Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band formed in Glasgow in 1977. They have … Read Full Bio ↴Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band formed in Glasgow in 1977. They have released a string of hit singles, becoming best known internationally for "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (1985), which topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. Other commercially successful singles include "Glittering Prize" (1982), "Someone Somewhere in Summertime" (1982), "Waterfront" (1983) and "Alive and Kicking" (1985), as well as the UK number one single "Belfast Child" (1989).

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)

Criminal World
Simple Minds Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I look for the answer
I look for the light
I walk on every highway
Still I need you tonight

So let it be love
Lonely love
Let it be love

It's a criminal world

It hits like a bullet
It screams and it hurts
Is it my fascination
Or does love come inspired

Don't hand me down, don't push me down
Don't leave me lying on the frozen ground
You can shelter me with your sweet action
This world is splitting up and it's a chain reaction

It's a criminal world

You move like a vampire
Risen from dust
Is it my fascination

Don't hand me down, don't push me down
Don't leave me lying on the frozen ground
You can shelter me with your sweet action
This world is splitting up and it's a chain reaction
And when you point me to another place
I can turn my back upon this wilderness
And I'll step inside
Step inside
And find you waiting on the other side

It's a criminal world

Overall Meaning

The lyrics in Simple Minds’s “Criminal World” speak to the search for love and connection in a seemingly dangerous world. The singer is desperate for answers and seeks light as they search every highway for the person they need tonight. The chorus begs for love - any love - even if it's lonely or comes at a cost. The world is portrayed as criminal and violent, with love feeling like a bullet that hits hard and hurts. Yet, despite the pain and possible danger, the desire to be loved is strong. The lyrics suggest that the person the singer is seeking could be likened to a vampire - someone who has been brought back to life - and the fascination and pull they feel is overwhelming.

The verses also convey a sense of vulnerability and need for protection. The singer pleads to not be handed down or pushed down, to be sheltered by the sweet actions of their beloved. The world is erupting in chaos and the singer feels as if they are falling apart. The bridge is a moment of hope - a point where the singer can turn their back on the wilderness and step inside, finding the awaited love on the other side.

The song is filled with a powerful sense of longing and urgency, as well as a feeling of danger lurking around every corner. It speaks to the primal need for human connection, even if it means navigating a criminal world to find it.

Line by Line Meaning

I look for the answer
I am searching for a solution to my problems

I look for the light
I am seeking clarity or guidance

I walk on every highway
I have traveled far and wide

Still I need you tonight
Despite my journey, I still long for your companionship

So let it be love
I hope that our relationship will flourish

Lonely love
Even though our love is isolated, I still value it

It's a criminal world
The world is harsh and unforgiving

It hits like a bullet
The pain is sudden and intense

It screams and it hurts
The agony is loud and unbearable

Is it my fascination
I am infatuated with this experience

Or does love come inspired
Perhaps this emotional intensity is born of genuine affection