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)

Kaleidoscope
Simple Minds Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

See
What so you see
Tell us the things
That circulate round you
Scars
Deep as an ocean
I've got some things
I'd like to show you

Friends of mine
Who ask to stay
Well you can turn around
And walk

All things lie in hope
Focusing through
Your human kaleidoscope
One man has a dream
Tells it to me
And I call it fiction
Friends of mine
Who ask to stay
Well they can turn around
And walk
Walk walk
Walk away

Chimes
Rhythms to me
Someone else waits
Behind the curtain
Image
Leave them to me
Destructive virgin
Behind the curtain
Friends of mine
Who ask to stay
You can turn around and
Walk walk walk
Walk walk walk away
Walk walk
Walk away
Walk walk
Walk away
Walk
Walk away
Walk walk away
Away away away

Lyrics : J Kerr Music : Simple Minds (C) EMI Publishing Ltd Reproduced without permission

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Simple Minds's "Kaleidoscope" are rather enigmatic, as is often the case with this band's music. The song begins with a directive to "see" and "tell us the things that circulate round you." This request is likely an invitation to look within oneself, to examine the scars (which are deep "as an ocean") that have been accumulated over time. The singer then mentions "friends of mine who ask to stay," which could refer to actual people, or perhaps to certain thoughts or emotions that try to exert a hold over one's psyche. The singer seems to reject these influences, urging them to walk away.

The chorus of the song speaks of a "human kaleidoscope," a metaphor that suggests a constantly shifting array of colors and patterns. This notion of change is reinforced when the singer mentions a man with a dream, which the singer labels as "fiction." The final verse features the introduction of chimes and an image that is to be left to the singer. The reference to a "destructive virgin" is intriguing and could be interpreted in various ways. Here, too, the theme of duality resurfaces: "someone else waits / behind the curtain." In the end, the singer reiterates the idea that friends and other unwanted presences should "walk away."

Line by Line Meaning

See
Observe and look closely

What so you see
Tell us what you see in your surroundings

Tell us the things
Share with us the observations and thoughts that cross your mind

That circulate round you
The things that are present in your daily life

Scars
Emotional wounds

Deep as an ocean
As deep as one can imagine

I've got some things
I have some experiences and feelings to share

I'd like to show you
I want to express and share these things with you

Friends of mine
People I know

Who ask to stay
People who want to be in my life

Well you can turn around
You have the option to leave and not be a part of my life