Simple Minds have achieved 24 top 40 singles on the UK Singles Chart, including eight top 10 and one number one, and 26 albums on the UK Albums Chart, including 22 top 40 albums, 12 top 10 albums and five number one albums: Sparkle in the Rain (1984), Once Upon a Time (1985), Live in the City of Light (1987), Street Fighting Years (1989), and Glittering Prize 81/92 (1992). They have sold more than 60 million albums worldwide, and were the most commercially successful Scottish band of the 1980s. Simple Minds have also achieved considerable chart success in the United States, Australia, Germany, Spain, Italy and New Zealand. Despite various personnel changes, they continue to record and tour.
In 2014, Simple Minds were awarded the Q Inspiration Award for their contribution to the music industry and an Ivor Novello Award in 2016 for Outstanding Song Collection from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors (BASCA). Other notable recognitions include nominations for both the MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction and MTV Video Music Award for Best Art Direction for "Don't You (Forget About Me)" in 1985, nomination for the Brit Award for British Group in 1986 and for the American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group in 1987. "Belfast Child" was nominated for the Song of the Year at the Brit Awards 1990.
The nucleus of Simple Minds consists of the two remaining original members, Jim Kerr (vocals) and Charlie Burchill (electric and acoustic guitars, occasional keyboards after 1990, saxophone and violin). The other current band members are Ged Grimes (bass guitar), Cherisse Osei (drums), Sarah Brown (backing vocals), Gordy Goudie (additional guitar and keyboards) and Berenice Scott (keyboards). Notable former members include Mick MacNeil (keyboards), Derek Forbes (bass guitar), Brian McGee and Mel Gaynor (drums).
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_Minds
Discography
Life in a Day (1979)
Real to Real Cacophony (1979)
Empires and Dance (1980)
Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call (1981)
New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84) (1982)
Sparkle in the Rain (1984)
Once Upon a Time (1985)
Street Fighting Years (1989)
Real Life (1991)
Good News from the Next World (1995)
Néapolis (1998)
Our Secrets Are the Same (1999/2004)
Neon Lights (2001)
Cry (2002)
Black & White 050505 (2005)
Graffiti Soul (2009)
Big Music (2014)
Acoustic (2016)
Walk Between Worlds (2018)
Direction of the Heart (2022)
Citizen
Simple Minds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A cure to kill the east
A disease of the west
Romance is no escape
But I'll escape you
The manufacturing sound
Complaining to ourselves
You're cutting up our friends
Another endless day
Another daze
But I'm losing track
The train goes off the rails
Dance Of The Youth
Youth want to dance
Citizen
The tribal war begins
But radio's a God
Industrial money
God is industry
Dance of youth
Citizen you know what we're after
Know what we're after
Know what we're after
Citizen
The state that we've come to love
Love's a crime against the state
I hate the sound of bells
Communications lost
Something we're after
I hate democracy
One more contact lost
Love
A crime against the state
The state we've come to love
Oh electric candle light
What time is it over there
We got to wear a badge
We're losing track of days
Dance of the youth
Youth want to dance
Citizen
I'll share a room with you
You're getting so very thin
Did we ask for this
Are you rationing our water
Dance of the youth
Our food is getting cold
And you're getting colder
I see you
I'm not so unaware
Citizen
Citizen
An American
Got got a camera
Takes a picture
Citizen
Drum
Citizen
Drum
Citizen
Drum
To drum to drum
The lyrics of the Simple Minds song "Citizen" are quite enigmatic and open to interpretation, but they convey a sense of discontent with society and a desire for change. The first verse seems to contrast the problems of the east and the west, suggesting that neither has a cure for its ailment. Romance is seen as no escape from these problems, hence the need to escape from those we believed could have saved us. The manufacturing sound and complaints to ourselves may represent the sense that we are unhappy but that we do not know how to make a meaningful change in our society. We are cutting off our friends, making love to our sisters and losing track of our humanity.
The second verse presents a bleak picture of society, in which tribal wars are starting, and the only thing we can worship is the radio, which is controlled by industrial money. Our youth want to dance, but we are being pushed down by the constraints of society. We know what we are after, but it is unclear what that is, except that it is something which has been lost. The third verse speaks of a love that is seen as a crime against the state, a state that we have come to love, suggesting an unhealthy attachment to a way of life that won't change any time soon. Communication is lost, and we are losing track of time.
The fourth verse seems to be a mix of personal and social problems. The singer shares a room with someone who is getting thinner, and they wonder whether they asked for this, with the possibility that society has failed to provide for them. The youth dance, but their food is getting cold, and they are getting colder. The closing lines of the song seem to be a call to action, with the drum beat urging us to dance, to move, to take action.
Line by Line Meaning
A cure to kill the east
The west is trying to cure the east but it's actually killing them
A disease of the west
The disease is originating from the west
Romance is no escape
Romance doesn't help you escape from reality
But I'll escape you
I'll leave you behind and escape
The manufacturing sound
The sound of the manufacturing process
Complaining to ourselves
We're constantly complaining to ourselves
You're cutting up our friends
You're destroying our friendships
Making love to our sisters
You're having intimate relationships with our sisters
Another endless day
Another day that seems to never end
Another daze
Another day where we feel dazed and confused
But I'm losing track
But I'm losing my sense of direction
The train goes off the rails
Things start falling apart
Dance Of The Youth
The youth want to dance
Youth want to dance
The youth want to have fun and enjoy life
The tribal war begins
A war between different tribes or groups is starting
But radio's a God
The radio has a lot of power and influence
Industrial money
Money from the manufacturing or industrial sector
God is industry
For some people, industry is more important and powerful than any God
Citizen you know what we're after
Citizen, you know what we're trying to achieve
Know what we're after
We have a clear goal in mind
The state that we've come to love
We've come to love the state or government we live under
Love's a crime against the state
Falling in love is frowned upon by the state or government
I hate the sound of bells
I dislike the sound of bells
Communications lost
We've lost communication
Something we're after
We're searching for something
I hate democracy
I don't like living in a democratic society
One more contact lost
We've lost another connection or relationship
Love
Falling in love
A crime against the state
It's considered a crime to fall in love
The state we've come to love
We've come to love the state
Oh electric candle light
The lightbulb
What time is it over there
What time is it in a different location
We got to wear a badge
We have to display some kind of identification
We're losing track of days
We're losing track of time
I'll share a room with you
We'll stay in the same room together
You're getting so very thin
You're losing a lot of weight
Did we ask for this
Did we want or request this situation
Are you rationing our water
Are you limiting our access to water
Our food is getting cold
Our food is getting colder
And you're getting colder
You're becoming less friendly or warm
I see you
I understand you
I'm not so unaware
I'm not completely oblivious
An American
An American person
Got got a camera
Has a camera
Takes a picture
Takes a photograph
Drum
Repetitive rhythm
To drum to drum
One rhythm after another
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRIAN MCGEE, MICHAEL JOSEPH MACNEIL, DEREK FORBES, JAMES KERR, CHARLES BURCHILL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind