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".
Twist and Shout
Deacon Blue Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Things to say about the
Big world and the
High skies so you
Walk a little in a
Long mile to be
Sure your eyes can see theRight sights
I see a
Pale girl in a
Blue room with a
Pink dress and a
Wide smile I see a
Pale girl in a
Blue room with a
Pink dress and a
Wide smile
You've got a little
Way to go before you
Find the knowledge that you're
Searching for so you'll
Turn the big world
Upside down
To find the things that you
Never wanted
I see a
Pale girl in a
Blue room with a
Pink dress and a
Wide smile I need a
Pink smile on a
Dark night from the
Right girl to be
Sure it's right
You've got three million things to get mad about
Another hundred things to get glad about
Junk food
The whole world over's good at standing round
So baby twist and shout baby
Find out baby
Find out baby
Find out baby
So it's April and the
Things you say don't
Seem as certain as on
Hogmanay when we
Kissed at midnight and a
Wee wee bells had
Gave me courage for my
My heart to tell
I see a
Pale girl in a
Blue room with a
Pink dress and a
Wide smile I need a
Pink smile on a
Dark night from the
Right girl to be
Sure it's right
I see a
Pale girl in a
Blue room with a
Pink dress and a
Wide smile I need a
Pink smile on a
Dark night from the
Right girl to be
Sure it's right
You need the right girl
Mhm
You need the right girl
Come on, come on, come on baby
You need the right girl
I'm working on it
You need the right girl
Twist and shout
Come on, come on baby
The theme of this song centers around exploring the world, seeking knowledge, and finding love. The lyrics portray someone who has a lot to say about the world and its possibilities but is not quite sure where to start their journey. The opening lyrics suggest that the person has a lot of ideas about the world, but they are unsure if they are heading in the right direction. They are willing to walk the long mile to ensure that they take in all of the accompanying experiences along the way. The imagery of the "pale girl in a blue room with a pink dress" alludes to the presence of love and happiness that the singer desires.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes more resolute in their quest for knowledge and love. They vow to "turn the big world upside down to find the things they never wanted." This line refers to the notion of breaking from the norm, taking calculated risks, and exploring life to find the answers that one seeks. The chanting of "twist and shout" in the chorus represents the joy that comes with experiencing and discovering life's pleasures.
The lyrics also touch on the difference between being mad and being glad, love and heartbreak, and how both can exist within a person's life. The singer's declaration that they need the "right girl" to be sure it's right reinforces the idea that finding love and happiness is the end goal for the person in the song.
Line by Line Meaning
You've got a lot of
You possess many ideas and opinions on various aspects of life in general
Things to say about the
There are numerous things that you wish to share or express regarding
Big world and the
The vast, diverse world and the
High skies so you
The vastness of the skies have captured your imagination, hence your eagerness to explore and discover their beauty
Walk a little in a
Take a walk for a considerable distance
Long mile to be
A sufficiently long distance to ensure that your visual acuity can perceive the details of your surroundings
Sure your eyes can see the
Confidence in the quality of your eyesight to perceive and comprehend all visual stimuli impeccably
Right sights
Essential for visualizing the correct, accurate sights
I see a
There is an image or scene that goes through my mind
Pale girl in a
An individual who has an extremely light skin tone and who is in a
Blue room with a
Surrounding blue colors in the room she occupies, which may indicate a somber mood or melancholic state of mind
Pink dress and a
Wearing a dress that is of the color pink, a striking contrast to the surrounding blue hues
Wide smile I see a
A large smile conveyed by the individual, demonstrating an outwardly happy disposition
You've got a little
You have a modest requirement
Way to go before you
You have to traverse some distance to
Find the knowledge that you're
Discover the answers and insights that you are seeking
Searching for so you'll
In your quest for this knowledge, you will
Turn the big world
Examine the world in detail
Upside down
Thoroughly explore every element of the world, upside down and right side up
To find the things that you
The goal of this search is to locate the specifics that you require
Never wanted
The things that you originally did not seek or find important
You've got three million things to get mad about
There are many things that can bring anger and frustration to your life
Another hundred things to get glad about
A relatively smaller amount of things that can bring positivity and joy to your life
Junk food
Harmful and unhealthy food
The whole world over's good at standing round
People are good at standing around, doing nothing
So baby twist and shout baby
Hence, let loose of your inhibitions, twist and shout for prolonged, unrestricted fun and happiness
Find out baby
Let us discover, explore and experience life to the fullest
Find out baby
Continue seeking new experiences and knowledge about life
Find out baby
Embracing the journey of self-discovery
So it's April and the
We find ourselves in April, yet
Things you say don't
Words and ideas that you previously conveyed or shared
Seem as certain as on
Are no longer as dependable or validated, unlike on
Hogmanay when we
Previously when we celebrated Hogmanay, a Scottish New Year's Eve festival
Kissed at midnight and a
The moment we exchanged kisses at midnight sorrounded by the celebratory event
Wee wee bells had
The sounds of small bells ringing
Gave me courage for my
The sound of the bells instilled a sense of confidence and bravery in me for
My heart to tell
To express and declare the emotions that I harbored in my heart
You need the right girl
An ideal, specific type of girl is needed in one's life
Mhm
A hum or expression of agreement
Come on, come on, come on baby
A plea to the desired individual to pay heed and fulfill this requisite in one's life
You need the right girl
A reiteration of the necessity of having the right girl in one's life
Twist and shout
An exclamation that tweaks and recreation is imperative
Come on, come on baby
An invitation for one to join in the celebration of life and find happiness through self-expression
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ricky Ross
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@AllenKerr
I know this is an upbeat, happy song, but I still can’t watch it without tears in my eyes over Graeme Kelling. My god, listen to that guitar riff… and look at him - every inch a star. Gone way too soon.
Twist and shout, man…
@Sunset_City_Blues
Yes, he was an amazing guitar player and seemed like a nice guy, too. He's still missed. It's sad he died so young and life just isn't fair sometimes. Makes me laugh when Ewan is messing with Graeme's guitar at 2:08 and Graeme is trying to stop him 😅. I think they had a lot of fun recording the 'Fellow Hoodlums' album. Thanks for the music, Graeme. 🎸👍🙂
@AllenKerr
Yeah, the warm connection between Ewan and Graeme is obvious there. I’ll be honest, I kinda lost interest in the band post-Graeme… that distinctive ‘sound’ just wasn’t there any more. I couldn’t even tell you who the current guitarist is, to be honest, without looking it up.
Cheers.
@jaynieblueyes2270
God Bless 🕊️ 🙏🏻 ❤ xxxx
@Forlogson
There is certainly something magnetic Lorraine, I just can't keep my eyes off her in this video - great to know that she and Ricky are still married after 30 years or more, a lovely couple and very talented
@davidwacko6623
dont hear these any more
@stevenorr2643
@@ministryofanti-feminism1493 no doubt mate
@cameronhutchinson5206
Killing moon
@katehollywood4426
Jon Coktoastin that’s not really appropriate, Jon.
@andyarcher8108
Fantastic song I have actually had the tattoo of the cover on my arm 👍👍👍