Founded in 1978 by former singer of the Killjoys, Kevin Rowland, and guitarist Kevin "Al" Archer, in Birmingham (United Kingdom), the band was unique in that musically, they seemed best suited to the budding Mod/Skinhead Revival scene in the United Kingdom, but in many ways, especially fashion, they came off as rather hard to 'sell' to any particular scene. Musically, they've always been a sort of "soul-fusion."
An early single, "Geno" (written as an ode to American Northern Soul singer, Geno Washington), was immensely popular, despite being repeatedly bad-mouthed by the NME. In fact, "Geno" remains their biggest-selling single in the UK, thanks in part to at least one re-issue.
The following album, Searching for the Young Soul Rebels (1980), was an interesting punk and soul fusion, and despite (or perhaps because of) decidedly mixed reviews by the press, it was extremely well-received by the public.
Their second album, Too Rye Aye (1982), had a decidedly different sound, thanks largely to an immense line-up change, most notable for the fact that the horn section of ...Young Soul Rebels had been replaced by "the Emerald Express," the band's Celtic folk section (featuring violinist Helen O'Hara). The sound was still obviously soul influenced, at the very least, but this time it was Celtic soul. The album's first UK single was even titled "Celtic Soul Brothers."
Too-Rye-Aye was the most popular Dexys album Stateside, in fact it was the only one to break US charts, (though the album itself was only a modest to intermediate success in the US). This is largely because the US a-side single for "Come On Eileen" was debatably too popular (the single has been re-issued at least once in the UK; despite this, "Geno" was still their biggest-selling UK single). Undoubtedly the most "pop radio"-oriented song of the entire Dexys Midnight Runners catalogue.
A third album, Don't Stand Me Down was released in 1985 ending a three year silence from the band. It featured a noticeably different line-up. The ever-experimental Rowland abandoned the Too-Rye-Ay Celtic Soul/New Wave formula in favor of a more laidback Van Morrison conversational album. The previous album was a "Big Band" sound when compared to the new one (though, amusingly, the number of guest musicians featured on Don't Stand Me Down, plus the credited band members, seemed to outnumber all previous members of Dexys combined, including ex-Dexys who had recorded only song before leaving).
Don't Stand Me Down was well-received by critics though universally ignored by the music-buying public due in large part to Rowland stubbornly refusing to release any song from the album as a single, until considerably "late" after its release, as well as confusing listeners who may have been expecting a sequel to Too-Rye-Ay's Dance Pop. Sales of the album were sparse and it was considered a failure by the label. In the 20-plus years since it's original release it has come to be viewed by many as Rowland's magnum opus.
After Rowland's first solo endeavor in 1988, Dexys was briefly reformed in 1993, by Rowland with Big Jim Patterson, though this endeavor resulted in little, if anything more than a television performance.
In 2003, the career retrospective album ('don't call it a "greatest hits" collection'), Let's Make This Precious was released, featuring two new tracks, "Manhood" and "My Life In England, Part One." The new tracks were touted as singles and received regular radio play in the UK, though never commercially released outside the album.
Rowland officially announced in June 2005 that Dexys were back in the studio, recording and seeking a new contract. The current line-up includes Rowland Mick Talbot (former member of Merton Parkas and Hammond player for Paul Weller).
In the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, notably, Dexys Midnight Runners are the only band to have all of their albums listed, and with a full page review for each album (understandably, most albums only get a half-page review). All three albums received glowing reviews, save Too-Rye-Aye, wherein it was noted "[[i]Too-Rye-Aye] is the worst of the three Dexys albums; but if this is the worst album in your collection, pat yourself on the back."
Burn it Down
Dexys Midnight Runners Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You only want to believe
This man is looking for someone to hold him down
He doesn't quite ever understand the meaning
Never heard about, cant think about
Oscar Wilde and Brendan Behan,
Sean O'Casey, George Bernard Shaw.
I'll only ask you once more
It must be so hard to see.
This man is waiting for someone to hold him down
He doesn't quite fully understand the meaning.
