Paul David Heaton (born May 9, 1962) is an English born singer and songwrit… Read Full Bio ↴Paul David Heaton (born May 9, 1962) is an English born singer and songwriter. He was a member of The Beautiful South, and a former member of indie band The Housemartins, who disbanded in 1988.

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

Even a Palm Tree
Paul Heaton Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I can't find you attractive
Unless I've had drugs
What about just getting plain drunk?
She shrugs

I mean, flies love shit
And lizards love bugs
Yeah but there ain't no snails

Sleeping with slugs

Like there ain't no Kings
Sleeping with ho's
You saying a slug ain't never climbed a rose?
You think when Adam had Eve, Eve chose?

Y'all just cavemen in better cars
And worse clothes

When the man has had quite enough
Of woman answering back
He goes out and buys a dog
But not to race on track

6 months training dog
To be a genuine friend
That serves him
Companion to the end

The only difference 'tween the wife
And what the dog don't do
Is make his tea most every night
And grant him monthly screw

Y'all just cavemen in better cars
But worse clothes

So when I drank that quart of vodka
And turned up at your door
Was it meant to say I love you
At half past fucking four?

Is that what true love does to you?
Does it microwave your brain?
So you can't tell the difference
Between love and pain

I was trying to say I love you
That I want to make amends
You throw stones against my window
And you think we're back to friends

Y'all just cavemen in better cars
And worse clothes

He's going out cause it's not raining
She's staying in too despite the sun
Drawing curtains on a summers day
Causin' sadness just searching for fun

Loving life for no real reason
Adore your job cause you love the pain
Hate working in high season
Even a palm tree needs a little rain

Meanwhile, the woman bored
Of not being listened to
Buys a cat to prove just that
It's him and not just you

That cat it may not say that much
But least it lends it's ear
To conversation livelier
Than football, girls and beer

Y'all just cavemen in better cars
But worse clothes

He's going out cause it's not raining
She's staying in too despite the sun
Drawing curtains on a summers day
Causin' sadness just searching for fun

Loving life for no real reason
Adore your job cause you love the pain
Hate working in high season
Even a palm tree needs a little rain

Even a palm tree

Even a palm tree
Even a palm tree needs a little rain

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Paul Heaton’s song “Even a Palm Tree” is a commentary on societal and personal issues, particularly those within relationships. The opening lines, “I can't find you attractive unless I've had drugs, what about just getting plain drunk? She shrugs” reveals a common occurrence of people needing to become intoxicated in order to feel attraction, often leading to toxic relationships. The comparison of humans to animals like flies, lizards, ho’s and slugs illustrates how primal and crude people can be in their behavior towards each other, especially in their sexual desires.
The lyrics go on to contrast these caveman-like tendencies with the advancements of modern society, like better cars but worse clothes. Despite being advanced, people still have the same issues they have had for centuries. The second half of the song focuses on how people use things like dogs and cats to fill emotional voids in their lives, when their relationships are not fulfilling enough. The conclusion of the song brings it back to the idea that even palm trees, which are typically associated with sunshine and happiness, still need a little bit of rain to survive.

The lyrics of “Even a Palm Tree” are a thoughtful commentary on human relationships and the tendencies of people to seek out physical or emotional fulfillment in ways that are often unhealthy.

Line by Line Meaning

I can't find you attractive Unless I've had drugs
The singer can only find the person attractive if they have taken drugs.

What about just getting plain drunk? She shrugs
The person the singer is talking to suggests getting drunk instead, but the singer is not interested.

I mean, flies love shit And lizards love bugs Yeah but there ain't no snails Sleeping with slugs
The singer notes that different creatures have different preferences and that there are some combinations that are never found together.

Like there ain't no Kings Sleeping with ho's You saying a slug ain't never climbed a rose? You think when Adam had Eve, Eve chose?
The artist continues to explore the idea of unlikely combinations and wonders if there are any that are truly impossible.

Y'all just cavemen in better cars And worse clothes
The artist suggests that despite our technological advancements, humans are basically the same as we were in prehistoric times.

When the man has had quite enough Of woman answering back He goes out and buys a dog But not to race on track
The singer observes that some men buy dogs as a way to replace or supplement the companionship they feel they are not receiving from their wives or partners.

6 months training dog To be a genuine friend That serves him Companion to the end
The singer notes that training a dog takes time and effort, but that a well-trained dog can be a loyal and valuable companion.

The only difference 'tween the wife And what the dog don't do Is make his tea most every night And grant him monthly screw
The artist compares the actions of a loyal dog to those of a stereotypical wife or partner, and suggests that there are only a few key differences.

Y'all just cavemen in better cars But worse clothes
The artist repeats the idea that humans have not changed much over time, despite our technological advancements.

So when I drank that quart of vodka And turned up at your door Was it meant to say I love you At half past fucking four?
The artist reflects on a drunken episode where they went to someone's house and wonders if it was an expression of love, despite the absurdity of the situation.

Is that what true love does to you? Does it microwave your brain? So you can't tell the difference Between love and pain
The singer wonders if love can cloud your judgment and make you unable to distinguish between positive and negative emotions.

I was trying to say I love you That I want to make amends You throw stones against my window And you think we're back to friends
The artist tries to explain that they were trying to express their love and make things right, but the other person didn't understand and thought they were just trying to be friends again.

He's going out cause it's not raining She's staying in too despite the sun Drawing curtains on a summers day Causin' sadness just searching for fun
The singer observes that people sometimes do things that seem counterintuitive or illogical, and wonders if it is rooted in a desire for novelty or excitement.

Loving life for no real reason Adore your job cause you love the pain Hate working in high season Even a palm tree needs a little rain
The singer reflects on how humans can find joy in unexpected places or situations, and how even things that seem perfect or idyllic still need some variety or challenge to thrive.

Meanwhile, the woman bored Of not being listened to Buys a cat to prove just that It's him and not just you
The singer notes that sometimes people get pets, like a cat, to have someone who will listen to them and provide companionship, even if it is not the same as a human relationship.

That cat it may not say that much But least it lends it's ear To conversation livelier Than football, girls and beer
The artist suggests that even a cat, which cannot communicate in the same way as humans, can still be a good listener and bring some liveliness or excitement to conversations.

Y'all just cavemen in better cars But worse clothes
The artist repeats their earlier observation that humans have not changed much over time, despite the advances in technology and clothing.

Contributed by Charlotte S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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