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."
The Death Of The Cool
Simply Red Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My misunderstanding
My destiny is grounded, by confounding weights
As Hollywood greats inspire me to keep my body whole
Since I've been the master of low expectations
Aren't you humans supposed to look like me?
Then gave you a band aid"
Pseudo spiritual kebababallah's we can all be fooled
It's the death of the cool
The death of the cool
We got fakirs, false prophets and fools
And phoney saint saviours
Fame's pick me up gets drowned in
Pop's twinkle and dreams torn at the seams
It can leave you with nothing left at all
Since we're the believers with tall expectations
Can't you humans come have a laugh with me?
Quotes like "buddy I screwed you up, made you the new slave
The fastest growing guru in the market place of happiness
We can all be saved
"Buddy I blew you up, gave you a band aid"
Do you really need to learn to be a human?
We can all be shamed
Its the death of the cool
The death of the cool
Quotes like "buddy I blew you up, gave you a condom"
Do you really need to learn to save a human?
We could all be blamed
Buddy I blew you up
The death of the cool
Buddy I blew you up
The death of the cool
The song "The Death Of The Cool" by Simply Red is a commentary on modern society and the loss of individuality and authenticity in the pursuit of fame and success. The lyrics suggest the idea that people are willing to sacrifice their true selves and values in exchange for societal recognition and validation, but in doing so, they also lose their "coolness" or unique identity. The opening lines, "My shyness, my misunderstood, my misunderstanding," express the sense of alienation and being out of sync with the world, which can lead to a loss of identity. The lyrics go on to criticize those who exploit others for their own gain, suggesting that celebrities, gurus, and false prophets can fool people by offering a false sense of spiritual or emotional fulfillment. The lines "We got fakirs, false prophets and fools, and phoney saint saviours" are a commentary on the cult of personality that surrounds many public figures.
The chorus, "It's the death of the cool," is a lament for the loss of individuality and the pressure to conform to social norms in order to fit in. The line "Aren't you humans supposed to look like me?" suggests the irony of trying to be unique by copying others. The verses contrast the singer's low expectations and "shyness" with the higher expectations of society at large, which can lead to a sense of being overwhelmed and misunderstood. The lines "Do you really need to learn to be human? We can all be shamed" suggest that society values conformity over authenticity, and that those who don't fit in are ostracized.
Overall, "The Death Of The Cool" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of sacrificing oneself in pursuit of fame and success, and the importance of staying true to oneself and one's values.
Line by Line Meaning
My shyness, my misunderstood
I am often timid and frequently misinterpreted
My misunderstanding
I am often misunderstood
My destiny is grounded, by confounding weights
I feel weighed down by mysterious burdens that prevent me from moving forward
As Hollywood greats inspire me to keep my body whole
I am inspired by the health and longevity of famous Hollywood actors
Since I've been the master of low expectations
I have learned to not expect much from life
Aren't you humans supposed to look like me?
I wonder why humans are so different from myself
Quotes like "buddy I blew you up
Then gave you a band aid"
I am reminded of someone who caused harm, but then offered only a small form of repair
Pseudo spiritual kebababallah's we can all be fooled
We are all susceptible to being deceived by false spiritual teachings
It's the death of the cool
The death of the cool
The era of 'coolness' is ending, and soon will be no more
We got fakirs, false prophets and fools
And phoney saint saviours
There are many impostors and charlatans trying to pass themselves off as spiritual leaders
Fame's pick me up gets drowned in
Pop's twinkle and dreams torn at the seams
Even those who achieve fame and fortune are not immune to the pressures and challenges of life, and may encounter disappointment and disillusionment
It can leave you with nothing left at all
Even great success may not bring lasting fulfillment
Since we're the believers with tall expectations
We have high hopes and aspirations for ourselves and the world
Can't you humans come have a laugh with me?
I wish people could find humor and joy in life more easily
Quotes like "buddy I screwed you up, made you the new slave
The fastest growing guru in the market place of happiness
We can all be saved
"Buddy I blew you up, gave you a band aid"
These are examples of promises made that are unlikely to be fulfilled, but that people often fall for anyway
Do you really need to learn to be a human? We can all be shamed
Human nature is complex and often flawed, and we can be humiliated by our own shortcomings
Quotes like "buddy I blew you up, gave you a condom"
Do you really need to learn to save a human?
We could all be blamed
These lines question the actual benefits of certain actions or teachings, and warn of potential negative consequences
Buddy I blew you up
The death of the cool
This line seems to be a repetition of a previous line, perhaps emphasizing the idea of destruction and loss of 'coolness'
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: MICK HUCKNALL, IAN KIRKHAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rodrigosteel81
Minha timidez, meu mal entendido
Meu mal-entendido
Meu destino está ligado à terra, ao confundir pesos
Como grandes nomes de Hollywood inspira-me a manter o meu corpo inteiro
Desde que eu estive o mestre de baixas expectativas
você não está seres humanos supostamente se parece comigo?
citações como "buddy eu estraguei-lo
em seguida, deu-lhe um band-aid"
Pseudo kebababallah do espiritual que todos nós podemos ser enganado
É a morte do
fresco a morte do frio
temos faquires, falsos profetas e tolos
e falso salvadores santo
Fama de Pick me up fica afogado em
brilho e sonhos rasgados às costuras de Pop
Ele pode deixá-lo com nada em tudo
Desde que nós somos os crentes com expectativas altas
você não pode seres humanos vêm ter uma risada comigo?
citações como "buddy eu estraguei-lo, fez a nova escravo
o mais rápido guru crescendo no lugar de felicidade
mercado todos nós podemos ser salvos
"Buddy eu estraguei-lo, deu-lhe um band-aid"
você realmente precisa aprender a ser um ser humano?
todos nós podemos ser envergonhado
é a morte do
fresco a morte do frio
citações como "buddy eu estraguei-lo , você deu um preservativo "
você realmente precisa aprender a salvar um ser humano?
Nós poderíamos todos ser culpado
amigos eu estraguei-lo
a morte de o
legal
@MoonDogSic
Simply Red one of my favorite singers of all time !!! Great Song!!!
@KathrynKoerner
❤ I always loved his music Carl but simply God bless you
@Savsbass
STILL MY COMFORT SONG TILL THIS DAY
@silviacoletto-vs3wq
My poet Is Always ❤ Mick how i could do without you ? Silvia
@LaudaCosta
These mixes owed a lot...
@evabarta3381
Wow!this is beautiful WOICE!!LOVE IT!!♥️🎄♥️🎄♥️🎄♥️🎄♥️
@TanyaKatherine
The lyrics really speak to me.
@user-dc7xr4rg3p
A smashing voice absolutely brilliant seen him many times over the years 💪🏻
@galinabalandina5744
Обожаю тебя!
@camellia9228
Cool ❤ beautiful voice❤