Early years
Prior to becoming Stiff Little Fingers, Jake Burns, vocals and guitar, Henry Cluney, guitar, Gordon Blair, bass, and Brian Faloon, drums, were playing in a rock music cover band, Highway Star, in Belfast. Upon the departure of Gordon Blair (who went on to play with another Belfast group, Rudi), Ali McMordie took over on bass. Cluney had by this time discovered punk, and introduced the rest of the band to it. They decided that Highway Star wasn't a punk enough name, and after a brief flirtation with the name "The Fast", decided to call themselves Stiff Little Fingers, after the Vibrators song of the same name.
It was while they were doing a gig at the Glenmachan Hotel that they met up with Gordon Ogilvie, who was a Marxist journalist with the Daily Express newspaper, invited along for the evening by Colin McClelland, another journalist, with whom Jake had been corresponding.
Ogilvie suggested they play material based upon their experience of the Troubles. McClelland arranged to get the band some recording time at a local radio station, and in the studio normally used to record jingles, they recorded "Suspect Device". The single was packaged in the form of a cassette, with a cover depicting a cassette bomb, apparently causing great hilarity in the group, when one record company phoned them and asked for another copy, as they'd thrown the first one in a bucket of water for fear that it was a real bomb.
A copy of the single was sent to John Peel. He played it repeatedly leading to a distribution deal through Rough Trade. The single was released on the band's own Rigid Digits label and sold over 30,000 copies. Peel would later do the same with the first single by another famous Northern Irish band, The Undertones. There were a number of well-publicised arguments between the two bands; the Undertones accused Stiff Little Fingers of sensationalising the Northern Ireland conflict, while they retorted that The Undertones ignored it.
The lyrics of many Stiff Little Fingers' songs concerning the troubles are extremely critical of the paramilitary organisations and governments involved, showing them to be exploititative of ordinary people (particularly the young) and all as bad as each other. Their second single, "Alternative Ulster", was originally intended to be given away free with the fanzine of the same name.
Inflammable Material
In the second half of 1978, they toured with the Tom Robinson Band, and in 1979, they released their first album, Inflammable Material. The band agreed a contract with Island Records, but it fell through, leaving the band to release the album on their own label. Despite the album's independent release, it reached number 14 in the UK Albums Chart and reached Silver status, selling over 50,000 copies. Inflammable Material was the first album distributed Rough Trade records, and the first independent album to chart in the UK. This inspired their move to London, which led to the departure of Brian Faloon and Colin McClelland (who along with Gordon Ogilvie had been joint manager of the band up until that point).
Jim Reilly became their drummer in time for the "Gotta Gettaway" single, and played in the Rock Against Racism tour.
Nobody's Heroes and Go for It
In mid-1979, Stiff Little Fingers signed their Rigid Digits label to Chrysalis Records, and in 1980 released their second album, Nobody's Heroes. 1981's Go for It followed. Soon after the Go for It tour, Jim Reilly left the band. His place was taken by Brian 'Dolphin' Taylor, who Jake remembered from Taylor's days with the Tom Robinson Band.
Breakup
Now Then...
In 1982 came a 4 song EP called £1.10 or Less and then their fourth studio album, Now Then... (although their fifth album, as they had released a live LP, Hanx, between Nobody's Heroes and Go for It). By this time they had diversified musically, and Now Then had an almost pop feel about it in places. This led some of their more hardcore fans to feel alienated, and in the face of low sales and concert attendances, they broke up in 1983, when Burns said: "Our last LP Now Then was to my mind the best album we have made. But it is also unfortunately the best I think we will ever make. So I have decided to call it a day." The band later revealed the original split had been somewhat acrimonious, with bandmembers apparently having fistfights rather than talking through their differences.
Reformation
They reformed in 1987; according to Burns, because they were "skint and wanted to make a bit of cash to get back to Ireland for Christmas". They released some live albums and did short tours towards the end of the 1980s, and by 1990 were thinking of reforming permanently.
Flags and Emblems
Ali McMordie decided he could not commit the time to tour full-time or record, and so left, being replaced by Bruce Foxton (previously bass guitarist in The Jam) in time to record 1991's Flags and Emblems. In Britain, the single from this album, "Beirut Moon", was withdrawn from sale on the first day of release, allegedly because it criticised the government for not acting to free hostage John McCarthy, who had been held in the Lebanon.
In 1993 Burns made what he described as one of the hardest decisions of his life and asked Henry Cluney to leave the band, and the trio of Jake Burns, Bruce Foxton and Dolphin Taylor continued for the next four years, joined on live shows by either Dave Sharp or Ian McCallum.
Get a Life
In 1994 they released Get a Life in the UK, releasing it in the U.S. in 1996. By the end of 1996 Taylor left due to family commitments. Burns called in Steve Grantley who had played drums for Jake Burns and the Big Wheel in the late 1980s.
Tinderbox - Guitar and Drum
The trio of Burns, Foxton and Grantley recorded 1997's Tinderbox album, with help from Ian McCallum who joined as a full time member for 1999's and best of all...Hope Street . This same line-up recorded 2003's Guitar and Drum.
