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".
Town To Be Blamed
Deacon Blue Lyrics
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From the howling howling over these streets
People stare 'cause you're so mad
That wild wild spark that innocent laugh
But baby that's this town
It won't happen next time
Yeah baby that's this townLovers on love downs
It's this town to be blamed
At the top of the block there's a church
At the top of the tower there's the clock
And it rings and it sighs
Cause there's no time for all these lies
But baby that's this town
It won't happen next time
Yeah baby that's this town
Lovers on love downs
It's this town to be blamed
Baby take a walk round to my house
Throw off these tired eyes and tears and these frowns
Take that lane so narrow and deep and walk those regrets that fill your sleep
You say your sleep is naked and your dreams are clothed
But what about your footsteps
Who sees them go
Who lets you know about these things
Who's gonna say the things we think
So take your keys and pack your bags
But leave your books and leave your maps
Cause baby that's this town
It won't happen next time
Yeah baby that's this town
It won't happen next time
Yeah baby that's this town
It won't happen next time
Sure baby that's this town
Lovers on love downs
It's this town to be blamed
It's this town to be blamed
Work work work
Rain rain rain
Home home home
Again again again
Work work work
Rain rain rain
Home home home
Again again again
Deacon Blue's "Town To Be Blamed" is a melancholic song that reflects the pain and heartache of living in a town where people don't understand you. The first verse begins by encouraging someone to close their eyes and go to sleep, maybe to escape the howling of the streets or the judgmental stares of passersby. The second line hints at their madness or unconventional behavior that attracts attention.
The chorus speaks to the theme of the song - the fact that this town is to blame for the pain and suffering of those who don't belong. The town won't change, and next time around, things will be the same. Lovers suffer too, ostracized and misunderstood by their society. The next verse describes the location of a church at the top of a block and a clock that sighs because there's no time for lies. The imagery evokes a bleak and hopeless atmosphere, where even the church's presence doesn't change the moral climate of the town.
The final verse is a plea for someone to take a walk with the singer. He asks them to leave their tiredness and sadness behind and take a walk down Memory Lane. While they speak of their dreams and regrets, the songwriter subtly reminds them that their footsteps will not be noticed by anyone. The last two verses repeat the chorus, emphasizing the fact that nothing will change, and the town is to blame for their pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Close your eyes and go to sleep
Shut your eyes and try to sleep
From the howling howling over these streets
The loud sounds on the street are disturbing to you
People stare 'cause you're so mad
Others are looking at you because of your anger
That wild wild spark that innocent laugh
Your lively laugh has suddenly died down
But baby that's this town
It is the town that is responsible for all this
It won't happen next time
This won't happen in the future
Lovers on love downs
Couples having issues in love
It's this town to be blamed
The town deserves to be accused of all the problems
At the top of the block there's a church
There is a church at the top of the street
At the top of the tower there's the clock
The clock is at the top of the tower
And it rings and it sighs
It rings and makes a sad sound
Cause there's no time for all these lies
There's no time for lies
Baby take a walk round to my house
Come and take a walk to my house
Throw off these tired eyes and tears and these frowns
Stop crying and try to feel better
Take that lane so narrow and deep and walk those regrets that fill your sleep
Think about those memories that keep you up at night
You say your sleep is naked and your dreams are clothed
You say you're not sleeping well and your dreams are vivid
But what about your footsteps
What about your actions?
Who sees them go
Who is aware of your actions?
Who lets you know about these things
Who reminds you about these things?
Who's gonna say the things we think
Who can relate to our thoughts?
So take your keys and pack your bags
Take your belongings and prepare to leave
But leave your books and leave your maps
Don't take your books and maps with you
Sure baby that's this town
Yes, this town is the source of the problem
Lovers on love downs
Couples having issues in love
It's this town to be blamed
The town is responsible for everything
Work work work
There's too much work
Rain rain rain
It's raining too much
Home home home
Just want to go home
Again again again
The same thing happens over and over again
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JIM PRIME, RICKY ROSS
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