Andrew Roachford was born and raised in South London on 22nd January 1965 to West Indian parents
He has achieved four gold status albums and was Columbia Records' longest serving recording artist, achieving a total of eleven top 50 hits. His most well known song is 1988's 'Cuddly Toy', which on a re-release a year later reached No.4 in the uk chart. 5 years later in 1994 he gained huge sales and critical acclaim with the album 'Permanent Shade Of Blue', combining pop, soul, blues and rock with socially and politically aware lyrics.
Andrew Roachford is currently a member of the reformed Mike & the Mechanics, who are slated to release a new album and tour the UK in 2011.
His chart success in the UK is as follows;
"Cuddly Toy" (1988) UK #61
"Find Me Another Love" (1988) UK #100
"Cuddly Toy" (1989) UK #4 (re-release)
"Family Man" (1989) UK #25
"Kathleen" (1989) UK #43
"Get Ready!" (1991) UK #22
"Only To Be With You" (1994) UK #21
"Lay Your Love On Me" (1994) UK #36
"This Generation" (1994) UK #38
"Cry For Me" (1994) UK #23
"I Know You Don't Love Me" (1995) UK #40
"The Way I Feel" (1997) UK #20
"How Could I? (Insecurity)" (1998) UK #34
"Naked Without You" (1998) UK #53
Roachford Albums
* Roachford (1988)
* Get Ready! (1991)
* Permanent Shade of Blue (1994)
* Feel (1997)
* The Roachford Files (2000)
Solo Albums
* Heart of the Matter (2003)
* Word of Mouth (2006)
Family Man
Roachford Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Couldn't care if you lived, couldn't care if you died
Gettin' high, gettin' drunk - out with your gang
Man, you were so bad they should've made you hang
Used to be a swinger and that's no lie
You had umpteen women all at the same time
Never had no money but you lived like the rich
Poncing all your money off a some poor bitch
Now you're tryin' to be a family man
(Listen up now)
You used to be a rogue and that's no lie
Couldn't care if you lived, couldn't care if you died
But then you met a girl by the name of Sue
She looked just like your mother - she was badder than you
Nine months later you were totally changed
I saw you go to church to be born again
Now you're tryin' to be a family man
I said oh - woh oh oh
Now you're tryin' to be a family man
There's no way out, there's no turning back
So keep it in the family
The song Family Man by Andrew Roachford is a tale about a man who used to be a wild and reckless person. He used to be a rogue who didn't care about anything or anyone, got high and drunk with his friends, and had many women all at the same time. He didn't have any money, but he lived like a rich person by taking advantage of other people. However, he meets a woman named Sue who changes his life. She looks just like his mother and is badder than him. Nine months later, he's a changed man, and he goes to church to be born again. He's now trying to be a family man, but he can't escape his past.
The song highlights the pressures of trying to turn one's life around and leave a bad past behind. It implies that it is not an easy task, and sometimes the past comes back to haunt you. The man in the song now finds himself trying to be a family man, but he is still haunted by his past. There's no way out for him, and he must keep his past in the family.
Overall, the song is a cautionary tale about the consequences of living a reckless life and the difficulties of leaving it behind. It also shows that sometimes, even when you try to make things right and start a new life, the past is always lurking in the background.
Line by Line Meaning
You used to be a rogue and that's no lie
You were once a person who lived recklessly, without concern for consequences.
Couldn't care if you lived, couldn't care if you died
You had no regard for your own life or death.
Gettin' high, gettin' drunk - out with your gang
You used to indulge in vices and hang out with a group of people with similar habits.
Man, you were so bad they should've made you hang
Your behavior was so unacceptable that some might say you deserved severe punishment.
Used to be a swinger and that's no lie
You had many sexual partners and relationships simultaneously.
You had umpteen women all at the same time
You were involved with multiple women concurrently.
Never had no money but you lived like the rich
You did not have much money, but still managed to present yourself as someone wealthy.
Poncing all your money off a some poor bitch
You relied on a woman for financial support.
But now ho-woh oh oh
An exclamation indicating that significant change has occurred.
Now you're tryin' to be a family man
You are now attempting to live a more responsible life as a family man.
(Listen up now)
An instruction to pay attention closely to the following message.
But then you met a girl by the name of Sue
You met a woman named Sue who would change your life.
She looked just like your mother - she was badder than you
Sue had qualities similar to your mother's, and was more rebellious than you ever were.
Nine months later you were totally changed
After nine months of being with Sue, you experienced significant personal transformation.
I saw you go to church to be born again
You turned to religion to help facilitate this profound change in your life.
There's no way out, there's no turning back
You have committed yourself to being a family man, and there is no going back.
So keep it in the family
Maintain your focus and prioritize the relationships within your family unit.
Contributed by Riley M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Pat Dwyer
"Nine months later you go to the church to be born Again "...Great Album, Great song, Artist & Band. Still play this CD ...originally had it as cassette..lol " Tryin' to be Family Man " ...... "You used to be a rogue and that's no lie
Couldn't care if you lived, couldn't care if you died
Gettin' high, gettin' drunk - out with the gang
Man, you were so bad they should've made you hang
Used to be a swinger and that's no lie
You had umpteen women all at the same time
Never had no money but you lived like the rich
Poncing all your money off a some poor bitch
But now ho-woh oh oh
Now you're tryin' to be a family man
(Listen up now)
You used to be a rogue and that's no lie
Couldn't care if you lived, couldn't care if you died
But then you met a girl by the name of Sue
She looked just like your mother - she was badder than you
Nine months later you were totally changed
I saw you go to the church to be born again
Now you're tryin' to be a family man
I said oh - woh oh oh
Now you're tryin' to be a family man
There's no way out, there's no turning back
So keep it in the family"
Contributed by Xavier M. Suggest
Simon Bartram
I loved Roachford had all their albums. Really disappointed they didn't break out big. Their sound is so rich and ballsy topped of with that soul voice of Andrew fantastic stuff miss it. He is touring this Autumn though seriously thinking of going
Nick Forbes-Warren
This guy played Reading in 1988 on the Sunday and I was surprised and blown away, he was amazing live!
Thurlo Squire
My first ever CD.... still play it every week....can't understand why he isn't more famous...
David Sanderson
Roachford was all over the TV and radio here in the UK back in the day.
Paul Mahoney
I having my second open heart in July.. Covid accepted...thank you for this ♥️
PeekaPeep
Bad management, most likely. Remember Sony took over Columbia right around that time period so he may have simply wound up falling right through the cracks during that rather volatile transition. Damn shame too because Andrew's third studio release (1994's 'Permanent Shade Of Blue') should've made him and his criminally underrated band global stars overnight! I've RARELY heard anything better that entire decade than what was on that album, my goodness. I'm just glad he's still recording and touring as of today, his music has continued to progress wonderfully ever since his critically-acclaimed debut dropped just over 30 years ago...
>;-)
dean Kinsella
On a record, class tune
Pat Dwyer
Fame may not equal Happy. He doesn't seem to be complaining. He is still playing and releasing Albums. I had this on a cassette tape.
angelaharlem
Family man should be released today! Timeless!
NomusicNolife 1
Me parece una de las mejores voces de siempre. Un extraordinario artista, lleno de energía que transmite como pocos.