Lineup change
On 18 January 2006, the following announcement appeared on the SLF Website. Bruce Foxton has announced that he is to leave Stiff Little Fingers with immediate effect. After 15 years of writing, recording and touring with SLF Bruce says it is time to move on and concentrate on other projects. "The situation is amicable" says Foxton. "I have enjoyed my time with Jake, Ian and Steve and will miss them. Naturally I wish them all continued success and hope to catch up with the boys during their spring tour."
Obviously, we as well wish Bruce every success in everything he goes on to do in the future. He has been a fantastic asset to the band and we'll miss him as well.
Jake, Steve, Ian.
On 23 January 2006, it was announced that original bass guitarist Ali McMordie was to rejoin the band for the duration of their upcoming March tour. The tour was a success, with many fans writing into SLF's message board saying how much they enjoyed it, and how fired up the band seemed to be. After much discussion regarding the status of McMordie within the band after the tour, on 21 April 2006, Burns posted the following on the message board.
"For the time being Mr. McMordie is happy to continue as long as his busy schedule allows. It may be that occasionally we have to bring on a "substitute", if he is up to his eyes and we need to do something, but hopefully we can avoid that.
Cheers,
Jake."
New album
On 9 March 2007, Jake Burns announced that Stiff Little Fingers would be recording a new album which would hopefully be completed by the end of 2007. They have previewed a track from the new album, "Liars Club", at live concerts. The track is named after a bar Jake drove past on his way home whilst listening to a press report about Tony Blair, George W. Bush and the Iraq War. As of February 2009, the new album is still unreleased. This is mainly due to the fact that Burns had more or less completed writing, when he decided on a change of direction, and scrapped most of the songs.
Sad-Eyed People
Stiff Little Fingers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sad-eyed people sat in bars
Sad-eyed People sat in bars
In the corner there's the party with the birthday
Its quite happy but its quite sad because no one's there
And no one cares
Sad-eyed people sat in bars
Sad-eyed People sat in bars
A mother and father consoling a daughter
The guy who threw her over, at the weekend, doesn't matter
He's as mad as a hatter
To pass on a jewel like you
Sad-eyed people sat in bars
Sad-eyed People sat in bars
A husband and wife never of the one-armed bandit
Hand it to them, they always almost win
And its something to talk about
I suppose
They're all
Sad-eyed people sat in
Sad-eyed people sat in
Sad-eyed people sat in
Sad-eyed people sat in
They sat in bars
Over there there's a young couple laughing
No-one notices or pays them any heed
Cos we've got what we need
Except for me
I'm a
Sad eyed boy who sits in
Sad eyed boy who sits in
Sad eyed boy who sits in bars
The Stiff Little Fingers song "Sad-Eyed People" is a poignant depiction of the human experience in the modern world. The song begins with a simple but powerful phrase, "Hey you," that immediately draws the listener into the narrative. The lyrics paint a picture of a world filled with people who are sad and disillusioned, seeking solace in alcohol and the company of others.
The refrain "Sad-eyed People sat in bars" is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the sense of isolation and loneliness that permeates the lives of those portrayed. The first verse introduces the idea of a birthday party where nobody shows up, highlighting the disconnect between the expectations we have for our lives and the reality we are forced to confront. The second verse introduces the image of a young woman comforting a daughter who has been rejected by her lover, showcasing the pain that can come from love and relationships.
The final verse introduces a married couple who find hope and joy in the small victories of gambling, providing a glimmer of hope amidst the desolation. The song ends with the singer admitting his own sadness and inability to connect with others, emphasizing the universal nature of human suffering.
Overall, "Sad-Eyed People" is a melancholic but powerful song that speaks to the human condition with honesty and insight.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey you
The singer is addressing someone, perhaps the listener or someone else in the vicinity.
Sad-eyed people sat in bars
People with a look of melancholy sit in bars, perhaps reflecting on their struggles.
In the corner there's the party with the birthday
A celebratory event is happening in the background.
Its quite happy but its quite sad because no one's there
The party is bittersweet as no one important is present to enjoy it.
And no one cares
Nobody seems to care or be interested in what's happening around them.
Least of all me
The singer in particular feels disconnected and uncaring.
A mother and father consoling a daughter
Parents providing emotional support to a distressed daughter.
The guy who threw her over, at the weekend, doesn't matter
The man who caused the daughter's distress is considered insignificant and unimportant.
He's as mad as a hatter
The man is thought to be irrational, erratic, and possibly insane.
To pass on a jewel like you
The daughter is considered a precious and valuable person despite being wronged.
A husband and wife never of the one-armed bandit
A married couple who do not often gamble on slot machines.
Hand it to them, they always almost win
Despite not being frequent gamblers, the couple tends to come close to winning big.
And its something to talk about
Their near-wins are a noteworthy topic of conversation for them and perhaps those around them.
I suppose
The singer seems ambivalent or uncertain about the value of this gossip.
Over there there's a young couple laughing
A youthful pair is enjoying themselves with laughter.
No-one notices or pays them any heed
Despite their positive mood, nobody seems to be paying attention or acknowledging them.
Cos we've got what we need
Perhaps the observers are content with their own company, and there is no need to socialize with others.
Except for me
The singer feels lonely or excluded from this contentment.
Sad eyed boy who sits in bars
The singer is himself one of the sad-eyed people found sitting in bars.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAKE BURNS, GORDON OGILVIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind