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".
When Will You ?
Deacon Blue Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Same old house no ties
A little bit older but not so
Worldly wise
That i can't see
Your light's on me
Making me regretfully say
And underneath it all it wasn't true
I want you in everything
In everything
In anything i do
When will you make my phone ring
And tell me i can't give you anything
Anything at all now
Tiny steps
From ruthless legs
When you've been walking so long
Now don't you rest
From disharmony
From disunity
From anything that isn't you and me
The wonder of it all was you
And underneath it all it wasn't true
I want you in everything
In everything
In anything i do
When will you make my phone ring
And tell me i can't give you anything
Anything at all now
Tired of chasing old dreams
Tired of wasting days
Tired of waking mornings
Just to wait for you till late
Tired of searching high
Tired of getting low
Tired of listening hard
Just to wait for you to know that
I want you in everything
In everything
In anything i do
When will you make my phone ring
And tell me i can't give you anything
Anything at all now
The lyrics to Deacon Blue's song "When Will You?" convey the singer's desperate longing for someone who has clearly moved on. Despite the fact that the person with "pale blue eyes" is "a little bit older but not so worldly wise," the singer still sees the light shining on him or her. The singer brands this feeling as regretful and laments that the wonder he/she had believed about this person is now completely shattered. The second verse gives a little insight into some of the sacrifices the singer had made to get closer to this person, including tiny steps and ruthlessly tiring legs. The singer implores this person to abandon anything that isn't what they share and unite with him/her once again.
The chorus repeatedly outlines the singer's desire for this person in every way and in anything he/she does. He/she is waiting for the phone's ring to hear this person's voice, even if just to know that he can't give anything to them anymore. The singer enumerates that he/she is tired of longing for old dreams, wasting precious days, waking up early every morning just to see them come in late, looking high and low for this person, and strains to listen to specific hints to elicit a response from them. Nevertheless, this person remains beyond reach, and the singer remains chained to the wait.
Line by Line Meaning
Pale blue eyes
Referring to the singer's own eyes, which are blue but appear dull and lifeless due to the sadness and longing they feel
Same old house no ties
The singer is stuck in a rut, living in the same old house with no real connections or attachments to anyone or anything
A little bit older but not so worldly wise
Though the singer has grown older, they still feel naive and inexperienced when it comes to matters of the heart
That i can't see your light's on me
The artist is blind to the fact that someone they are interested in may be interested in them as well
Making me regretfully say
This realization fills the artist with regret and sadness
The wonder of it all was you
Despite all the hardships and disappointments, the singer still finds wonder and beauty in the person they long for
And underneath it all it wasn't true
But the reality is that this person may not be everything they seemed to be, and the singer might be idealizing them
I want you in everything
The artist wants this person to be a part of every aspect of their life
In anything i do
They want to share all their experiences and accomplishments with this person
When will you make my phone ring
The artist is eagerly waiting for this person to show interest and reach out to them
And tell me i can't give you anything
But deep down the singer fears that this person will reject them, no matter how much they try to offer
Anything at all now
The artist is feeling desperate and hopeless, realizing that their longing might never be fulfilled
Tiny steps from ruthless legs
The singer is trying to move forward, but it is difficult and painful
When you've been walking so long
They feel exhausted and weary from the effort of keeping going
Now don't you rest from disharmony
The singer urges this person to not give up on them, even though there has been strife and disunity between them
From disunity
They want to repair the relationship and find harmony and unity
From anything that isn't you and me
The artist is willing to let go of anything else that does not involve them and this person, in order to make things work
Tired of chasing old dreams
The singer is tired of pursuing goals and desires that never come to fruition
Tired of wasting days
They are tired of feeling like they are wasting their life on unfulfilled hopes and dreams
Tired of waking mornings
They are exhausted of waking up to the same old situation, day after day
Just to wait for you till late
Waiting for this person has become a habitual and exhausting experience for the artist
Tired of searching high
The artist is tired of looking for this person in lofty and unattainable places
Tired of getting low
They are tired of feeling discontent and unhappy in their search for love
Tired of listening hard
The artist is tired of trying to hear any sign that this person might be interested in them
Just to wait for you to know that
They are waiting for this person to know and understand the depth of their feelings and longing
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RICKY ROSS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@germann6431
Pale blue eyes
Same old house no ties
A little bit older but not so
Worldly wise
That i can't see
Your light's on me
Making me regretfully say
The wonder of it all was you
And underneath it all it wasn't true
I want you in everything
In everything
In anything i do
When will you make my phone ring
And tell me i can't give you anything
Anything at all now
Tiny steps
From ruthless legs
When you've been walking so long
Now don't you rest
From disharmony
From disunity
From anything that isn't you and me
The wonder of it all was you
And underneath it all it wasn't true
I want you in everything
In everything
In anything i do
When will you make my phone ring
And tell me i can't give you anything
Anything at all now
Tired of chasing old dreams
Tired of wasting days
Tired of waking mornings
Just to wait for you till late
Tired of searching high
Tired of getting low
Tired of listening hard
Just to wait for you to know that
I want you in everything
In everything
In anything i do
When will you make my phone ring
And tell me i can't give you anything
Anything at all now
Enjoy...Germann - Argentina
@redknight1825
I don't care what anyone else says but for me Deacon Blue had a completely original sound. Their songs were unique and timeless.
@reggie18b
I think that was their problem. People like to be able to pigeon-hole music.
@whitepearl8639
U say daa music is energy pure ????.
@peterconnolly2497
I went to see them last night, 31 years after I last saw them. Nothing has changed, still as good as ever, except my sore legs from dancing now.
@jakelille7893
What a voice he had
@joseluismorgade577
Completely agree with you, this song is unique and timeless
@juliavee889
One of the most underrated songs and groups of all time.Respect
@petergallagher7573
Always loved this.
@rebeccagamble8837
This song never fails to make me cry. I'm only 25 but my parents brought me up listening to deacon blue. Seen them live 4 times. This one just reminds me of how much I loved my parents growing up.
@Crackfox75
Rebecca Gamble its such a great song, try hipsway!