Released on the Rough Trade record label in 1981, "The Sweetest Girl" (also known as "Sweetest Girl") became Scritti Politti's first song to be a hit, peaking at #64 on the U.K. singles chart. According to the The Sweetest Girl Songfacts, was cited by The New York Times as one of the ten best singles of the year. Scritti Politti went on to enjoy significant success in the music charts in the U.K. and U.S. as the decade went on, rivaling slick new wave contemporaries such as Duran Duran, The Human League, Simple Minds, and others.
Following this period of fame, however, Gartside became disillusioned with the music industry and the related pressures of being an artist. He retired to the South Wales of his childhood for nearly a decade. He returned to music-making in the late 90s, releasing two critically-acclaimed albums (in 1999 and 2006). As well, the success of the 2006 Mercury Music Prize-nominated 'White Bread Black Beer' release proved to be a major comeback for Gartside. He toured the U.K., Ireland, the U.S.A., and Japan in the same year, these efforts being his first time performing live on stage for about twenty-five years.
Gartside is known for his distinctive, whispering vocal style; he was described by one critic as having "a voice that's eternally 14 years old". Born in Cardiff in 1956, Gartside attended Leeds Polytechnic and experienced the Sex Pistols' infamous 'Anarchy tour' in 1977. Like so many others who saw this musical and cultural car crash, he felt inspired to make music. As well, again like so many others, he swiftly became disillusioned with punk's stylistic parameters of the time. Following years of work evolving Scritti Politti's sound, the group's debut studio album, titled 'Songs to Remember', came out on 3 September 1982. Though not a commercial hit, the relase's eccentric set of influences,including 60s pop rock and 70s soul, and many philosophical lyrical references, with Gartside avoiding direct left-wing preaching in favour of confessional storytelling, brought the band serious critical praise.
In 1989, the British music magazine 'Record Mirror' placed 'Songs to Remember' at number fourteen in their critics' list of the best albums of the 80s. Nonetheless, heavy line-up changes occured after that album's release. When 1985's 'Cupid & Psyche 85' came out, that work proved both to be a commercial smash as well as to be innovative in terms its early use of the techniques of sampling and MIDI sequencing. Hit singles such as "Perfect Way", "The Word Girl", "Wood Beez", and "Absolute" brought the group legions of fans.
As stated before, Scritti Politti is known for being, at times, a commercially-friendly outfit, particularly during when Gartside worked with American producer and keyboard player David Gamson and drummer Fred Maher, yet its songs still retained a critically acclaimed, heavily poetic look on life (a factor which, no matter what sound or guise Gartside's current band may adopt, has always been carried through).
In a recent BBC Radio 2 interview, Gartside enthusiastically stated that he will be working on two further albums in the future, one being hip-hop based (a la 1999's Anomie & Bonhomie).
Recently, Gartside has been performing live with Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip - a fellow Mercury Music Prize nominee - and it is rumoured that the pair are currently writing a joint album.
Oh Patti
Scritti Politti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a world where we knew what was true
Oh Patti don't lead the life that I left you with
It's been such a long time and I know
We tried together to discover
Why we failed the test of our time
Oh Patti don't lead the life that they made for you
And don't feel sorry for lover boy
You know he wants the world to love him
And then he goes and spoils it all
Don't feel sorry for lover boy
He wants the world to love him
Then he goes and spoils it all for love
There's no one out here you can listen to
And certainly never yourself
Oh Patti don't lead the life that I left you with
Listen to the cars caught in the rain
I got so tired of concluding
That there's nothing for us to conclude
Oh Patti don't look for certainty in your life
I've gone where a lost cause can be found
And don't feel sorry for lover boy
You know he wants the world to love him
Then he goes and spoils it all
Don't feel sorry for lover boy
He wants the world to love him
Then he goes and spoils it all for love
All for love, little girl
All for love, little girl, all for love
Don't feel sorry for lover boy
You know he wants the world to love him
Then he goes and spoils it all
Don't feel sorry for lover boy
He wants the world to love him
Don't feel sorry for lover boy
He wants the world to love him
Oh and don't feel sorry for lover boy
He wants the world to love him
Then he goes and spoils it all
Don't feel sorry for lover boy
He wants the world to love him
Then he goes and spoils it all for love
The lyrics to Scritti Politti's Oh Patti are filled with longing and regret. The singer dreams of being with Patti in a world where they "knew what was true." Despite their attempts to figure out why their relationship failed, they were unable to find a conclusive answer. The singer urges Patti not to lead the life that was left to her, most likely referring to the impression that society or others have imposed upon her. The singer is going away for an extended time, and Patti will be left to navigate her own struggles.
