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.
The Great Unwanted
Lucky Soul Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I would sound the call and when they all come running then you'll see,
I'm not alone at all.
Oh we live in silence, in shelter, in shadows;
The ones that you trod on, the ones you were brutal to, but,
Look for us, we were the casualties forever paying the price for a life less boring.
Look for us ‘cause when the tables turn,
You'll be saying a prayer to the great unwanted.
Singing a hymn to the great unwanted.
We will not be ignored.
We won't take that no more.
You can dodge the pressure, avoid the questions and whisper lies beneath your breath,
To you: love got smothered under hearts and flowers and it died a sweet and sickly death.
But our resolve wont break, the stakes are to high to lose,
You're finished, you're over, you're yesterday's news, so:
Look for us, we were the casualties forever paying the price for a life less boring.
Look for us, we were the whipping children, but no more.
Look for us ‘cause when the tables turn,
You'll be saying a prayer to the great unwanted.
Singing a hymn to the great unwanted.
We will not be ignored.
We won't take that no more.
No more, no more.
You can roll your eyes and feign surprise but this ain't another spurned lover talking.
Every day you waste away is one day closer ‘till the dead start walking.
You can curse yourself into an early grave,
Well, it's your body you can die if you want to,
Die if you want to, die if you want to, die if you want to,
Enough now, lets go
Look for us, we were the casualties, forever paying the price for a life less boring.
Look for us, we spent the weekend quaking, dreading the sight of a Monday morning.
Look for us ‘cause when the tables turn,
You'll be saying a prayer to the great unwanted.
Singing a hymn to the great unwanted.
And we will not be ignored
The song "The Great Unwanted" by Lucky Soul is thought-provoking and socially relevant. Written by Andrew Laidlaw and Ali Howard, the lyrics appear to be a message of defiance to oppressive or domineering individuals or systems that oppress and ignore the vulnerable.
The song appears to be a rallying call to the "great unwanted," those who society has discarded, ignored or dismissed. The voice in the song starts by lamenting the loneliness of being on its own. They then turn to the "great unwanted," declaring that when they all come running, they will not be alone. The ones being addressed are those that have been "brutal" and "trod on," but now they will have to pay the price for their actions. The chorus encourages listeners to look out for those who have been hurt and oppressed, to pray for them and sing hymns in their honor. They will not be ignored, nor will they take it anymore.
The song's lyrics suggest a desire for people to awaken to the plight of the voiceless, disregarded, and oppressed. It encourages society to be held accountable by "the great unwanted" and to make them noticed. It is a powerful and emotive song that invites societies' members to recognize the value of every individual, despite their appearance, gender, or background.
Interesting Facts
- The song was released in 2007 under Ruffa Lane Records.
- Lucky Soul is an English pop band that formed in 2005 in Greenwich.
- The song was produced by George Shilling, who has worked with Oasis and Frank Turner.
- It has been used as a theme tune for the British television show Misfits.
- It was also used in the trailer for the 2017 film Lady Macbeth.
- The song has been nominated for several awards and was included in NME's "best tracks of 2007."
- The band has cited Phil Spector and Motown as some of their inspirations.
- They were named as XFM's "New Music Award" winners in 2007.
- They have described their sound as "pop noir," a combination of pop, melody, and melancholy.
- They have released three albums so far.
Chords:
The chords for this song are not readily available online, but the song can be played with standard major chords.
Line by Line Meaning
If I could be alone with you, instead of standing on my own,
If only I could have some company and not feel so alone
I would sound the call and when they all come running then you'll see,
I would call for help, and when they come, you'll realize that I'm not actually alone
I'm not alone at all.
I have people who care about me and are willing to help
Oh we live in silence, in shelter, in shadows;
We live hidden and unnoticed
The ones that you trod on, the ones you were brutal to, but,
We are the ones you have mistreated and hurt
Look for us, we were the casualties forever paying the price for a life less boring.
We are the ones who have suffered because our lives are not exciting enough for you
Look for us, we were the whipping children, but no more.
We were once victims of your abuse, but not anymore
Look for us ‘cause when the tables turn,
When things change and you're the one in trouble,
You'll be saying a prayer to the great unwanted.
You'll be begging for help from those who have been unwanted and ignored
Singing a hymn to the great unwanted.
You'll be praising and worshiping those who were once ignored
We will not be ignored.
We refuse to be overlooked and forgotten
You can dodge the pressure, avoid the questions and whisper lies beneath your breath,
You can try to avoid the truth and hide your wrongdoings
To you: love got smothered under hearts and flowers and it died a sweet and sickly death.
You believe that love died because it was too sweet and suffocating
But our resolve wont break, the stakes are to high to lose,
We won't give up because the consequences are too great
You're finished, you're over, you're yesterday's news, so:
You're done, it's over, and nobody cares about you anymore
You can roll your eyes and feign surprise but this ain't another spurned lover talking.
You can act surprised, but this is not just another jilted lover speaking
Every day you waste away is one day closer ‘till the dead start walking.
Every day that you waste brings you closer to your own downfall
You can curse yourself into an early grave,
You can blame yourself for your problems
Well, it's your body you can die if you want to,
You have the choice to let your problems consume you
Die if you want to, die if you want to, die if you want to,
You can choose to give up and let yourself fade away
Enough now, lets go
It's time to move on and leave this behind
Look for us, we were the casualties, forever paying the price for a life less boring.
We were the ones who suffered because our lives weren't thrilling enough for you
Look for us, we spent the weekend quaking, dreading the sight of a Monday morning.
We were filled with fear and anxiety about the upcoming week
And we will not be ignored
We refuse to be overlooked and forgotten
Contributed by Noah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@levimarshall4562
If I could be alone with you, instead of standing on my own,
I would sound the call and when they all come running then you’ll see,
I’m not alone at all.
Oh we live in silence, in shelter, in shadows;
The ones that you trod on, the ones you were brutal to, but,
Look for us, we were the casualties forever paying the price for a life less boring.
Look for us, we were the whipping children, but no more.
Look for us ‘cause when the tables turn,
You’ll be saying a prayer to the great unwanted.
Singing a hymn to the great unwanted.
We will not be ignored.
We won’t take that no more.
You can dodge the pressure, avoid the questions and whisper lies beneath your breath,
To you: love got smothered under hearts and flowers and it died a sweet and sickly death.
But our resolve wont break, the stakes are to high to lose,
You’re finished, you’re over, you’re yesterday’s news, so:
Look for us, we were the casualties forever paying the price for a life less boring.
Look for us, we were the whipping children, but no more.
Look for us ‘cause when the tables turn,
You’ll be saying a prayer to the great unwanted.
Singing a hymn to the great unwanted.
We will not be ignored.
We won’t take that no more.
No more, no more.
You can roll your eyes and feign surprise but this ain’t another spurned lover talking.
Every day you waste away is one day closer ‘till the dead start walking.
You can curse yourself into an early grave,
Well, it’s your body you can die if you want to,
Die if you want to, die if you want to, die if you want to,
Enough now, lets go
Look for us, we were the casualties, forever paying the price for a life less boring.
Look for us, we spent the weekend quaking, dreading the sight of a Monday morning.
Look for us ‘cause when the tables turn,
You’ll be saying a prayer to the great unwanted.
Singing a hymn to the great unwanted.
And we will not be ignored