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."
So Beautiful
Simply Red Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Noticing my daydream stimulated me more
I was crumbling with anticipation
You'd better send me home before I tumble down to the floor
You're so beautiful but oh so boring
I'm wondering what am I doing here
So beautiful but oh so boring, I'm wondering
About the curlers in your hair
My little golden baby, where have all your birds flown now?
Something's glistening in my imagination
Motorvatin' something close to breaking the law
Wait no mo' before you take me down to the station
I've never known a one who'd make me suicidal before
She was so beautiful but oh so boring
I'm wondering what I was doing there
So beautiful but oh so boring, I'm wondering
If anyone out there really cares
About the colour of your hair
My little golden baby, where have all your birds flown now?
The lyrics of Simply Red's song "So Beautiful" depict the singer's boredom and frustration with the situation they find themselves in. The first verse describes the singer listening to a conversation and daydreaming, but becoming overwhelmed with anticipation or anxiety. They fear they may collapse on the floor and need to go home.
The second verse continues with the theme of boredom and lack of engagement, as the singer describes someone they find physically attractive yet uninteresting or "boring." The repetition of the phrase "so beautiful but oh so boring" emphasizes their disappointment and dissatisfaction. They question their own choices and wonder if anyone else cares about superficial details such as the "curlers in your hair" or "colour of your hair." The last line, "where have all your birds flown now?", is potentially a metaphor for lost youth or innocence.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of disillusionment and restlessness, with the singer feeling trapped and unfulfilled in their current situation.
Line by Line Meaning
I was listening to this conversation
I was paying close attention to the conversation happening around me
Noticing my daydream stimulated me more
The conversation stimulated my daydream even more
I was crumbling with anticipation
I was becoming overwhelmed with excitement
You'd better send me home before I tumble down to the floor
You need to get me out of here before my excitement becomes too much to handle
You're so beautiful but oh so boring
You may be attractive, but you lack depth and are uninteresting
I'm wondering what am I doing here
I'm questioning why I am in this situation
If anyone out there really cares
I doubt anyone truly cares about this situation
About the curlers in your hair
I doubt anyone cares about your appearance as much as you do
My little golden baby, where have all your birds flown now?
I'm questioning where your charm and personality have gone
Something's glistening in my imagination
A thought or idea is shining brightly in my mind
Motorvatin' something close to breaking the law
Thinking about doing something illegal or dangerous
Wait no mo' before you take me down to the station
You need to take me away from this situation before I do something regrettable
I've never known a one who'd make me suicidal before
I've never been so bored and uninterested that I wanted to harm myself
She was so beautiful but oh so boring
She was physically attractive, but not mentally stimulating
If anyone out there really cares
I doubt anyone truly cares about this situation
About the colour of your hair
I doubt anyone cares about your appearance as much as you do
My little golden baby, where have all your birds flown now?
I'm questioning where your charm and personality have gone
Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., BMG Rights Management, Cloud9
Written by: MICK 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".