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".
Wages Day
Deacon Blue Lyrics
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Outside the flashing neon sign
With the smell of cheap cigars
And the hope of sweet perfume
And his heart it was reeling
With the thrill of it all
All to do and only hours
He said all this is all yours
You can take it all away
From where we left off
Living it all your way
If you'll stand in my shoes
If you'll do what I do
On wages day
On wages day
And the cap from Disneyland
That his cousin she brought back
Stays open in his hand
From one week to another
And this long narrow land
Is full of possibility
All to do and only hours
He said all this is all yours
You can have it all
You can take it all away
From where we left off
Living it all your way
If you'll stand in my shoes
If you'll do what I do
On wages day
On wages day
The song "Wages Day" by Deacon Blue is a reflective and insightful commentary on the working-class experience. The song depicts a scene where the singer and his companion are standing outside a neon sign with the smell of cheap cigars and sweet perfume wafting through the air around them. The singer's heart is reeling with the excitement of it all and the possibilities that lie before him. He offers his companion the chance to have it all and take it all away, but only if he is willing to stand in his shoes and do what he does on wages day.
The song seems to be a commentary on the idea of the "American Dream," or the notion that anyone can achieve success and wealth if they work hard enough. The singer is offering his companion the keys to success, but only if he is willing to put in the hard work and long hours required to achieve it. The song suggests that while the possibilities are endless for those who are willing to work for it, success is not guaranteed and often comes at a cost. The lyrics also reference the cap from Disneyland and how it stays open in the singer's hand from one week to another, highlighting the economic struggles that many working-class people face.
Overall, "Wages Day" is a poignant commentary on the struggles and aspirations of the working-class experience. It speaks to the hopes and dreams of those who strive for success, but also to the sacrifices and struggles that often accompany that journey.
Line by Line Meaning
There we stood and there we left
We were standing outside the neon sign and then we left from there.
Outside the flashing neon sign
We were standing outside a place with a flashy neon sign.
With the smell of cheap cigars
The air had a strong scent of low-quality cigars.
And the hope of sweet perfume
We were hoping to smell something nice like perfume.
And his heart it was reeling
He was feeling overwhelmed and excited.
With the thrill of it all
He was thrilled by everything that was happening.
All to do and only hours
There was so much to do, but only a limited amount of time.
He said all this is all yours
He offered everything to us.
You can have it all
He was giving us everything he had to offer.
You can take it all away
He was allowing us to take everything with us.
From where we left off
From the point where we last left things.
Living it all your way
We were free to live life however we wanted.
If you'll stand in my shoes
If you can understand what I'm going through.
If you'll do what I do
If you can follow my lead.
On wages day
The day we received our salary or payment for work.
And the cap from Disneyland
He had a hat from Disneyland.
That his cousin she brought back
His cousin had brought it back from Disneyland.
Stays open in his hand
He was still holding onto the hat.
From one week to another
He had held onto the hat for a long time.
And this long narrow land
The place we were in was a long and narrow piece of land.
Is full of possibility
There were many opportunities available to us.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RICKY ROSS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anton Ketr
There we stood and there we left
Outside the flashing neon sign
With the smell of cheap cigars
And the hope of sweet perfume
And his heart it was reeling
With the thrill of it all
All to do and only hours
He said all this is all yours
You can have it all
You can take it all away
From where we left off
Living it all your way
If you'll stand in my shoes
If you'll do what I do
On wages day
On wages day
And the cap from Disneyland
That his cousin she brought back
Stays open in his hand
From one week to another
And this long narrow land
Is full of possibility
All to do and only hours
He said all this is all yours
You can have it all
You can take it all away
From where we left off
Living it all your way
If you'll stand in my shoes
If you'll do what I do
On wages day
On wages day
gordon adams
The most underrated Band in the World.
sharky1304
That would be Prefab Sprout...but you are close! ;-)
Stephen Darbey
@sharky1304
Yep Both never got the their full praise and accreditation
Rosmen Hernandez
Prefab Sprout, Inmaculate Fools, Deacon Blue, top 3 underrated bands
Deadpaul
Also the waterboys
Billy Fitzgerald
Defo great band one my favs
jamie foyers
Still sounding good after all these years..miles better than the stuff out this century by far.
James Smith
I'm 14 and I can agree with that
wait... what?
The song has a unique and huge energy.
The third chorus is quite incredible.
Mr_Mockbeggar
I saw deacon blue live at the Liverpool Royal court back in the eighties They were stunning without doubt one of the best and most underrated bands of the time great songs and great theme and lyrics