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
if
Paul Heaton Lyrics
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which he won't
Half the do-gooders
Will find they don't
If Jesus Christ's alive
which he's not
He'd get rid of
Don't do what you can just say that you would
As long as it, makes you feel so good
Cleverly alter thou shalt into should
As long as it, makes you feel good
Chorus
Eden is blooming whilst poorest crop wilt
Does it rack you with guilt
Does it rack you with guilt
A freezing cold body would die for a quilt
Does it rack you with guilt
Does it rack you with guilt
If the Messiah
is due back down
How come the highest priests
Dressed up as clowns
If the Bible's made up
which it is
The last laugh can't be ours
It must be his
Bleed countries dry til they pray for a flood
as long as it makes you feel good
Bid them farwell leave their faces in the mud
As long as it makes you feel good
Chorus:
Water to wine or gold into blood
as long as it makes you feel good
You'd feed the 5,000 if the spotlight gained could
Make your self look bloody good
Chorus:
White unborns worth ten black workers blood spilt
Don't let that rack you with guilt
New roof for church whilst new houses not built
Don't let that rack you with guilt
The lyrics of Paul Heaton's song "If" are a biting commentary on religion and morality. Heaton is questioning the very foundations of religious beliefs and their impact on human behavior. He suggests that even if God or Jesus were to come back, people would still find ways to justify their immoral actions. He highlights how people often twist religious teachings to justify their self-serving actions, rather than actually following the values that their faith preaches.
In the first verse, Heaton talks about how people who claim to be "do-gooders" would not actually live up to their moral ideals if faced with the reality of God's presence. This line suggests that people often only act moral when they think someone is watching, rather than actually being moral for its own sake. The second verse questions the existence of the Messiah and the authority of religious leaders, pointing out that many of them do not practice what they preach.
The chorus focuses on the hypocrisy of people who claim to be religious yet do nothing to alleviate the suffering of others. He suggests that instead of feeling guilt about their immoral actions, people often try to justify them with religious doctrine. The third verse criticizes the way people value material possessions over human life, contrasting the luxury of a new church roof to the lack of new houses for the homeless.
Overall, the song is a scathing indictment of the way that religious beliefs can be used to justify immoral behavior. Heaton's lyrics suggest that true morality should be based on empathy and compassion for others, rather than adherence to religious dogma.
Line by Line Meaning
If god comes down
which he won't
Half the do-gooders
Will find they don't
If there is a God, which is unlikely, many people who claim to be good will realize they are not.
If Jesus Christ's alive
which he's not
He'd get rid of
Every follower that he's got
If Jesus were alive, he would reject all those who use his name to do harm.
Don't do what you can just say that you would
As long as it, makes you feel so good
Cleverly alter thou shalt into should
As long as it, makes you feel good
Don't just talk about what you could do, make the effort to do it even if it's not required. Change the rigid "you shall" to a more flexible "you should" to make yourself feel better.
Chorus
Eden is blooming whilst poorest crop wilt
Does it rack you with guilt
Does it rack you with guilt
A freezing cold body would die for a quilt
Does it rack you with guilt
Does it rack you with guilt
The beautiful world we live in is full of suffering and inequality. Does that make you feel guilty? Would you feel guilty if you saw someone dying from the cold?
If the Messiah
is due back down
How come the highest priests
Dressed up as clowns
If the Messiah is really coming, why do the religious leaders act foolish and hypocritical?
If the Bible's made up
which it is
The last laugh can't be ours
It must be his
If the Bible is not literally true, then it's not our victory to claim. It belongs to God or some other higher power.
Bleed countries dry til they pray for a flood
as long as it makes you feel good
Bid them farwell leave their faces in the mud
As long as it makes you feel good
Exploit other nations until they are helpless and dependent, if it makes you feel powerful. Abandon them even if it means they suffer, if it makes you feel good.
Chorus:
Water to wine or gold into blood
as long as it makes you feel good
You'd feed the 5,000 if the spotlight gained could
Make your self look bloody good
You would perform miraculous deeds for your own benefit, not out of true compassion. You would feed the masses only if it made you famous and well-regarded.
Chorus:
White unborns worth ten black workers blood spilt
Don't let that rack you with guilt
New roof for church whilst new houses not built
Don't let that rack you with guilt
The lives of white fetuses are considered more valuable than the lives of black workers. Don't feel guilty about this fact. Don't let yourself be bothered by religious institutions prioritizing their own comfort over social justice.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SCOTT SHIELDS, PAUL HEATON, MARTIN SLATTERY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dan Tweedy
Great tune from great unrealized album. I especailly like "Poems" and "The Perfect Couple", but this track is great, too. (This is his 2nd song called "if". There was also a Beautiful South tune by the same name).