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)
Spirited Away
Simple Minds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I like life as simple as can be
There’s so much I don’t understand
So much I fail to see
But we got spirited away
Got separated in the night
Somehow we drifted from our path
Spirited away
Somehow the doors became unlocked
And our love just slipped away
Back then I hoped that we could talk
Though I don’t know what I’d say
But we got spirited away
And separated in the night
Somehow we drifted from our path
Spirits in the night
Yeah we were spirited away
Into some time some other place
Where I would learn to live with lies
And I would never see your face
Spirited away
Years have passed since then
So many moments I have spent
Memories don’t fade with time
Maybe this is how it’s meant
That we would separate like stars
Together since birth
No longer see things from afar
No longer walk on the same earth
Cos we were spirited away
Got separated in the night
Yeah we drifted from the path
We took our own internal flight
Yeah we were spirited away
Into some time some other place
Where I would learn to live the lie
But I would never see your face
Yeah we were spirited away
I’m not a complicated guy
I like life as simple as can be
There’s so much I don’t understand
So much I fail to see
But we got spirited away..
The lyrics of the song Spirited Away by Simple Minds speak of separation and a sense of loss, of being taken away from what could have been. The singer speaks of himself as a simple man who likes life as uncomplicated as possible, yet there are things that he cannot understand and cannot see. He talks about being spirited away from his path, and having his love slip away from him. The doors became unlocked and he watched his love drift away, along with his hopes of ever talking to her again.
The song then jumps to the present, where the singer speaks of how time has passed, but his memories never have. He acknowledges that perhaps their separation was meant to be, the way stars separate from each other, no longer walking on the same earth. He speaks of being spirited away to another time and place where he would learn to live with lies, but he would never see her face again.
The lyrics are melancholic and resonate with anyone who has experienced a separation that they never fully understood. The song suggests that sometimes we don't understand the reasons for our own spiritual journey and separation from others, but we must learn to accept them.
Line by Line Meaning
I’m not a complicated guy
I am a simple person with simple desires and needs
I like life as simple as can be
I prefer a life that is easy and uncomplicated
There’s so much I don’t understand
There are many things in life that I don't comprehend
So much I fail to see
There are many things that I am blind to
But we got spirited away
We were taken away suddenly without our control
Got separated in the night
We were disconnected from each other during nighttime
Somehow we drifted from our path
We lost sight of our intended direction in life
Spirits in the night
Our essence and soul were taken away during nighttime
Somehow the doors became unlocked
Something caused a barrier that was once secured to become open
And our love just slipped away
Our love for each other slowly dissolved away
Back then I hoped that we could talk
In the past, I wished that we could communicate with each other
Though I don’t know what I’d say
Even though I don't know what I would express
And separated in the night
We were split apart during darkness
Yeah we were spirited away
We were brought away from our intended lives
Into some time some other place
We were taken to a different time and location
Where I would learn to live with lies
I would adapt to a dishonest lifestyle
And I would never see your face
I would never lay eyes on your physical form again
Years have passed since then
A significant amount of time has gone by since that point
So many moments I have spent
I have lived through countless experiences
Memories don’t fade with time
My recollections don't diminish with time
Maybe this is how it’s meant
Perhaps this is how fate intended it to be
That we would separate like stars
We would diverge like celestial bodies in the sky
Together since birth
We were united since the moment we were born
No longer see things from afar
We can no longer observe things from the same perspective
No longer walk on the same earth
We can no longer inhabit the same physical domain
We took our own internal flight
We chose to depart mentally and emotionally
Contributed by Grayson T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
CaptainOatwright
One of best songs these guys have ever done IMO.
rmzidann
Beautiful song. Love the synths and bass guitar.
Bunny- Shoopy
superbe album, magnifique , fan des simple minds depuis toujours, impatiente de les revoir sur scène.
Dennis Roijen
This song is pure beauty
JOSE ANTONIO GONZALEZ GONZALEZ
Preciosa cancion,me han sorprendido de nuevo los Simple Minds!!
Lady Raven
This record is just superb...Congratulations Simple Minds!
Romain
One of my favorite tracks on the album!
mara1428
What a graceful song. I love it.
Andrew Houlyn
Amazing song and lyric...
Adam Vog
Great song and very good album :) keep listening to it over and over! Thank you SM