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largely to an immense line-up change, most notable for the fact that the horn section of ...Young Soul Rebels had been replaced by "the Emerald Express," the band's Celtic folk section (featuring violinist Helen O'Hara).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."
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Dexys Midnight Runners Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I saw the beauty in your eyes
It heightened something in me so I'll say so
You were always near to me,
And thoughts of you will stay with me
Oh oh oh, until the day I die
You were standing next to me,
In all that time I barely proved I love you
Well there's nothing wrong but the wrong in me
You were everything you were meant to be,
And oh oh oh oh oh oh
Now I just want to say this to you
Listen to this, listen to this,
I want to say this to you
You never know, oh oh
(Here we go)
I love you, I love you
I love you, and it's true and it's true and it's true
I love you, I love you
I love you, and it's true and it's true and it's true
Did you know that I loved you from the start
You didn't care about my words and why should you?
You didn't know that all the time I loved you so
I love you, I love you
I love you, and it's true and it's true and it's true
The lyrics of Dexys Midnight Runners' "I Love You" express a sentiment of deep adoration towards an unnamed subject. The opening lines reveal the singer's desire to compromise with this person, which elevates their affection towards them. The singer then reflects on the times they spent together in the early 1980s, admitting that despite being near each other, they failed to properly express their love. The singer then moves on to reveal their sincerity towards their beloved and how they had been in love with them right from the start. The chorus is a declaration of undying love that just needs to be said out loud.
The lyrics of "I Love You" are strikingly raw and honest, touching upon the universal theme of unrequited love. The singer's genuine emotions and regrets for not expressing their true feelings are palpable, which makes the song relatable for everyone who has ever felt the sting of regret for not expressing their love. Furthermore, the lyrics are poetic and vivid, evoking nostalgia and longing for a time long gone.
Line by Line Meaning
I was thinking of a compromise
I was trying to find a way to make things work between us
When I saw the beauty in your eyes
Your eyes captivated me and made me see how special you are
It heightened something in me so I'll say so
Your beauty made me realize my feelings for you and I want to express them
You were always near to me,
You were always around, but I didn't recognize my feelings for you until recently
And thoughts of you will stay with me
Even after you're gone, you'll always be on my mind
Oh oh oh, until the day I die
I will love you forever, until the end of my days
You were standing next to me,
You were by my side for a long time
In '82 and '83,
During those specific years, we were together
In all that time I barely proved I love you
Despite being together for so long, I never fully expressed my love
Well there's nothing wrong but the wrong in me
My hesitation to express my love is my own fault, not yours or anyone else's
You were everything you were meant to be,
You were perfect just the way you were, and I didn't need you to change
And oh oh oh oh oh oh
I am overwhelmed with emotion just thinking about how amazing you are
Now I just want to say this to you
I need to finally express my love for you
Listen to this, listen to this,
I need your full attention because what I'm about to say is important
You never know, oh oh
I want you to be aware of my true feelings
(Here we go)
I'm about to tell you how I really feel
I love you, I love you
I have a deep love for you
I love you, and it's true and it's true and it's true
My love for you is real and authentic
Did you know that I loved you from the start
I have loved you from the beginning of our relationship
You didn't care about my words and why should you?
You didn't pay attention to my words, but I don't blame you for it
You didn't know that all the time I loved you so
I kept my love for you hidden, and you didn't know how much I truly cared
I love you, I love you
I want to express once again, how much I love you
I love you, and it's true and it's true and it's true
I can't stress enough, how much my love for you is real
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RYAN ADAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rollin' Cover
Wonderful to finally see this in such good quality
Halfagrapefruit
This sounds beyond amazing.. even on a phone!!xxx
Mista Mojo
I sometimes forget how absolutely brilliant this man/band is. This video is a great reminder.
Chauffeur Driven Bimbo
Nice to see. Takes me back to the Manchester Apollo in '85. Thanks Kevin. Don't Stand Me Down is a great album.
VT29steamtrain
Arguably one of their most underrated songs, the instrumental at the end is just breathtaking.
Mr Darcy
Love this
I Wilson
Absolute genius who never follows trends. Keep taking your own path Kevin.
Forever grateful for the music.
J. Quintero
I love that album. Thanks for HD transfer.
Cloudswiper
The intensity! Love Kevin.
paul m
The greatest song from their greatest album.