Reader was born in Glasgow, the daughter of a welder, and the eldest of seven children (her brother, Francis, is vocalist with the band The Trash Can Sinatras). She began playing the guitar at the age of ten, and started her musical career busking, first in Glasgow's Sauchiehall Street, then in the early 1980s around Europe (where she also worked with circus and performance artists).
Back in Scotland, she joined the punk band Gang of Four as a backing singer which led to her first US tour. After leaving the band she started working as a session vocalist in London, singing with such acts as Eurythmics, Alison Moyet and Language.
In 1984, Reader sang for a brief time with disco group Outbar Squeek. Around the same time she teamed up with Mark E. Nevin, a guitarist and songwriter, to record a few of his songs. They subsequently formed Fairground Attraction, together with Simon Edwards and Roy Dodds. In 1988 the band released their first single, Perfect, which became a UK number one, winning best single at the 1989 Brit Awards. Their first album, The First of a Million Kisses, was also a success, reaching number two in the UK album chart, and winning best album at the 1989 Brit Awards.
This success was short-lived, however. In November, 1989, after a break, during which Reader had her first child, Charlie with her French-Algerian partner Milou, Mark Nevin abandoned a recording session for the second album, which would eventually lead to the splitting of the band. A makeshift second album, a collection of B-sides and live tracks, Ay Fond Kiss was rushed out the following year.
Reader returned to Scotland, but before she embarked on her solo career she took a temporary detour into acting. She played Jolene Jowett, a singer and accordionist, in John Byrne's Your Cheatin' Heart, a comedy-drama series for BBC television, set in the country music scene in Scotland.
Returning to London, Reader worked on new material with a backing band calling itself "The Patron Saints of Imperfection" (made up of Roy Dodds, Neill and Calum MacColl, and Phil Steriopoulos). This became her first solo album, recorded for RCA: 1992's Mirmama. It was followed by Eddi Reader (1994), which won her the "Best female singer" Brit Award that year, Candyfloss and Medicine (1996), Angels & Electricity (1998), Simple Soul (2001) and Driftwood (2002) - a "homegrown" release of songs recorded during the Simple Soul sessions.
In 2003, she recorded her album of material by Robert Burns with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra leading to excellent reviews and an international resurgence in interest in Scotland's Bard.
The Song "Bell Book And Candle" was included in the final soundtrack of the TV show by WB "Charmed", The name of the disc is "Charmed: The Final Chapter".
In the 2006 New Years Honours List, Reader was awarded the MBE for services to music.
Her eighth studio album Peacetime was released in the UK on 29 January 2007 on the Rough Trade label. Critically praised and produced by fellow Scottish folk musician John McCusker the album features a few Burns songs alongside brand new material with longtime collaborator Boo Hewerdine and Trashcan Sinatras' John Douglas. Reader promoted the album with a 15 date UK tour in February.
Clear
Eddi Reader Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll be on it soon enough
My baby wants a mother
So do I when it's all too tough
I do believe there's something coming
Hope it wake us up
The big hand's pointing this way
It's clear
We're here
It's clear
See me old and staggered
Or young and swaggering
Where we're going, where we've been
When all that matters is in between
It's clear
We're here
It's clear
All that's sense is lost in static
We're here against our will
Hush there's time and plenty of it
Standing still
I do believe there's always better
Then again there's always worse
It's clear
We're here
It's clear
Yeah, we're here
The lyrics to Eddi Reader's song "Clear" offer a meditation on the passage of time and the challenges that come with it. The singer acknowledges that they will soon be embarking on a journey, and that they, like their partner, need a mother-figure to help navigate the difficulties of life. They also express a sense of hope, believing that something new and exciting is on the horizon that will "wake us up." Despite the ups and downs of life, the singer acknowledges that they are still here, living, and breathing. They reflect on the many different paths that they have taken throughout their life, acknowledging that age and experience change their perspective on what truly matters.
The second verse is particularly evocative, describing the sense of disorientation and confusion that can come from feeling lost or stuck. The singer describes feeling "here against [their] will" and being surrounded by "static," a metaphor for the noise and chaos of everyday life. However, despite these challenges, the singer also expresses a sense of optimism, believing that there is always something better around the corner.
Overall, "Clear" is a poignant and beautifully written song that invites the listener to contemplate the meaning of their own life journey. It encourages us to take solace in the fact that we are not alone in our struggles, and that there is always hope for a better tomorrow.
Line by Line Meaning
I do believe this road's for going
I am confident that this path is worth taking
I'll be on it soon enough
I will start my journey soon
My baby wants a mother
Someone to care for my child is needed
So do I when it's all too tough
I need a mother figure for myself when things get rough
I do believe there's something coming
I have faith that a positive change is on the horizon
Hope it wake us up
I hope this change will bring us clarity
The big hand's pointing this way
The universe is guiding us in this direction
Sometimes we love too much
Our emotions can overpower our logic
It's clear
It is evident
We're here
We exist and we are present
See me old and staggered
I may appear elderly and weak
Or young and swaggering
Or I may look youthful and confident
Where we're going, where we've been
Our journey and past experiences are important
When all that matters is in between
But ultimately, the present moment is what is most important
All that's sense is lost in static
Our ability to comprehend is hindered by the noise around us
We're here against our will
There are times we are forced to stay where we are
Hush there's time and plenty of it
But it is important to stay calm and recognize that we have time to make a change
Standing still
Sometimes it is necessary to pause and reflect on where we are
I do believe there's always better
I choose to have an optimistic attitude and believe that there is always room for improvement
Then again there's always worse
But I also acknowledge that things could always be worse
It's clear
It is evident
We're here
We exist and we are present
It's clear
It is evident
Yeah, we're here
Yes, we exist and we are present
Contributed by Leah F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.