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.
The Sweetest Girl
Scritti Politti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
His eyes are for you only
Sweetest girl in all the world
His eyes are for you only
Sweetest girl in all the world
His words have died before me
Sweetest girl in all the world
His words have died before me
When they walk in the park, I never can tell
When they walk in the dark, I never can tell
It's just loving ooh loving
The sweetest boy in all the world
His life has got so lonely
Sweetest boy in all the world
His life has got so lonely
Sickest group in all the world
How could they do this to me
The sickest group in all the world
How could they do this to me
What I want I will take, what you think that you know
Oh such an awful mistake to never let go
It's just loving ooh loving
The weakest link in every chain
I always want to find it
The strongest words in each belief
Find out what's behind it
Politics is pride too
Vagaries of science
She left because she understood
The value of defiance
When the government falls, I wish I could tell
When, oh when necessity calls, I never can tell
It's just loving ooh loving
Sweetest girl in all the world
These words are for you only
Sweetest girl in all the world
These words have died before me
When they walk in the park, I never can tell
When they walk in the dark, you know that it never can be told
The lyrics to "The Sweetest Girl" by Scritti Politti are open to multiple interpretations, but one possible meaning could be about unrequited love and the pain and confusion it brings. The repeated refrain of "Sweetest girl in all the world, his eyes are for you only" indicates that the singer admires and desires someone who does not return their feelings. The lines "His words have died before me" could suggest that the object of the singer's affection does not express their love in return. The second half of the song introduces more complex ideas, such as the fickleness of politics and science and the value of defiance. The final lines, "When they walk in the park, I never can tell / When they walk in the dark, you know that it never can be told," could express the uncertainty and unpredictability of life and love.
Another interpretation is that the song's lyrics refer to a girl who is trapped in a misguided and oppressive society. In this interpretation, the "sickest group in all the world" could be a reference to the oppressive government or culture that is preventing the sweetest girl from living the life she wants to lead. The value of defiance and the importance of finding the weakest link could suggest that the sweetest girl needs to rebel against the oppressive forces holding her back in order to live a fulfilling life.
Overall, "The Sweetest Girl" is a thought-provoking and ambiguous song that explores themes of love, oppression, and rebellion.
Line by Line Meaning
Sweetest girl in all the world
Addressing a girl as the sweetest in the world
His eyes are for you only
He only has eyes for you
His words have died before me
His words have failed to impress me
When they walk in the park, I never can tell
When they are in public, it's unclear about their relationship status
It's just loving ooh loving
The song is simply about love
Sweetest boy in all the world
Addressing a boy as the sweetest in the world
His life has got so lonely
His life is lonely
Sickest group in all the world
Addressing a group as the sickest in the world
How could they do this to me
Feeling victimized by the group's actions
What I want I will take, what you think that you know
Asserting that they will take what they want, despite others' opinions
Oh such an awful mistake to never let go
Regretting not letting go of something/someone
The weakest link in every chain
Searching for the weakest aspect in everything
I always want to find it
Having a desire to uncover the weakest link
The strongest words in each belief
Analyzing the strongest aspect of each belief
Find out what's behind it
Discovering the reason behind each belief's strength
Politics is pride too
Politics is related to pride
Vagaries of science
Inconsistencies in science
She left because she understood
Someone left because they understood something
The value of defiance
Defiance had value for the person who left
When the government falls, I wish I could tell
Unclear about what to expect if/when the government falls
When, oh when necessity calls, I never can tell
Unclear about how to respond when faced with necessity
These words are for you only
Directing words only to the sweetest girl in the world
These words have died before me
The words were not effective or impactful to the singer
When they walk in the dark, you know that it never can be told
It is impossible to tell what happens when they are in the dark
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: Green Gartside
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Peter terryn
not long enough