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.
Small Talk
Scritti Politti Lyrics
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Small talk
Small talk, ooh we're tired of prophecying
We heard the word was good but it's stupefying
Small talk, get up and do some death defying
Small talk
That careless talk costs more than you bargained for
In seventh heaven
If a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing badly baby
Small talk
Small talk, oh, baby it's so inconsequential
Everybody heard enough about your big potential
Small talk, oh, no information give
Small talk
I heard a whisper
That careless talk costs more than you bargained for
In seventh heaven
If a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing badly baby
I heard a whisper
That careless talk costs more than you bargained for
In seventh heaven
If a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing badly baby
Small talk, oh, you're such a little socialite
We heard your chit-chat, now you get it up and get it right
Small talk, oh, show us what you're made of baby
Small talk
I heard a whisper
That careless talk costs more than you bargained for
In seventh heaven
If a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing badly baby
I heard a whisper
That careless talk costs more than you bargained for
In seventh heaven
If a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing badly baby
I heard a whisper
That careless talk costs more than you bargained for
In seventh heaven
If a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing badly baby
The song "Small Talk" by Scritti Politti is a commentary on the meaninglessness and dangers of gossip and superficial conversations. The song opens with a call to action to move beyond "prophecying"- meaningless talk and conversations - and to engage in "death defying." Essentially, the lyrics call for the listener to engage in meaningful actions, rather than simply talking about it.
The line "careless talk costs more than you bargained for" is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the idea that gossip and idle chatter can have negative consequences. The line also implies that there is a high cost to pay for those who engage in meaningless conversation- one that they may not have anticipated.
Additionally, the song suggests that there is little value in talking about one's potential or capabilities when there is no action to back it up. The line "if a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing badly baby" suggests that it is better to try and potentially fail than to do nothing at all.
Overall, the song "Small Talk" is a critique of social behavior that values style over substance, and encourages the listener to move beyond meaningless chatter and engage in more meaningful actions.
Line by Line Meaning
Small talk
The act of engaging in meaningless conversation.
Small talk, ooh we're tired of prophecying
We are exhausted of making predictions and discussing future outcomes.
We heard the word was good but it's stupefying
We've been told that something is great, but it has actually proven to be disappointing.
Small talk, get up and do some death defying
Instead of engaging in small talk, let's do something risky and exciting!
I heard a whisper
That careless talk costs more than you bargained for
In seventh heaven
If a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing badly baby
Rumors and loose talk can have negative consequences. If a task is worth doing, it is worth doing even if it is not done perfectly.
Small talk, oh, baby it's so inconsequential
Small talk is trivial and has no real importance or value.
Everybody heard enough about your big potential
We've all heard enough about your supposed talent and abilities.
Small talk, oh, no information give
Small talk provides no useful information.
Small talk, oh, you're such a little socialite
You enjoy engaging in small talk frequently and are perceived as a social butterfly.
We heard your chit-chat, now you get it up and get it right
We've heard enough meaningless chatter from you, now it's time to do something productive.
Small talk, oh, show us what you're made of baby
Instead of small talk, let's see you perform and showcase your skills.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David Gamson, Green Gartside
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jan
on Absolute
It should be principle, not principal
Reg Side
on After Six
The context is the dumbed-down public sphere in which all politics is spun and lying is always a matter of how more or less convincing it can be. In its chart-topping heyday Scritti Politti was a pop political project concerned with language and power and this song is a remnant from that, albeit more personalised like most of what's on White Bread Black Beer. The result here is an irony of the kind you might expect to find in a vintage Paul Simon song.