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)
Peace
Simple Minds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This wicked world
Searchin' for light in the darkness of insanity.
I ask myself
Is all hope lost?
Is there only pain and hatred, and misery?
And each time I feel like this inside
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?
And as I walk on
Through troubled times
My spirit gets so downhearted sometimes
So where are the strong
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony
'Cause each time I feel it slippin' away, just makes me wanna cry
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?
So where are the strong?
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony
'Cause each time I feel it slippin' away, just makes me wanna cry
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?
The song “Peace” by Simple Minds, originally written by Nick Lowe, explores the search for harmony and peace in a world filled with darkness, pain, hatred, and misery. Despite the hardships and troubled times, the singer persists in searching for the light of peace, love, and understanding. The chorus poses a rhetorical question, “What’s so funny about peace, love, and understanding?” questioning why peace and love seem to be such elusive concepts in the world.
The song continues to delve deeper into the struggle to find harmony and trust in a world that feels like it’s slipping away. The singer asks where the strong and trusted are, and where sweet harmony has gone, highlighting the absence of these qualities in the world around us. The repeated chorus emphasizes the importance of finding peace, love, and understanding, and portrays a feeling of desperation in the search for these ideals.
“Peace” was originally recorded by Nick Lowe in 1974, and has since been covered by numerous artists, including Elvis Costello and The Attractions, Bruce Springsteen, and Simple Minds. Simple Minds’ version was released in 1989 as a single from their album “Street Fighting Years”, and was a top 40 hit in several countries.
Line by Line Meaning
As I walk through
As I navigate through the perils of this world
This wicked world
This world that is full of evil and malevolence
Searchin' for light in the darkness of insanity.
Looking for hope in the midst of a world plagued by madness
I ask myself
I question myself
Is all hope lost?
Has all hope disappeared?
Is there only pain and hatred, and misery?
Is this world only filled with pain, hatred, and suffering?
And each time I feel like this inside
Every time I feel this way internally
There's one thing I wanna know
I have only one question on my mind
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?
Why is it amusing to talk about having peace, love, and understanding?
And as I walk on
As I keep moving forward
Through troubled times
In times of difficulty
My spirit gets so downhearted sometimes
Sometimes, I become very discouraged and demotivated
So where are the strong
Where are the powerful and courageous people?
And who are the trusted?
Who are the people that we can rely on?
And where is the harmony?
Where is the balance and agreement?
Sweet harmony
The peaceful and cooperative state we all desire
'Cause each time I feel it slippin' away, just makes me wanna cry
When I feel like harmony and peace are disappearing, it makes me very sad
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?
Why is it funny to talk about having peace, love, and understanding?
So where are the strong?
Where are the powerful and courageous people?
And who are the trusted?
Who are the people we can rely on?
And where is the harmony?
Where is the balance and agreement?
Sweet harmony
The peaceful and cooperative state we all desire
'Cause each time I feel it slippin' away, just makes me wanna cry
When I feel like harmony and peace are disappearing, it makes me very sad
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?
Why is it funny to talk about having peace, love, and understanding?
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?
Why is it funny to talk about having peace, love, and understanding?
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?
Why is it funny to talk about having peace, love, and understanding?
Contributed by Michael N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.