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.
Perfect Way
Scritti Politti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I better get back to the basics for you
You gotta conscience compassion you got away with the word
You gotta heart full of complacency too
I don't have a purpose omission I'm empty by definition
I got a lack girl that you'd love to be
You want to diva a deduction you want to do what they do
want to do damage that you can undo
A part of me belongs apart from all the hurt above
[Chorus]
I got a perfect way to make a new proposition
I got a perfect way to make a justification
I got a perfect way to make a certain a maybe
I got a perfect way to make the girls go crazy
I took a day job amendment I took a liking to you
I took a page out of my rulebook for you
You want to message a confession you want to martyr me too
You want to margin of error for two
Maybe tomorrow the next letter or when the weather gets better
I've got to wait here for your moon to turn blue
I made an offer an exception I made a sense out of you
You took a good look at your book but I knew
In times of tenderness in terms baby so true
Until such time as I can understand all the things you do
Want to forgive you for all the things that you do
want to forget how to remember with you
Maybe tomorrow the next letter or when the weather gets better
I've got to wait here for your moon to turn blue
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Scritti Politti's song Perfect Way seem to be a commentary on a relationship that has lost its meaning. The singer seems to be trying to rekindle the passion and connection he once had with his partner, thinking about ways to make a new proposition or justification to get them back. However, he also acknowledges his own faults - a lack of purpose, emptiness by definition, and complacency. While he wants to understand his partner and forgive them for their mistakes, he also wants to forget how to remember with them, perhaps indicating that the relationship has become too painful to bear.
The lyrics seem to be a reflection on the fragility of relationships and the difficulties in maintaining them. However, they also suggest that there is still hope for reconciliation and that a "perfect way" exists to make things right. The song is musically upbeat, with its catchy synth-pop melody and funky bassline, which contrasts with the more introspective lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
I took a backseat a backhander I took her back to her room
I chose to be passive and accept a bribe, then returned a woman to her room
I better get back to the basics for you
I need to simplify things for you
You gotta conscience compassion you got away with the word
You possess both compassion and the ability to be persuasive with language
You gotta heart full of complacency too
You also have a tendency to be complacent
I don't have a purpose omission I'm empty by definition
I lack a clear direction and am inherently empty
I got a lack girl that you'd love to be
I have a girlfriend who embodies the trait of lacking, which you may find attractive
You want to diva a deduction you want to do what they do
You desire the glamorous lifestyle and behaviors of celebrities
want to do damage that you can undo
You want to make mistakes that you can easily fix or reverse
Apart from everyone away from your love
You feel isolated and distant from those you care about
A part of me belongs apart from all the hurt above
A part of me feels separate from the pain and suffering around me
I got a perfect way to make a new proposition
I have an ideal method for presenting a new idea
I got a perfect way to make a justification
I know exactly how to defend my actions or words
I got a perfect way to make a certain a maybe
I know how to persuade someone to feel more certain about something that may be uncertain
I got a perfect way to make the girls go crazy
I have the ability to charm women and make them infatuated with me
I took a day job amendment I took a liking to you
I modified my work schedule and grew fond of you
I took a page out of my rulebook for you
I adjusted my typical behavior to better suit you
You want to message a confession you want to martyr me too
You want to confess your feelings and also play the role of a martyr
You want to margin of error for two
You want to allow for mistakes on both our parts
Maybe tomorrow the next letter or when the weather gets better
Perhaps at a future time when conditions are different,
I've got to wait here for your moon to turn blue
I must patiently wait for you to change or come around to my perspective
I made an offer an exception I made a sense out of you
I made a unique proposal and tried to make sense of your actions
You took a good look at your book but I knew
You reevaluated your past choices, but I was already aware of your behavior
In times of tenderness in terms baby so true
During moments of affection and vulnerability, the truth is revealed
Until such time as I can understand all the things you do
I won't accept or understand your behaviors until I have a clearer understanding of why you do them
Want to forgive you for all the things that you do
I want to let go of any resentment and forgive you for your actions
want to forget how to remember with you
I want to forget negative experiences and only remember positive ones with you
I've got to wait here for your moon to turn blue
I continue to wait until you are ready to change or see things differently
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID GAMSON, GREEN GARTSIDE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@RBS_
....Released Summer of 1985, and took almost a HALF A YEAR to peak out, at #11 Pop, in 1986! ...and THIS VIDEO, is quintessential in shifting the 'look' of 80's Music Video! ...Right after this Video, everyone...EVERYONE... was copying this pastiche style.. (CONT.)
Duran Duran ('Notorious')
OMD ('Forever Live & Die')
Steve Winwood ('Higher Love')
Bangles ('Manic Monday')
Belinda Carlisle ('Mad About You')
Eurythmics ('Miracle Of Love')
...EVERYONE copied this classic Video! (cont.)
...I KNEW it was gonna put Scritti Polliti over the top, back then...I'm HONORED to have the memories of this CLASSIC LP etched into my brain...and the Video's influence on Pop Video NEEDS to be heralded...THANKS, Green, David, & Fred...you made the 80's ROCK!!!
@angelamartin5003
This is why I am so glad I lived through the 80s fabulous music.
@lunatoona2826
Me too!
@lunatoona2826
Before I could afford the album, I taped the song off the radio and pushed play and pause over and over until I finally wrote all the lyrics (best I heard) in a notebook titled "Scrtti Politti" and I still have the notebook today!
@keycia927
Me too!!!1985
@anibalbabilonia1867
I’ll second that!👋😎👍
@rebels42wynn83
You and me both. GREAT TIMES. AWESOME BANDS LIKE THIS TOO.
@heinekenswordfish
I'm surprised I don't hear this more often on the 80s stations, I've always considered it a near perfectly crafted pop song.
@lawrencebenjamin502
...You nailed it. As close to 80's perfection, without being dated.
@shimmeringfairydust3275
It is perfect.
@Wilma.Flintstone
Great that it doesnt! That way, we get to keep it to ourselves here :)