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largely to an immense line-up change, most notable for the fact that the horn section of ...Young Soul Rebels had been replaced by "the Emerald Express," the band's Celtic folk section (featuring violinist Helen O'Hara).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."
Seven Days Too Long
Dexys Midnight Runners Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the second time I telephoned, ah, they all told me to leave you alone,
We had a lovers' quarrel, yes we did, like all lovers do,
I wanted to make-up, it's only left to you now,
Cos seven days is too long without you, Baby,
Come on back to me,
Seven days is too long without you, Baby,
I refuse to break-up, ah, but I'm too weak to fight,
And our love is too strong, yes it is, to go on and let it die,
Let's sort out these problems, cos, ah, I can see the danger signs,
And it's written on your face, just as it worries my face.
Cos seven days is too long without you, Baby,
Come on back to me,
Seven days is too long without you, Baby,
Come on back to me.
You've got me so wired up, ah, I can't even concentrate,
I say good things will come, I say good things will come to those who wait (wait),
I'm not gonna wait around forever, listen to me, listen:
Seven days is too long without you, Baby,
Come on back to me,
Seven days is too long without you, Baby,
Come on back to me.
Seven days is far too long,
It's much too, much too, much too long,
Seven days without you.
The lyrics of Dexys Midnight Runners' "Seven Days Too Long" depict a man pleading for his lover's return after a lovers' quarrel, expressing how much he misses her and how he cannot keep himself together without her for a long period of time. The song begins with him recounting how he called her twice, but failed to reach her on either occasion. He admits to having had a fight, which is natural in any relationship, and expresses his desire to reconcile, but leaves the decision to her. He emphasises that a week is too long for him to go without her, and the chorus is a plea to have her back in his life.
The next stanza sees him admitting his essential helplessness in the situation, unable to break up even though he remains too vulnerable to fight. He states that their love is strong enough to survive, but that they need to address their problems before they escalate. He can see the signs of danger, and he can see that she does too, and he implores her to come back to him. The bridge of the song highlights how much he has been consumed by thoughts of her, as his lack of concentration does not allow him to even think straight.
The lyrics of Dexys Midnight Runners' "Seven Days Too Long" explore the classic theme of love, where the singer is grappling with heartache and pleading for their partner to return. The song has a raw intensity that is characteristic of the band's music, with the brass section adding to the emotional urgency of the track. Ultimately, the song highlights the vulnerability and emotional turmoil that love often entails.
Line by Line Meaning
The first time I called you, Girl, they said you wasn't home,
When I tried to contact you for the first time, they told me that you were not available at home.
And the second time I telephoned, ah, they all told me to leave you alone,
Even when I attempted to contact you for the second time, everyone advised me to stay away from you.
We had a lovers' quarrel, yes we did, like all lovers do,
We went through a lovers' fight, as it happens in every relationship.
I wanted to make-up, it's only left to you now,
I am ready to reconcile, but the final decision is up to you.
Cos seven days is too long without you, Baby,
I miss you so much, and seven days is an unbearable time to be without you.
Come on back to me,
Please return to me.
I refuse to break-up, ah, but I'm too weak to fight,
I am not willing to end our relationship, but I feel powerless to prevent it from ending.
And our love is too strong, yes it is, to go on and let it die,
Our love is powerful and meaningful, and it would be tragic to let it die.
Let's sort out these problems, cos, ah, I can see the danger signs,
We should work together to resolve our problems before they become too dangerous to ignore.
And it's written on your face, just as it worries my face.
I can see the concern on your face, just as it worries me.
You've got me so wired up, ah, I can't even concentrate,
You have me so anxious and concerned that I cannot even focus on anything else.
I say good things will come, I say good things will come to those who wait (wait),
I believe that good things will come with patience and perseverance.
I'm not gonna wait around forever, listen to me, listen:
However, I am not willing to wait indefinitely, and I want to address our problems sooner rather than later.
Seven days is far too long,
A week is much too long to go without you.
It's much too, much too, much too long,
It is an excessively long duration.
Seven days without you.
I miss you tremendously after just a week without you.
Contributed by Dylan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.