The first swirls of what would become Lucky Soul took place in Glasgow in the imagination of a sound engineering student called Andrew Laidlaw. Inspired by the classic Sixties soul playing at a tiny night club called Papa Cool, he began sneaking into the studios at night, plotting to take a seemingly lost kind of pop music and update it for the 21st century. When the course finished, he moved to London, recruited a few friends and put out a classified ad for a singer. A heartfelt request for “no divas, no faux-American accents” seemed to have little effect, but alongside 300 Aguilera-clones emerged a honey-haired woman by the name of Ali Howard with a voice perfectly poised between power and vulnerability and a look that seemed tailor-made for Laidlaw’s music.
The first Lucky Soul album followed in April 2007. Released on the band’s own label Ruffa Lane (set up with the financial help and know-how of a couple of close friends) The Great Unwanted was a massive critical and commercial success: greeted with 4 and 5 stars – “an immediate classic”, “pop at its most glorious and heartbreaking” – across the board and sold 50,000 records worldwide, picking up a top 10 hit in Japan along the way.
Laidlaw’s pop vision had been vindicated, but the band had also thrown everything at that first record. Once the touring was done and with no financial safety net to fall back on while the royalties came through, Lucky Soul returned to their normal lives. Not for the first time, Laidlaw found himself stone broke and south of the river. This time he had no choice but to live inside the band’s studio, then in a draught-ridden converted fire station on the gloomier side of Greenwich. He played piano til the early hours and showered in the local swimming pool, and put his heart and soul into creating a second album, going by his own admission a bit crazy along the way.
Turning down an offer from legendary Bowie producer Tony Visconti, the band opted to retain complete creative control. Laidlaw produced the record himself, only turning to outside help for the mixing sessions, handled in New York by Victor Van Vugt (Nick Cave, Sons & Daughters, Kirsty Macoll, PJ Harvey). Howard, Laidlaw and mercurial guitarist Ivor Sims were all that remained from the original lineup. Russell ‘Rusty’ Grooms and kiwi maverick Paul Atkins took the bass and drum briefs, and a new keyboardist was found in the form of Art Terry, a former protégé of Arthur Lee from Love who had initially just turned up to tune Laidlaw’s piano…
Months were spent in the studio, as Laidlaw – a synaesthetic to whom music appears in the form of vivid visuals that look “like an avant-garde Russian cartoon” – heaved his vision into awesome life. The result is a record with the gloves off, as trumpeted in the form of two advance singles Woah Billy! and White Russian Doll. The first album’s shameless love for pure melody remains, but any hint of knowing pastiche has been replaced with big, confident, lean production; it’s a soaring album of modern pop – music for a new decade.
Get Outta Town!
Lucky Soul Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then c'mon baby, take your shoes off
We're goin' barefoot on the dance floor
We're gonna show 'em what you're made of
And shake it back
Well now that I've got your attention
Got your body purrin' like an engine
If you've got any reservations
Take 'em back
Well I know you've got rhythm and I know you've got soul
But there ain't nothin' here for us baby
Gotta get outta town!
We gotta get outta town!
We gotta get outta town!
We gotta get out of...
[Na na na na na na na na...]
Well if you're feelin' kinda locked down
When you should be feelin' locked out
Got medicine, you need it
I'm gonna stop your heart bleedin'
Shake it back
Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three
Everything is backwards here, you know we've gotta leave
Gotta get outta town!
We gotta get outta town!
We gotta get outta town!
We gotta get outta town!
[Mm mm mm mm mm mm mm mm...]
I kiss you once
[Alright]
I kiss you twice
[Well that's fine]
I kiss you three times
[One more time]
I kiss you four times
Baby, you're mine, you're mine
Chasing down the last bus
You've gotta run at it with full force
You've got me pullin' any punches
Oh, you know you've gotta live for somethin'
And shake it back
Well I know you've got rhythm and I know you've got soul
But there ain't nothin' here for us baby [Wooo!]
Gotta get outta town!
We gotta get outta town!
We gotta get outta town!
We gotta get out of...
G-g-g-get outta town
G-g-g-get outta town
G-g-g-get outta town
G-g-g-get outta town!
The song "Get Outta Town!" by Lucky Soul is about breaking free from the monotonous routine of everyday life and doing something fun and spontaneous. The lyrics encourage listeners to let loose and dance barefoot on the floor, showing off their rhythm and soul. The singer urges the listener to forget any reservations they may have and come along for the ride.
The song is filled with energy and excitement, as the beat encourages the listener to get up and dance. The lyrics also suggest a sense of urgency, as if they need to get out of town quickly before something bad happens. However, the song is primarily about having fun and living life to the fullest.
Overall, "Get Outta Town!" is a fun and upbeat song about embracing the moment and letting go of any inhibitions.
Line by Line Meaning
Well if you're payin' all your dues off
If you're done with all of life's responsibilities and burdens,
Then c'mon baby, take your shoes off
It's time for you to relax and let your hair down.
We're goin' barefoot on the dance floor
We're going to have fun and enjoy ourselves.
We're gonna show 'em what you're made of
We're going to impress people with your talent and abilities.
And shake it back
We're going to dance and have a great time.
Well now that I've got your attention
Now that I have your focus,
Got your body purrin' like an engine
You're feeling good and enjoying the moment,
Got your feet beggin' for redemption
You're feeling energized and ready to dance.
If you've got any reservations
If you have any doubts or hesitations,
Take 'em back
Leave them behind and enjoy yourself.
Well I know you've got rhythm and I know you've got soul
I believe in you and your talent.
But there ain't nothin' here for us baby
But there's nothing for us here, let's move on.
Gotta get outta town!
We need to leave this place!
We gotta get outta town!
We absolutely have to leave this place!
We gotta get outta town!
We must leave this place behind!
We gotta get out of...
We have to go!
Well if you're feelin' kinda locked down
If you're feeling confined or restricted,
When you should be feelin' locked out
When you should be feeling like the possibilities are endless.
Got medicine, you need it
I have something that can make you feel better.
I'm gonna stop your heart bleedin'
I'm going to heal your emotional wounds.
Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three
We're counting down to leave this place.
Everything is backwards here, you know we've gotta leave
This place doesn't make sense, it's time to move on.
I kiss you once
I'm showing you affection.
I kiss you twice
I care about you deeply.
I kiss you three times
I love you.
I kiss you four times
I'll always be there for you.
Baby, you're mine, you're mine
I love you, you belong to me.
Chasing down the last bus
We're racing to catch the final ride.
You've gotta run at it with full force
You need to give it all you've got to make it in time.
You've got me pullin' any punches
I'll help you in any way I can.
Oh, you know you've gotta live for somethin'
You need to have a purpose in life.
G-g-g-get outta town
Leave this place behind!
Contributed by Nolan D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.