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)
New Gold Dream
Simple Minds Lyrics
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She is the one in front of me, the siren and the ecstasy
New gold dream
Crashing beats and fantasy, setting sun in front of me
New gold dream
And the world goes hot
And the cities take
And the beat goes crashing
She is your friend until the ocean breaks
And when you dream, dream in the dream with me
And when you dream, dream in the dream with me
81 - 82 - 83 - 84
81 - 82 - 83 - 84
New gold dream
Sun is set in front of me, worldwide on the widest screen
New gold dream
Burning bridge and ecstasy, crashing beats and fantasy
Dream in the dream with
And the world goes hot
And the cities take
And the beat goes crashing
All along the way
She is your only friend until the ocean breaks
And when you dream, dream in the dream with me
And when we dream, dream in the dream with me
81 - 82 - 83 - 84
81 - 82 - 83 - 84
New gold dream
The siren and the ecstasy, she's the one in front of me
New gold dream
The lyrics to Simple Minds’ song New Gold Dream are a poetic journey through a world of crashing beats, fantasy and a burning bridge of ecstasy. The chorus speaks of ‘dreaming in the dream with me’ which can be interpreted as a call to experience a new era of gold dreams, a state of being that is beyond reality, and possibly even a rebirth or reawakening of humanity.
The first verse describes a woman who is both a siren and an ecstasy. This suggests that she is both alluring and dangerous at the same time, which could relate to the temptation of material wealth and how it can corrupt those who pursue it above all else. The line ‘and the world goes hot’ can be interpreted as describing the feverish pursuit of this new dream, whereas ‘the cities take’ could represent the influence that corporate power can have on shaping our lives.
The rest of the lyrics follow a similar theme of pursuing a fantasy with reckless abandon, while the repetition of the years ‘81-84’ suggests that this is a call to a specific era of change and transformation. Overall, the lyrics to New Gold Dream are an invitation to step into a new world of possibility, one where we relinquish our attachment to material wealth and embrace a new way of being.
Line by Line Meaning
New gold dream
The concept of a new and exciting dream, full of hope and potential.
She is the one in front of me, the siren and the ecstasy
She represents the beckoning call of the dream, that which is both alluring and intoxicating.
Crashing beats and fantasy, setting sun in front of me
This new dream is accompanied by intense emotions and an overwhelming sense of the fantastical.
And the world goes hot
As the dream becomes more vivid, the world around us seems to come alive and heat up with energy.
And the cities take
The dream possesses the power to take over entire cities, capturing the hearts and minds of everyone within its reach.
And the beat goes crashing
The sounds and rhythms associated with this new dream seem to crash and collide with explosive force, resonating deeply within the listener.
All along the way
Throughout this entire journey, the dream remains a constant presence that guides and inspires us.
She is your friend until the ocean breaks
The dream is a comforting presence, but it may only last until a certain point, like the metaphorical breaking of the ocean's waves.
And when you dream, dream in the dream with me
The artist is inviting the listener to fully immerse themselves in the dream, experiencing its every aspect with the same intensity as the artist.
81 - 82 - 83 - 84
The repetition of these numbers adds to the dream-like quality of the song, evoking a sense of timelessness and infinite possibility.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Charles Burchill, Derek Forbes, James Kerr, Michael Joseph Macneil
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind