The Selecter were a 2 Tone ska revival band from Coventry, England, formed … Read Full Bio ↴The Selecter were a 2 Tone ska revival band from Coventry, England, formed in the late 1970s.

Like many other bands in the ska revival movement, The Selecter featured a racially mixed line-up. Their lyrics featured themes such as violence, politics and marijuana, set to strong melodies and a danceable beat. What set The Selecter apart from the other 2 Tone bands at the time was the songs of Neol Davies, the voice of Pauline Black and the pumping rhythms of Desmond Brown on the Hammond organ. The band's name is based on the term selector, which is a Jamaican word for disc jockey.

The lineup of The Selecter was, at first, just Davies and John Bradbury (who later became the drummer of The Specials). The band name was also the title of their seminal instrumental, released as the B-side of the first 2 Tone Records single, "Gangsters vs. The Selector", which was released in July 1979. Pauline Black has been the lead singer of The Selecter since its formation as a band in August 1979, when the band released the singles "Three Minute Hero", "The Whisper", "Missing Words" and "On My Radio". The Selecter's debut album Too Much Pressure was recorded at the end of 1979 and beginning of 1980, and was released by 2 Tone Records and Chrysalis Records. Charley Anderson and Desmond Brown left The Selecter in 1980 to form The People. James Mackie and Adam Williams replaced them. Their second album, Celebrate the Bullet, was issued in 1981. The Selecter were featured in the 2 Tone documentary Dance Craze.

After the band split in 1982, Black developed an acting career in television and theatre, appearing in dramas such as The Vice, The Bill, Hearts and Minds and 2000 Acres of Sky. She won the 1991 Time Out award for Best Actress, for her portrayal of Billie Holiday in the play All or Nothing At All. She starred next to Christopher Lee in the horror film The Funny Man. Black and Davies reformed The Selecter in 1991, and were joined by Arthur 'Gaps' Hendrickson. They have released several new albums and have toured around the world. Davies left the band in the mid 1990s to record two solo albums, Box Of Blues and Future Swamp. Black continued to record and perform as The Selecter until 2006.

Black and Blue
Selecter Lyrics

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She never really had the chances
That some of the kids she saw showed her
She was rarely asked to dances
Or just afternoon at the pictures in the back row
She thought she had all the answers
Decided to go her own way
Alone in her room on a Friday night
Saw her face in a broken mirror

So black and blue life knocks you about
Black and blue
So black and blue
Life knocks you about
Black and blue

Feeling so angry
All the minutes tick by
Stuck in one room
Just living a lie
Just another person
To sit in that chair
Someone to talk to
Show that they care

So black and blue

Speaking on the telephone
To her friends she thought she knew so well
But they don't want to know you
When you're down and angry, no gossip to tell
Empty words lying on the table
Same response, just run out of fags
Start rolling up the dog ends
Sit waiting for someone to come round
But they don't want to know you
When you're down and angry, no gossip to tell
Empty words lying on the table
Same response, just run out of fags

Start rolling up the dog ends
Sit waiting for someone to come round

Overall Meaning

The Selecter's song Black and Blue is a poignant and powerful exploration of loneliness, rejection, and the difficulties of growing up different in a world that often seems to be against you. The lyrics describe the experiences of a girl who has always felt like an outsider, never quite fitting in with the cool kids or finding her place in the social scene. Despite her struggles, she's determined to find her own way in life, and she retreats to her room on a Friday night, trying to find some solace for her troubles. When she looks in the mirror, however, she sees only pain and darkness, the bruises that life has given her as it knocks her down again and again.

The song's chorus, with its repeated refrain of "so black and blue," emphasizes the sense of helplessness and despair that the girl is feeling. Life seems to be battering her relentlessly, leaving her bruised and broken, and she can't see any way out of her predicament. She's angry at the injustice of it all, frustrated by the moment-to-moment grind of just getting through each day, and desperate for someone to reach out and show her that she's not alone. But as the song makes clear, even that small hope is often denied to those who are struggling - the people who should be there for you often turn out to be fair-weather friends, more interested in gossip than in helping you through your troubles.

Ultimately, Black and Blue is a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. It's a reminder that even in our darkest moments, we have to keep pushing forward, holding on to the hope that things will get better, and relying on ourselves to make it through the rough patches. At the same time, though, the song is a call to action, urging us to reach out to those who are struggling and to show them that they're not alone. We all need a helping hand at some point, but sometimes it's up to us to extend that hand and make sure that nobody is left behind.

Line by Line Meaning

She never really had the chances That some of the kids she saw showed her
She didn't have the same opportunities as the other kids she knew

She was rarely asked to dances Or just afternoon at the pictures in the back row
She was left out of social events and rarely asked to participate

She thought she had all the answers Decided to go her own way Alone in her room on a Friday night Saw her face in a broken mirror
She believed she knew what was best for herself, but was often alone and struggled with self-doubt

So black and blue life knocks you about Black and blue So black and blue Life knocks you about Black and blue
Life can be tough and knock you around, leaving you feeling bruised and battered

Feeling so angry All the minutes tick by Stuck in one room Just living a lie Just another person To sit in that chair Someone to talk to Show that they care
She was consumed with anger and felt trapped in a monotonous routine, craving someone to connect with and care for her

Speaking on the telephone To her friends she thought she knew so well But they don't want to know you When you're down and angry, no gossip to tell Empty words lying on the table Same response, just run out of fags Start rolling up the dog ends Sit waiting for someone to come round But they don't want to know you When you're down and angry, no gossip to tell Empty words lying on the table Same response, just run out of fags Start rolling up the dog ends Sit waiting for someone to come round
She tried to connect with her friends but they didn't want to associate with her when she was struggling, leaving her feeling alone and even more isolated

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: HARRY BROOKS, ANDY RAZAF, FATS WALLER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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