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)
Come a Long Way
Simple Minds Lyrics
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I said swing high, reach out and touch the sky
But don't cry yet, it's not time yet
See this race is wrong
Come see, this race is right
See millions of years pass with no end in sight
Sleep tight, you couldn't count the cost through the night
'Cause it's not right, it never was right
Come a long, long
Come a long, long way
Come a long, long
Come a long, long way
Come a long, long
Come a long, long way
Come a long, long
Come a long, long way
Up on May day, and there is a carnival on my street tonight
I hear them dancing, I hear them dancing
But on a clear day
If this thing don't move here
Then this thing just don't have no heartbeat
Get on the street, I say
Sweet hours to live, I got no time to kill
I said hold back those arms raised hold back the bill
Sleep tight, you couldn't count the cost through the night
'Cause it's not right, it never was right
Come a long, long
Come a long, long way
Come a long, long
Come a long, long way
Come a long, long
Come a long, long way
Come a long, long
Come a long, long way
Swing low, could be the last call for two of us
I said swing high, reach out and touch the sky
But don't cry yet, it's not time yet
Come a long, long
Come a long, long way
Come a long, long
Come a long, long way
Come a long, long
Come a long, long way
The lyrics to “Come A Long Way” by Simple Minds are quite cryptic and open to interpretation, as is often the case with lyrics by the band. The song appears to be about the passage of time, how things change and how we move on, whether or not we want to. The chorus “come a long, long way” seems to be a reference to the fact that we’ve come a long way as a race or species, and yet there is still much further to go. The song suggests that we are still evolving and progressing, and the race is ultimately a long one.
The verses are a little harder to understand but seem to touch on themes of death and rebirth. The line "swing low, could be the last call for two of us" could be interpreted as a reference to the old spiritual song "Swing Low Sweet Chariot," which is often sung at funerals. The song seems to suggest that death is a natural part of the cycle of life, and that we shouldn't be afraid of it. Meanwhile, the lines "sleep tight, you couldn't count the cost through the night / 'cause it's not right, it never was right" suggest that there is something wrong with the world, something that we can't quite put our finger on.
Line by Line Meaning
Swing low, could be the last call for two of us
The end could be near for us, so take risks and enjoy life while we can
I said swing high, reach out and touch the sky
Take chances, aim high, and pursue our dreams
But don't cry yet, it's not time yet
There's no need to mourn yet, as there is still hope for us
See this race is wrong
Society is flawed and needs to be changed
Come see, this race is right
Despite its imperfections, life is still worth living and experiencing
See millions of years pass with no end in sight
Life is infinite and full of possibilities, so don't waste a single moment
Sleep tight, you couldn't count the cost through the night
Rest well, because the true price of living life to the fullest is invaluable
'Cause it's not right, it never was right
The world is unfair and unjust, and it's up to us to make it better
Up on May day, and there is a carnival on my street tonight
There's a festive atmosphere around, and it's time to let loose and enjoy the moment
I hear them dancing, I hear them dancing
The energy of the carnival is contagious and inspiring
But on a clear day, if this thing don't move here
When there are no distractions, we need to take action and move forward towards our goals
Then this thing just don't have no heartbeat
Without passion and energy, our dreams and aspirations will die
Get on the street, I say
Take action, be proactive, and follow our passions
Sweet hours to live, I got no time to kill
Life is precious and fleeting, so we shouldn't waste it on trivial pursuits
I said hold back those arms raised hold back the bill
We need to resist the urge to be greedy and focus on what truly matters in life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MICHAEL JOSEPH MACNEIL, JAMES KERR, CHARLES BURCHILL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind