As Postcard's flagship band, Orange Juice quickly distinguished the label as a leading proponent of independent pop music; their 1980 debut single "Falling and Laughing," recorded for less than 100 pounds, garnered massive critical acclaim, and subsequent releases like "Blueboy," "Simply Thrilled Honey," and "Poor Old Soul" further established the group as a major new talent. Soon, sessions began for a full-length album; however, in the midst of recording, Orange Juice left Postcard to sign to Polydor, which funded the LP's completion. After the 1982 release of the album, titled You Can't Hide Your Love Forever, ex-Josef K guitarist Malcolm Ross joined the group, hastening the exit of Kirk and Daly (who went on to form Memphis) and paving the way for Zimbabwe-born drummer Zeke Manyika.
The addition of Manyika gave Collins the new capability of exploring a more complex fusion of pop and blue-eyed soul; consequently, 1982's Rip It Up was a more ambitious affair than its predecessor, veering from the buoyant Motown tribute "I Can't Help Myself" to the energetic pop of the title track, Orange Juice's lone Top Ten single. However, subsequent releases failed to chart, and relations between the group and Polydor began to disintegrate; amid these tensions, both Ross and McClymont quit, with Ross later resurfacing in Aztec Camera. Reduced to the duo of Collins and Manyika, Orange Juice enlisted reggae producer Dennis Bovell to record the 1984 EP Texas Fever.
After a makeshift tour, Collins and Manyika returned to the studio to record a dark, ambitious full-length effort; released in 1984, neither The Orange Juice nor its singles "What Presence?!" and "Lean Period" charted, and Collins was dropped from his contract, although Polydor kept Manyika on as a solo act. Only in 1995 did the stunning single "A Girl Like You" finally win Collins the commercial respect that had so long eluded him and his former bandmates. Later on, throughout the late '90s and early 2000s, the rise of Scottish bands as disparate as Belle & Sebastian and Franz Ferdinand won Orange Juice a younger set of fans, helped in great part by the 2005 compilation The Glasgow School.
Biography by Jason Ankeny
Blue Boy
Orange Juice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In her smile he saw the poison she tasted
She wasn't listening to the sweet words
He wasn't listening to her lying tongue
He was listening to the words being sung
By the blue boy
Friends told him of her young heart's passion
She wasn't listening to the sweet words
He wasn't listening to her lying tongue
He was listening to the words being sung
By the blue boy
Oh curse and bless him with the gabardine which surrounds him
See him writhe at the sight of your eyes which repel him
Whoa whoa whoa whoa
He won't be listening to your sweet words
He won't be listening to your lying tongue
He'll be listening to the words being sung
By the blue boy
Whoa whoa blue boy
Whoa whoa blue boy
Whoa whoa blue boy
Cheerio, blue boy
The beauty of music lies in the fact that it can create intense emotional moments with just a few words. "Blue Boy" by Orange Juice is a great example of this. The opening lyrics set the tone of the song by describing a relationship that lacks mutual understanding. The girl is listening to another voice, while the boy is listening to the song being sung by the "blue boy." The boy's affection for the girl is not reciprocated, and he's struggling to come to terms with this cruel reality. The phrase "the poison she tasted" implies that the girl is in a toxic relationship, and yet she's still oblivious to the boy's sincerity.
The chorus, "He'll be listening to the words being sung by the blue boy" is the most crucial part of the song. The blue boy represents the perfect embodiment of the boy's romantic hopes and dreams. The blue boy's singing voice is everything the girl's voice is not. It's sincere, it's soulful, and it's honest. Therefore, the singer is "cursed and blessed" at the same time since he's enamoured by the blue boy's voice, but he's also painfully aware that his own love interest is not reciprocating his feelings.
Overall, the song's narrative is one of unrequited love, frustrated hopes, and emotional turmoil. The singer is powerless to change the situation, and he's left to marvel at the beauty of a voice that he can't possess. This song can resonate with anyone who's ever felt unloved or misunderstood in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
When he spoke she smiled in all the right places
She pretended to be interested in what he was saying by faking a smile.
In her smile he saw the poison she tasted
He realized that she was not genuine and was hiding something behind her smile.
She wasn't listening to the sweet words
She was not paying attention to his words, despite the fact that they were charming.
He wasn't listening to her lying tongue
He knew that her words were not truthful and did not believe her.
He was listening to the words being sung
By the blue boy
He found solace in the music, which helped him escape the reality of the situation he was in.
Friends told him of her young heart's passion
Down by the sea where the blue waves crashing
His friends warned him about her past relationships and the location where she had spent time with her exes.
Oh curse and bless him with the gabardine which surrounds him
See him writhe at the sight of your eyes which repel him
Whoa whoa whoa whoa
He was both attracted and repelled by her, and his emotions were confusing and overwhelming.
He won't be listening to your sweet words
He will not be swayed by her charm or flattery anymore.
He won't be listening to your lying tongue
He will not believe her false promises and deceptions anymore.
He'll be listening to the words being sung
By the blue boy
He will continue to find comfort in the music and lyrics of the blue boy.
Whoa whoa blue boy
Whoa whoa blue boy
Whoa whoa blue boy
Cheerio, blue boy
The song's repeated refrain emphasizes the blue boy's significance in the singer's life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: EDWYN STEPHEN COLLINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rifqi
When he spoke she smiled in all the right places
In her smile he saw the poison she tasted
She wasn't listening to the sweet words
He wasn't listening to her lying tongue
He was listening to the words being sung
By the blue boy
Friends told him of her young heart's passion
Down by the sea where the blue waves crashing
She wasn't listening to the sweet words
He wasn't listening to her lying tongue
He was listening to the words being sung
By the blue boy
Oh curse and bless him with the gabardine which surrounds him
See him writhe at the sight of your eyes which repel him
Whoa whoa whoa whoa
He won't be listening to your sweet words
He won't be listening to your lying tongue
He'll be listening to the words being sung
By the blue boy
Whoa whoa blue boy
Whoa whoa blue boy
Whoa whoa blue boy
Cheerio, blue boy
Gerhard Wagner
I totally agree that this is one of the most significant singles ever produced in the world.
allan munro
None better than this.Seems to begin in a different key than it finishes,beautifully out of tune spangly guitar solo,killer backing vox and at 1.54 the sweetest diminuendo one will ever hear,it's like they're waiting to pounce,then they do !
Rifqi
When he spoke she smiled in all the right places
In her smile he saw the poison she tasted
She wasn't listening to the sweet words
He wasn't listening to her lying tongue
He was listening to the words being sung
By the blue boy
Friends told him of her young heart's passion
Down by the sea where the blue waves crashing
She wasn't listening to the sweet words
He wasn't listening to her lying tongue
He was listening to the words being sung
By the blue boy
Oh curse and bless him with the gabardine which surrounds him
See him writhe at the sight of your eyes which repel him
Whoa whoa whoa whoa
He won't be listening to your sweet words
He won't be listening to your lying tongue
He'll be listening to the words being sung
By the blue boy
Whoa whoa blue boy
Whoa whoa blue boy
Whoa whoa blue boy
Cheerio, blue boy
nmloyal1
Quite simply, the best single in the whole wild world of music, ever, period, no argument.
Martin Black
too right
Mark Mcnamara
one of the greatest records ever made
Martin Black
Greatest single in the world ever made, ever, ever, ever.
Derek Wilson
Difficult to disagree.
Derek Wilson
Although Just Like Gold had a better B Side.
dermot51
Ye gods! its fuckin Bonanza , oh well! cheerio! Blue Boy pure fuckin class