The band shocked conservative middle Australia with their outrageous (for the time) costumes, lyrics, and on-stage activities, leading to seven of the ten tracks on their first album being banned from commercial radio. Much of the group's success derived from its distinctive repertoire, most of which was penned by bassist Macainsh.
Although Skyhooks was not the first Australian rock band to write songs in Australia, about Australians, for Australians (rather than ditties about love or songs about New York or other foreign lands), they were the first band to do so and be commercially successful, and the songs were set apart from much of the pop fare of the time thanks to Macainish's mordant humour.
The 'Hooks were the Australian pop success story of their era. Their first album, Living in the Seventies, rocketed to the top of the charts and stayed there for so long that it became the best selling Australian album ever up to that time, with the follow-up, Ego is not a Dirty Word, coming a close second. The band's success was also widely credited with saving the struggling Mushroom record label and enabling it to develop into the most successful independent Australian label of its time.
Both these LPs were produced by Ross Wilson, former lead singer of Daddy Cool, which had been the most successful Australian rock group of the early 1970s. Wilson championed the group, signing them to a publishing contract and convincing Mushroom Records boss Michael Gudinski to give them a recording contract.
Remarkably, the success of Living in the Seventies was mainly due to the enormous support the band were given by the TV pop show Countdown, rather than support from radio — in fact, most of the tracks on the LP had been banned by commercial radio because of their sex and drug references. Despite the ban, and as a deliberate act of provocation to commercial radio, the ABC's newly established 24-hour rock music station Double Jay chose the album's first track, the provocatively titled "You Just Like Me Cos I'm Good In Bed" as the first track played on air on its first day of broadcasting on January 19, 1975.
Over the next few years, Skyhooks gradually faded from the public eye with the departure of key members, and in 1980 the band announced its break-up in controversial circumstances. The demands for the band to reform were successful in 1983, with a record sum of money being paid for each of the original members to play a series of concerts. Further reformations took place in 1984 and then in 1990 the band finally recorded new material, "Jukebox in Siberia", which shot to the top of the charts.
"Shirley" Strachan and Red Symons both went on to successful careers in Australian commercial television. Symons was for many years a villain-cum-guitarist on the long-running TV show 'Hey Hey It's Saturday.' He was especially known for wielding the gong on the 'Red Faces' talent segment. He now works on ABC radio and writes humorous columns for the press. After the demise of Skyhooks, Starkie still plays locally, Freddie became the drummer in the later lineup of noted Melbourne rock band The Sports, and other acts such as The Bushwackers and the "Old Skydaddys". Greg Macainsh played with John Farnham, and in recent years has been a board member of both APRA and PPCA, and is currently completing a Law Degree. Strachan hosted a popular children's TV show 'Shirl's Neighbourhood' in the early 80s and went on to use his carpentry trade skills on air in various home improvement TV shows. He was also a familiar face at Hawthorn Football Club functions, of which he was a passionate supporter. Sadly, Strachan was killed in an air crash on August 29th, 2001, when the helicopter he was learning to fly crashed into Mount Alexander near Kilcoy, northwest of Brisbane. Strachan died instantly.
A Memorial was held to pay Tribute to Strachan at the Palais Theatre shortly after. Tribute were paid and Guest Vocalist and Producer Ross Wilson assisted on the night.
A Night to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the release of the Living in the 70s album was held in 2004. It was a historic night with several different incarnations of the band performing. The only absences were Graham Strachan and Steve Hill.
The Skyhooks and Steve Hill then reformed in 2005 in Sydney for a One-Off gig. Hill had been diagnosed with Cancer and the Original Skyhooks, Peter Inglis, Peter Starkie, Fred Strauks and Greg Macainsh joined with Hill to show their support.
The name "Skyhooks" comes from an imaginary device created in the book Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator used to hold the elevator up in mid-air.
Blue Jeans
Skyhooks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everybody's got their own scenes
Everybody's lost in daydreams
But everybody's wearin' blue jeans
Everybody's wearin' blue jeans
Everybody's got their own schemes
Everybody cheers their own teams
We're all reading the same books
We're all getting the same looks
Everybody's got their own views
But we're all reading the same news
Everybody's wearin' blue jeans
Everybody's got their own scenes
Everybody's lost in daydreams
But everybody's wearin' blue jeans
I'm singin' in my own band
I'm tryin' to play the right hand
I'm livin' by my own means
And I'm wearing my blue jeans
Everybody's wearin' blue jeans
Everybody's got their own scenes
Everybody's lost in daydreams
But everybody's wearin' blue jeans
The song "Blue Jeans" by Skyhooks highlights the universality of blue jeans, one of the most iconic pieces of clothing in the world. The lyrics point out that despite our differences in beliefs, styles, and individuality, we all share a universal love for denim. The song tells us that everyone, irrespective of their social status or background, wears blue jeans. It's a unifying article of clothing that binds us all together.
The lyrics emphasize that being unique and embracing one's individuality is essential. The line "I'm singing in my own band, living by my own means, and wearing my blue jeans" shows that even though blue jeans are worn by everyone, each person dresses in them with a different flavor. Blue jeans symbolize the freedom and independence we have to be who we want to be and how we want to dress.
Skyhooks also touches on the fact that although we all have different outlooks on life, we have a shared understanding of what's happening in the world. The line "We're all reading the same news" subtly points out that we're all part of the same society, and we share the same experiences, even if we interpret them differently.
Overall, "Blue Jeans" by Skyhooks is a song about individuality, unity, and the importance of having a common ground. People wear blue jeans for many reasons, but they bring us all together.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody's wearin' blue jeans
Blue jeans are the great equalizer, worn by everyone regardless of background or status.
Everybody's got their own scenes
Despite wearing the same blue jeans, each person has their own unique experiences and surroundings that shape them.
Everybody's lost in daydreams
Everyone has their own desires and aspirations, which they may be lost in at times.
But everybody's wearin' blue jeans
Despite our differences, we all have some fundamental similarities that bring us together.
Everybody's got their own schemes
Each person has their own ambitions and plans for the future, which may be different from others' schemes.
Everybody cheers their own teams
Everyone has their own allegiances and loyalties, even though we all wear the same blue jeans.
We're all reading the same books
There may be a lot of diversity in the world, but some things unite us all, like the books we read.
We're all getting the same looks
Despite our differences, we're all subject to the same scrutiny and judgment from others.
Everybody's got their own views
Each person has their own unique perspective on the world and their own beliefs and values.
But we're all reading the same news
Even though we may interpret the news differently, we're all exposed to the same facts and events.
I'm singin' in my own band
Despite being part of a larger community, each individual has their own talents and interests they pursue.
I'm tryin' to play the right hand
Each person is doing their best to navigate life and make the right choices, despite the complexities involved.
I'm livin' by my own means
Each individual is taking responsibility for their own life path and making their own choices to achieve their goals.
And I'm wearing my blue jeans
Even though I have my own unique identity, I'm still part of the larger community that wears the same blue jeans.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Phalon Alexander, Erika F Nuri, Patrick Michael Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind