Simply R… Read Full Bio ↴Simply Red is an English pop band, formed in the mid 1980s.
Simply Red's roots originate from the notorious 1976 Sex Pistols gig at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester. Manchester art student Mick Hucknall was one of the many young music fans present (along with original members of The Fall, Joy Division, The Smiths and Buzzcocks) who was inspired to form a band after witnessing that gig. The first incarnation of the band was a punk group called The Frantic Elevators. This band existed for 7 years, with limited releases on local labels, but split in 1984 with only limited local attention and critical acclaim for their final single, "Holding Back the Years".
After the demise of the Frantic Elevators, Hucknall linked up with manager Elliot Rashman. By early 1985 Hucknall and Rashman had assembled a band of local session musicians and began to attract record company attention. Around this time the group adopted the name Simply Red (after Hucknall's nickname, which denoted hair color, football allegiance to Manchester United and left-wing political affiliation). They signed to Elektra in 1985, with the somewhat changeable line-up of Hucknall, Tony Bowers (bass), Fritz McIntyre (keyboards), Tim Kellett (brass), Sylvan Richardson (guitar) and Chris Joyce (drums). Their first single, released in 1985, was "Money's Too Tight (To Mention)", a cover of a soul standard originally recorded by The Valentine Brothers. This single had moderate success, reaching the UK Top 20.
In 1986 the band re-recorded "Holding Back The Years", the Frantic Elevators' biggest hit, in a more accessible pop style with adjustments in lyrics and instrumentation. The tune became a major hit, peaking at #2 in Great Britain and later #1 in the United States, and established Simply Red as a household name. Their debut album, 'Picture Book', which had been released previously in 1985, began to sell more copies, and it became an international hit album, with multi-platinum certification.
Their second album, 1987's "Men and Women", saw the band adopting a more sober and professional image, with bowler hats and colorful suits replacing their earlier ragamuffin look, and the introspection and social commentary of their debut replaced by a blue-eyed soul sound with funk influences. Around this time Hucknall became a tabloid personality, drawing attention and criticism for his alleged womanising, and gaining a reputation as "a lecherous loudmouth" and bien pensant. Despite Hucknall's bad reputation and the album's bad reviews, or perhaps as a result of them, Men and Women was a commercial success.
With their third album "A New Flame", Simply Red adopted a yet more mainstream populist sound aimed for commercial rather than critical success, typified by their cover of Harold Melvin's pop classic "If You Don't Know Me By Now", which became their second U.S. #1 hit and one of the biggest singles of the year internationally. Hucknall was by this time an international superstar, being photographed with models and Hollywood celebrities. This seemed to harm the band's coherence as a unit, with Hucknall declaring in 1991 that Simply Red was "essentially a solo project".
The band's popular career peaked later that year with the release of "Stars", which became the best-selling album for two years running in Europe and the UK (though notably had far less success in the US than their previous albums). "Stars" mixed Hucknall's anti-Thatcherite political lyrics with an easy-listening lounge-jazz sound, apparently to avoid alienation of their existing fanbase.
After touring and promoting "Stars" for two years, Simply Red returned in 1995 with "Fairground", a dance-influenced track featuring prominently a sample from Zki & Dobri's Goodmen project. A massive radio hit, "Fairground" went on to become the band’s first British #1, amid critical panning. Its parent album 'Life' sold more than a million copies in the UK alone, making it the fourth-biggest seller of the year. The band followed this up with cover heavy 'Blue' in 1998 and 'Love and the Russian Winter'. After 'Love and the Russian Winter' they left EastWest and Hucknall set up his own record label simplyred.com where he released "Home" in 2003, a mixture of mostly original songs and covers, including a version of The Stylistics song "You Make Me Feel Brand New". "Simplified" followed in 2005, mainly an album of stripped down versions of their Classic hits.
The single "Oh! What A Girl!" released in September 2006 from their album Stay, their 10th, released on 12 March 2007. This was preceded by the single “So Not Over You”, released on 5 March 2007. The third single from the album was the title song "Stay", released on 28 May 2007. The fourth and the last single of Simply Red single , "The World And You Tonight", was released in November 2007.
Mick Hucknall announced that the band were due to split in 2009, after a farewell tour.
"I've kind of decided that the 25 years is going to be enough, so I intend that the 2009 will be the last Simply Red tour."
"I've just recorded an album that is a tribute to Bobby Bland, a blues and R'n'B artist. It's a solo project and I've really enjoyed it so much that I feel the time has come now to just put a book-end to the story and the album Stay will be the last Simply Red studio album."
Enough
Simply Red Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let's talk it over now
Talk it over now
I'm wrong, you're gone
So you're serious
Really serious
You're saying I'm insane
Oh that's craziness
I'm trying to find
Its real meaning
Insanity
When I get home again
Everything we said
It seemed to hold us
Back again, again
When I get home then
We try to make it better
In the same
Damn way again, again
So long, you're gone
You're really leaving me, leaving
There's no prize for goodbyes
No joy either, either
You're saying I'm insane
Oh that's craziness
Craziness
I'm trying to find
Its real meaning
Insanity
When I get home again
Everything we said
It seemed to hold us
Back again, again
When I get home then
We try to make it better
In the same
Damn way again, again
Enough
I've had enough
Oh I'm leaving
The first verse of Simply Red's song Enough sets up the narrative: the singer has had a fight with their partner and they now regret some of the things they said. They want to talk it over and make amends but their partner is already gone and is serious about ending things. However, the singer doesn't understand why their partner would leave them over something seemingly small and accuses them of calling them insane, which they feel is a ridiculous accusation. As the chorus repeats the line "When I get home again", the singer seems to be trying to come to terms with the fact that things are over and is wondering if there was anything they could have done differently, all while struggling to understand why their partner would have ended things so abruptly. By the time the last verse rolls around, it's clear that the singer has had enough of the situation themselves and decides to leave.
The lyrics of Enough capture the many complex emotions that can come with the end of a relationship, from regret and frustration to confusion and anger. The repetition of the chorus only emphasizes this, with the singer seemingly stuck in a cycle of trying to make things better only for them to fall apart again. The song ends on a note of finality, with the singer decisively ending the relationship rather than holding out hope that things will change.
Line by Line Meaning
Alright, you're right
Acknowledgment that the other person is correct
Let's talk it over now
Suggesting to discuss the issue at hand
Talk it over now
Reiterating the need for communication
I'm wrong, you're gone
Accepting that one's actions resulted in the other person leaving
So you're serious
Recognizing the other person's gravity of the situation
Really serious
Emphasizing the other person's seriousness
You're saying I'm insane
Acknowledging the other person's accusation
Oh that's craziness
Disagreeing with the accusation
Craziness
Repeating the disagreement with the accusation
I'm trying to find
Admitting to searching for answers
Its real meaning
Clarifying the search for the meaning behind the situation
Insanity
Reiterating the other person's accusation
When I get home again
Referring to returning to one's personal space
Everything we said
Recalling past discussions
It seemed to hold us
Implies that the past discussions didn't provide resolution
Back again, again
Repeating the cycle of discussing without resolving
We try to make it better
Expressing the desire to improve the situation
In the same
Using the same approach
Damn way again, again
Emphasizing the repetitive cycle of trying without success
So long, you're gone
Saying goodbye to the other person who has left
You're really leaving me, leaving
Emphasizing the departing of the other person
There's no prize for goodbyes
Recognizing that saying goodbye doesn't bring rewards
No joy either, either
Acknowledging that goodbyes are not happy
Enough
Reaching a limit to the situation
I've had enough
Expressing that one can't continue in the same pattern
Oh I'm leaving
Announcing that the singer is leaving the situation
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JOSEPH LESLIE SAMPLE, MICHAEL JAMES HUCKNALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
kay
on Picture Book
Ive always heard it was a reference to the list of names of African Americans who were allowed to go to the cinema in around the desegregation era.
Lowell
on Wonderland
In my opinion this song is a commentary, and criticism, of British life under Margaret Thatcher, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990, when this tune was released. "The end of an era / our future no clearer / my people no stronger / the blame I lay on her" might suggest disappointment with Thatcher's promised reforms of British government. The refrain "wonderland, wonderland / it's beautiful" sounds like a political slogan, promising a new life for all "...until tomorrow comes to haunt us all".