The chorus repeats the line, "don't feel sorry for the lover boy," twice, followed by the explanation that he wants the world to love him, but then he goes and spoils it all for love. The singer is referring to himself with this line, suggesting that he may have been the root of their troubles. The final verse encourages Patti not to look for certainty in her life, as the singer has gone somewhere that "a lost cause can be found."
Overall, the lyrics to Oh Patti convey a sense of sadness over a failed relationship, coupled with a desire for change and self-discovery. It is clear that the singer still cares for Patti and wants her to find happiness, even in his absence.
Line by Line Meaning
I had a dream of us together
I dreamed of a world where we knew what was true.
Oh Patti don't lead the life that I left you with
Please don't follow the path that I took in life.
It's been such a long time and I know
A long time has passed and I understand.
We tried together to discover
We worked together to figure things out.
Why we failed the test of our time
Why we couldn't make it work in our time.
Oh Patti don't lead the life that they made for you
Don't let others control your life.
I'll be gone a long while and you'll know
I'll be gone for a while and you'll understand.
And don't feel sorry for lover boy
Don't pity the man who wants everyone to love him.
You know he wants the world to love him
He craves the love and attention of the world.
And then he goes and spoils it all
But he often ruins that love by his actions.
There's no one out here you can listen to
There's no source of guidance you can trust.
And certainly never yourself
Even you can't always trust your own judgments.
Listen to the cars caught in the rain
Listen to the sounds of life in the world.
I got so tired of concluding
I became exhausted by trying to find answers.
That there's nothing for us to conclude
That we might never find the answers we seek.
Oh Patti don't look for certainty in your life
Don't expect to find absolute answers in your life.
I've gone where a lost cause can be found
I've gone to a place where lost causes can be saved.
All for love, little girl
Everything I do, I do for love.
Don't feel sorry for lover boy
Don't pity the man who seeks love.
Then he goes and spoils it all for love
But often ruins it with his actions.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Green Gartside, David Gamson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jefferycorley8006
On the surface and the first several seconds you could be forgiven for thinking this is just a drippy 80’s ballad with very dated production, but as the song unfolds you begin hearing so many extra elements that really elevate it so far above. From lyrics to production to Miles Davis’ solo. A million little extra pieces that really separate this from the ordinary songs of the era. Fantastic.
@AndiKautz
I don't quite agree with you, I can remember this song very well and I felt this song was a very modern production and also a very modern ballad that really had everything and fit very well into its time!
@boofuls
These dreams by ❤️ 😂.. seriously though I agree
@alanrabjohns4656
Like you this song is a reminder of a fantastic relationship I had in 1987
@popnfresh2928
Scritti Politti songs are layered with EXTRA PIECES on just about all there music from 1979 thur 2005…..your correct…..they have alot of melodies & grooves upfront & behind the scenes of there music for sure….Miles Davis & Stevie Wonder we’re big fans of there music & called them the baddest White Boys of the 80’s, NO JOKE…..that’s one hell of an compliment coming from those two….it takes Scritti Politti decades to release new music, when one listens to there lyrics alone you can see why…..
@theoriginaldanalogue
Clever harmony going on here with a very sophisticated chord sequence. Very well crafted.
@colinjones9582
How can you NOT love Scritti Politti?...years ahead of their time!
@spiderweb1975
Still in 2022 and always will
@davidhealy4534
Not really. That was a time of great music, unlike today.
@TheSpookyDuke
@@davidhealy4534 Yep, the 80s were the summit of great pop music. Still are.