The Flying Pickets was a British a cappella vocal group, known for a surpri… Read Full Bio ↴The Flying Pickets was a British a cappella vocal group, known for a surprise number one hit in 1983 on the U.K. singles chart with their cover of the Yazoo's track "Only You". Their version, having peaked around Christmastime, is remembered fondly by many radio stations during the season. The name 'Flying Pickets' refers to mobile strikers who travel in order to join a picket. The group of six was founded by Brian Hibbard in 1982 based off of a group of actors called the "7:84 Theatre group", a fringe theatre group who had sung a capella in their production of 'One Big Blow.

Said production was based on a previous U.K. miners' strike. "Only You", their debut single, was the British Christmas number one in 1983, spending a total of five weeks at the top, and it also did well around Europe. Ironically enough, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, fighting an acrimonious political battle with unions at the time, said that the single was one of her favorite songs. A second single, a cover of the soul classic "When You're Young and in Love" by Van McCoy, reached number seven, but their third, a cover of the Eurythmics' track "Who's That Girl?", barely charted at all.

Joining Hibbard in the Flying Pickets were Rick Lloyd, Gareth Williams, David Brett, Ken Gregson, and Red Stripe (real name David Gittins). They were internationally renowned for their appearances: Hibbard's huge sideburns, Stripes thick eyeliner, and four others showing off flamboyant suits and large hats. A group like the Pickets were very lucky to get into the charts at all, let alone a Christmas number one and a pleasing number seven afterwards.

Hibbard and Gittins tried desperately to stay in the music business, and they formed their own act called 'Brian and Stripe'. Unfortunately, their first and only single failed, and they returned to their separate acting careers. Other group members drifted into various careers.

Since the original Flying Pickets split, a new team of five ambitious men have tried to follow in the original's footsteps. Yet they have had no chart success. Still, they've toured around Europe in lots of small venues all year round, trying to at least touch the giddy heights of their predecessors.

So Close
Flying Pickets Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There is a better way to live our lives
And I must find it if I can
But when I speak of change you look at me strange
Sometimes you just don't understand

So close (so close) yet so far
So close (so close) yet it's au revoir
So close (so close) but it's not the way it seems

So close (so close) but dreaming different dreams

I always try to tell you where I came from
What I believe and who I am
I just can't see how we could ever agree
We always end where we began

So close (so close) yet so far
So close (so close) yet it's au revoir
So close (so close) but it's not the way it seems

So close (so close) but dreaming different dreams

I don't believe in the things you believe I can't stay
tonight
Can't compramise we must say our goodbyes the feeling
isn't right
Although we are far apart I know we've been close
It won't be easy to forget
Our world is upside down and when it's turned round
I won't deny that once we met

So close (so close) yet so far
So close (so close) yet it's au revoir
So close (so close) but it's not the way it seems
So close (so close) but dreaming different dreams

Repeat chorus (x3)

Overall Meaning

The Flying Pickets' song "So Close" talks about the struggle between two individuals who are close in proximity but are unable to see eye-to-eye. The singer speaks about how they want to find a better way to live their lives but the person they are speaking to never quite grasps what they mean. The singer tries to communicate their past, beliefs, and identity to the other person, however, they never seem to come to an agreement, and so, the feeling between the two is that although they are close, their relationship is distant, unfulfilling, and ultimately, ends in goodbye. The lyrics speak of the difficulties of compromise and having to say farewell to someone you have been close to.

The song highlights the difficulty in communication between two people and how differences can lead to emotional distance. The lyrics reflect how one's quest for individuality and a better life can lead to an inability to reach the people closest to them. The song touches on the desire to be understood and the struggles that come with that.

Line by Line Meaning

There is a better way to live our lives
There is a more fulfilling and satisfying way to live our lives.

And I must find it if I can
I am determined to find this better way of living.

But when I speak of change you look at me strange
When I talk about making changes, you don't seem to understand or agree with me.

Sometimes you just don't understand
Sometimes it feels like I can't get through to you and make you see things from my perspective.

So close (so close) yet so far
We are close to understanding each other, but there is still a significant gap between us.

So close (so close) yet it's au revoir
We are close to each other, but we have to say goodbye because we can't find common ground.

So close (so close) but it's not the way it seems
We might appear close in proximity, but there is still a lack of understanding between us.

So close (so close) but dreaming different dreams
Although we are close, we have different aspirations and goals that don't align with each other.

I always try to tell you where I came from
I try to share my history and experiences with you, so you can understand where I'm coming from.

What I believe and who I am
I try to express my beliefs and my identity to you.

I just can't see how we could ever agree
Despite our efforts, it seems impossible for us to come to a mutual understanding or agreement.

We always end where we began
Our conversations and interactions always end up back where they started, with no progress made.

I don't believe in the things you believe I can't stay tonight
I can't stay with you tonight because our beliefs and values clash with each other.

Can't compramise we must say our goodbyes the feeling isn't right
We can't find a middle ground or agree on a compromise, so we have to end our relationship or interaction.

Although we are far apart I know we've been close
Despite the physical distance, we have felt emotionally close to each other at times in the past.

It won't be easy to forget
It will be hard to move on and forget our time together.

Our world is upside down and when it's turned round
Our world or relationship is currently chaotic or unbalanced, but things might be better if we could get on the same page.

I won't deny that once we met
I acknowledge and won't forget that we did have a connection at one point in time.

Repeat chorus (x3)
The chorus repeats three times to emphasize the theme of being close but not quite there.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DARYL F HALL, GEORGE MICHAEL GREEN, RICK GILES

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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