Never heard about, won't think about
Oscar Wilde and Brendan Behan,
Sean O'Casey, George Bernard Shaw.
Samuel Beckett, Eugene O'Neill, Edna O'Brien and Lawrence Stern.
Sean Kavanaugh and Sean McCann,
Benedict Keilly, Jimmy Hiney
Frank O'Connor and Catherine Rhine.
Shut it You don't understand it
Shut it That's not the way I planned it
Shut your fucking mouth 'til you know the truth.
The lyrics of Dexys Midnight Runners’ song Burn It Down appear to be an urgent plea from an unidentified protagonist to someone who chooses not to believe in something or someone. The singer asks the listener to listen closely, while insisting that it must be hard for them to understand the importance of holding someone down - be it physical or emotional support. The man seems frustrated, urging his listener to educate themselves, listing a number of famous Irish writers including Oscar Wilde, Brendan Behan, and Samuel Beckett to name just a few, as their work goes unappreciated. The final stanza appears to be the singer’s breaking point, cursing at the listener to shut their mouth before they have all the necessary facts.
By listing the famous Irish writers mentioned in the song, we can determine that the singer is likely Irish or has Irish heritage themselves. Their frustration with the listener’s ignorance or lack of belief in something seems palpable, even to the point of anger. By asking the listener to educate themselves, there seems to be an overarching theme of knowledge being power, and that it is important to understand and appreciate the work of others.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll only ask you once more
This is the last time I'll ask you.
You only want to believe
You only believe what you want to believe.
This man is looking for someone to hold him down
The man is seeking someone who can support him and keep him grounded.
He doesn't quite ever understand the meaning
He never fully comprehends the significance.
Never heard about, cant think about
Oscar Wilde and Brendan Behan,
Sean O'Casey, George Bernard Shaw.
Samuel Beckett, Eugene O'Neill, Edna O'Brien and Lawrence Stern.
The man hasn't heard or thought of the famous Irish writers, including Oscar Wilde, Brendan Behan, Sean O'Casey, George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett, Eugene O'Neill, Edna O'Brien, and Lawrence Stern.
It must be so hard to see.
It's probably difficult for you to comprehend.
This man is waiting for someone to hold him down
The man is waiting for someone to support him.
He doesn't quite fully understand the meaning.
He doesn't completely comprehend the significance.
Never heard about, won't think about
Oscar Wilde and Brendan Behan,
Sean O'Casey, George Bernard Shaw.
Samuel Beckett, Eugene O'Neill, Edna O'Brien and Lawrence Stern.
Sean Kavanaugh and Sean McCann,
Benedict Keilly, Jimmy Hiney
Frank O'Connor and Catherine Rhine.
The man is still not familiar with the works of Irish writers, including Sean Kavanaugh, Sean McCann, Benedict Keilly, Jimmy Hiney, Frank O'Connor, and Catherine Rhine.
Shut it You don't understand it
Be quiet because you don't comprehend.
Shut it That's not the way I planned it
I didn't plan for things to turn out this way, so shut up.
Shut your fucking mouth 'til you know the truth.
Don't speak until you understand the truth.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rob Anderson
Love that the soul vision really ends up being a defiant march into the musical wilderness. God Bless the Dexy’s. I believe in my soul.
Philippe Cordier
Je redécouvre cet album que j'avais acheté en vinyle à sa sortie,40 ans après je le trouve vraiment extraordinaire,il y a quelque chose de très vivant que l'on ne retrouve pas dans nos productions actuelles,une pépite !
Reuben Woolnough
What a statement of intent. A brilliant manifesto. Superb debut album!
Christophe Chambers-Seguettes
J'avais 12/13 ans et j'ai tout de suite adoré ce style post punk, soul et brillant.
NKS 80
One of the best albums ever
Paterdale
This fits in well with the overall production of one of the best debut albums ever.
claate
My number one album - the one I would take to a desert island if I could only take one!
kaczorek73
Same here.
SonOfBelushi
...and here!
Jeffrey Spiers
This Album never dates and every track booms class.