Paul Heaton formed The Housemartins in the early 1980s. The Housemartins released a number of singles and two studio albums, London 0 Hull 4 and The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death. Their most famous hit was an a-capella version of the Isley Brothers' Caravan of Love, which was a Christmas number one in the UK.
In 1988, Paul Heaton formed The Beautiful South from the ashes of The Housemartins. The Beautiful South released two top ten singles, Song for Whoever and You Keep It All In, which featured Irish singer Briana Corrigan on vocals. In 1989, the band released an album "Welcome to the Beautiful South" by which time Corrigan had joined the band as a full time member. The band's biggest success to date is the release of the single "A Little Time" in 1991. It reached number 1 on the charts. In 1993 the band released their third album, "0898 Beautiful South".
In 1994, Briana Corrigan left the band and a new female vocalist, Jacqui Abbott, was brought in. During the recording of the band's fourth album "Miaow", Heaton was increasingly irritated with the band and at one time told them to get their act together or he would leave. "Miaow" is some of Heaton's most depressing songwriting (only their fifth studio album, "Blue Is The Colour", is considered sadder). Heaton was going through a break-up with his girlfriend and other problems at the time. After the release of Miaow's third single, "Prettiest Eyes", the record company was worried about the band's sales, so they proposed a greatest hits release to save the band. Heaton hated the idea as he was trying to keep the band as far away from mainstream as possible, but nevertheless, "Carry on up the Charts" was released in December 1994 and it sold overwhelmingly, going platinum and becoming one of the biggest selling albums of all time in the UK.
The band returned to form a number one album, "Blue Is the Colour". Their sixth album, "Quench", also hit the top spot. In 2000, after the release of "Painting It Red", Jacqui Abbott left the band to care for her son. A second compilation album, "Solid Bronze", was released and two more studio albums with a new female vocalist, Alison Wheeler. The first, Gaze, became the first Beautiful South album to fail to reach the top 10, and the band were then dropped by Mercury Records.
The following year (2004), newly signed to Sony, they released the curiously named covers album Goldiggas, Headnodders and Pholk Songs, an eclectic album that featured the Beautiful South's unique take on a wide variety of tracks by the like of ELO, Blue Öyster Cult, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, S Club 7, and Rufus Wainwright. Again, despite considerable publicity and promotional TV appearances, the album failed to make the top 10.
2006 saw the release of yet another album of new material, "Superbi." Reviews were generally positive. "Superbi" has more of an alt-country sound (plenty of slide guitar, for example) than previous Beautiful South releases. The album maintains the band's trademark eccentricity, however, featuring a dobro on one song.
On the ITV documentary music series Faith & Music screened 29th October 2006, Paul talks openly and honestly about his atheism and his battle with alcoholism.
Heaton is the father of two daughters, although he has never married.
www.paulheatonmusic.co.uk
A Good Old Fashioned Town
Paul Heaton Lyrics
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The higher they hoist the flag
Like the father of the house wants the world to know
The race he'd like his daughters to shag
And the louder they sing their anthem
The more likely their history graced
With that badge kissing, fanfare blowing
Everyone stands up
When they hear those trumpets sound
Everyone stand up
In a good old fashioned town
If you can't tell what they're singing
It's usually who they'd like to drown
In a flag waving, chest beating
Good old fashioned town
When someone starts a sentence
With "I'm not racist but"
You that the sentence is bound to end
With where they think they should be put
So next time you hear them singing
Of a land so free and brave
You know the place they hang their flag
Is where they hung their slave
Flying flag is just another way
The insecure announce they're here to stay
So if you love your country and love your fellow man
Display please as quietly as you can
Paul Heaton's song "A Good Old Fashioned Town" presents a critique of nationalism and the way it manifests in small towns. The opening lines, "The nearer the border / The higher they hoist the flag," suggest that the people in these border towns feel insecure and use nationalism as a way to assert dominance. The following lines, "Like the father of the house wants the world to know / The race he'd like his daughters to shag," imply that this nationalism is often rooted in racism and a desire to preserve a certain idealized version of the community.
The song continues to criticize the performative nature of nationalism, referencing the loud singing of anthems and the showy displays of patriotism. The lines, "With that badge kissing, fanfare blowing / Idiot painted face," suggest that these displays are often done without consideration for the true meaning behind them. The chorus repeats the phrase "Everyone stands up / In a good old fashioned town," which emphasizes the way that this behavior is expected and enforced.
Heaton goes on to point out the hypocrisy of those who claim to love their country but hold racist beliefs. The lines, "When someone starts a sentence / With 'I'm not racist but' / You know the sentence is bound to end / With where they think they should be put," reveal that these people are not truly patriotic, but use nationalism to justify their hate. The song ends with Heaton encouraging listeners to practice quiet displays of patriotism, suggesting that true love for one's country comes from a place of humility and respect.
Line by Line Meaning
The nearer the border
The closer you are to the border, the more nationalistic people become
The higher they hoist the flag
People become more patriotic and display their flag more prominently
Like the father of the house wants the world to know
People want others to know how patriots they are
The race he'd like his daughters to shag
Nationalism can often be linked to racism and prejudice beliefs
And the louder they sing their anthem
The more patriotic people feel, the more they will sing their anthem loudly
The more likely their history graced
Nationalism often emphasizes a country's positive history and ignores its negative aspects
With that badge kissing, fanfare blowing
People will often display their patriotic symbols with pride
Idiot painted face
Nationalism can often breed extreme and irrational behaviors
Everyone stands up
During patriotic events or songs, everyone often stands up to show respect
When they hear those trumpets sound
This refers to a call to patriotism, often seen in parades or other public events
If you can't tell what they're singing
Sometimes the patriotism can be so extreme that it borders on hate speech
It's usually who they'd like to drown
People often use their patriotism to call out their perceived enemies and oppose them
In a flag waving, chest beating
Patriotic displays can often border on aggressive and macho behavior
Good old fashioned town
This refers to a stereotypical image of a small town with strong nationalistic values
When someone starts a sentence
This line refers to the subtle ways in which people express their prejudices
You know that the sentence is bound to end
Often, people who start a sentence this way are trying to justify some prejudice or discriminatory behavior
With where they think they should be put
This refers to the discriminatory practices that some people justify through their patriotism
So next time you hear them singing
The song encourages the listeners to be more critical of the patriotism they encounter
Of a land so free and brave
Nationalism often emphasizes the idea of a free and brave country
You know the place they hang their flag
This line suggests that people should be more critical of the countries they pledge allegiance to
Is where they hung their slave
Patriotic values often hide the unaddressed mistakes or crimes of the country throughout its history
Flying flag is just another way
This line suggests that there are other ways to show your love for your country that may not be as aggressive or imposing
The insecure announce they're here to stay
The song suggests that patriotism is often used as a way to mask weak and insecure behavior
So if you love your country and love your fellow man
The song encourages people to express their love for their country without neccessarily showing prejudice or hate to others
Display please as quietly as you can
This line suggests that people should be more humble with how they express their love for their country
Contributed by Juliana T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.