738
Saw them at Bonus arena in Hull recently and oh my god ........amazing!
@willscanlon9515
Class is permanent
@sapphirestoker5555
I WAS 13YEARS OLD WHEN I FIRST DISCOVERED DEACON BLUE. I PLAYED EVERY SINGLE TRACK WITH WONDERMENT. EVERY TRACK IS PURE GOLD. NEVER HEARD AN ALBUM LIKE IT SINCE. THANK YOU DEACON BLUE CIRCA2017 19th DECEMBER YEAH!!!!! \m/
@pjshelly6794
I SAW DEACON BLUE IN DUBLIN I LOVE THEIR SONG CALLED QUEEN OF THE NEW YEAR ITS ONE OF THEIR BEST GO C THEM LIVE U WONT B DISSAPOINTED.
@colourful999real7
MASTERPIECE
ONE OF BEST GROUP BAND EVER
FABULOUS
@johnnyuppal7878
Where was this concert ? I have some really clear HD footage on my YouTube page of the 30 year concert at Symphony Hall if you would like to experience a must watch milestone of Deacon Blue !
@MrBiggoolie
@@johnnyuppal7878 Glasgow SECC 1989.
@chrismarrow5812
Love the arcordian in background