In The Beautiful South, Heaton shared the lead singer's role with Hemingway and female singer Briana Corrigan to create a trio of lead vocalists. This set-up helped to characterise the bittersweet kitchen sink dramas played out in Heaton's often-barbed songs.
The band's music might sound like bubbly, catchy, lightweight pop but Heaton's sour, savage and amusing worldview on everything and anything (alcoholism, religion, sex, politics and, mostly, the down side of relationships) is always lurking beneath the surface of the quirky melodies. The tastes and smells of the local pub are never far away either, with the band gaining a reputation for boozing. The band's first album was Welcome to the Beautiful South (1989) and spawned the hits Song For Whoever and You Keep It All In. The release of 1990's Choke album saw the band claim its only Number 1 hit to date, A Little Time. 0898 followed in 1992, with hits including Old Red Eyes Is Back.
In 1994, after Corrigan quit the band when she saw Paul's lyrics for the forthcoming album Miaow, St Helens supermarket shelf-stacker, Jacqui Abbott, was brought on board to fill in. Heaton had heard her sing at an after show party in St Helens and remembered her vocal talents.
Jacqui's first album with the band was Miaow in 1994. Hits included Good as Gold (Stupid as Mud) and a cover of Fred Neil's Everybody's Talking, previously popularised by Harry Nilsson. The end of that year saw the release of Carry on up the Charts, a "best of" compilation consisting of the singles to date plus new track One Last Love Song. The album was massively successful and it is said that 1 in 7 homes in the UK owns a copy.
Blue Is the Colour (1996), Quench (1998) and Painting It Red (2000) followed with varying success. Jacqui also quit the band in 2000. After a second Greatest Hits album Solid Bronze in 2001, they recorded Gaze in 2003 with yet another female vocalist, Alison 'Lady' Wheeler. Wheeler was still in place for 2004's Golddiggas, Headnodders and Pholk Songs, an album of unusually arranged cover versions including Livin' Thing, You're The One That I Want, Don't Fear The Reaper and I'm Stone In Love With You. In 2006 the band released their tenth studio album, Superbi.
The band broke up in January 2007, releasing the statement: "The Beautiful South have split up due to musical similarities. The band would like to thank everyone for their 19 wonderful years in music."
Former members of the group have since played Beautiful South songs together as 'New Beautiful South' and more recently 'The South'.
In 2007, Mercury Records released Soup: The Best of The Housemartins and The Beautiful South, a compilation album containing 7 hit singles by The Housemartins ("The Housemartins Condensed") and 15 tracks The Beautiful South ("Cream of The Beautiful South").
101 Percent Man
The Beautiful South Lyrics
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But find men kissing too odd
Say all their friends are gay when in fact
They gave a man in tight vest a quick nod
And all those threats if you keep kissing
They're gonna go report you to god
Yet if Christ really had that many disciples
And any news you receive would lead you to believe
Of the other world little is known
So that every gay presenter should really wear a sweater
With kids don't try this at home
There are gay men you've knocked homophobics clean out
When most would have turned and ran
Gay men who hate it when they get called queer
And gay men who don't give a damn
Some gay men go wearing women's makeup
Just to prove to themselves they can
And on the masculine side of this whole wide world
There is no 101% man
Those who have only seen Gay Pride
Think it's a life long license to shock
But men have kissed men since way back when
If you were caught you'd be put in a stock
And any news you receive would lead you to believe
Of the other world little is known
So that every gay presenter should really wear a sweater
With kids don't try this at home
There are gay men who've knocked homophobics clean out
When most would have turned and ran
Gay men who hate it when they get called queer
And gay men who don't give a damn
Some gay men go wearing women's makeup
Just to prove to themselves they can
And on the masculine side of this whole wide world
There's no 101% man
And when the Tom Robinson band sang
"Sing if you're glad to be gay"
We all joined in, and though most of us weren't
The song seemed to show us the way
And as the song reached it's end you looked for the friend that
That made singing along feel O.K
It ain't San Francisco but your end of term disco
And the dance floor's beginning to sway
There are gay who've knocked homophobices clean out
When most would have turned and ran
Gay men who hate it when they get called queer
And gay men who don't give a damn
Some gay men go wearing women's makeup
Just to prove to themselves they can
And on the masculine side of this whole wide world
There's no 101% man, man
The Beautiful South’s "101 Percent Man" is a song about the complexity and diversity of gay men. The singer describes the various stereotypes and misconceptions people have about gay men, such as assuming they are all effeminate and wearing women's makeup. The song also acknowledges the violence and discrimination that gay men face, but also celebrates their strength and resilience in the face of adversity.
The lyrics critique the ignorance and narrow-mindedness of those who believe that homosexuality is abnormal or immoral. The song emphasizes that gay men are not defined by their sexuality but are multifaceted individuals with different personalities, strengths, and weaknesses. The singer encourages people to be more accepting and understanding of those who are different from them.
Overall, "101 Percent Man" is a powerful song that challenges the stereotypes of gay men and highlights their resilience in the face of discrimination. It is a call for greater inclusivity and acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals and communities.
Line by Line Meaning
I've seen these people described as mad
People often refer to gay men as crazy or abnormal.
But find men kissing too odd
However, these same people find men kissing odd and unacceptable.
Say all their friends are gay when in fact
They refer to everyone who is even slightly effeminate or associated with gay culture as homosexual.
They gave a man in tight vest a quick nod
Sometimes, they even acknowledge stereotypes of homosexuality, such as men wearing tight clothes.
And all those threats if you keep kissing
They threaten gay men with violence if they continue to show affection to their partner.
They're gonna go report you to god
They act as if they have a moral high ground and believe anyone who is gay will face the wrath of God.
Yet if Christ really had that many disciples
Ironically, it's highly probable that at least one of the people following Jesus Christ was gay.
There was probably one of you in his squad
Therefore, it's hypocritical to suggest that homosexuality is a sin because it's been present since biblical times.
And any news you receive would lead you to believe
People often believe what they hear and assume they have all the information they need on a topic.
Of the other world little is known
However, when it comes to the other world or anything related to homosexuality, most people are uninformed and uneducated.
So that every gay presenter should really wear a sweater
Because of the lack of knowledge, people tend to generalize and stereotype homosexuals on TV and media.
With kids don't try this at home
This can lead to dangerous misinformation and can influence young people negatively.
Those who have only seen Gay Pride
People who have only been exposed to the flamboyant, public celebration of homosexuality that is Pride.
Think it's a life long license to shock
They tend to think that this is shocking and that the acceptance of homosexuality means that anything goes.
But men have kissed men since way back when
In fact, same-sex relationships have been present in history since ancient times.
If you were caught you'd be put in a stock
However, it was not always accepted and was often punishable by law or social ostracization.
And when the Tom Robinson band sang
Referencing when the band sang 'Sing if you're glad to be gay.'
"Sing if you're glad to be gay"
The song title is encouraging people to come together and celebrate their sexuality in a positive way.
We all joined in, and though most of us weren't
Even those who were not gay themselves sang along and showed support for the community.
The song seemed to show us the way
It unified people and gave them a sense of belonging and purpose.
It ain't San Francisco but your end of term disco
Although it's not the same as a legendary gay mecca like San Francisco, the song has meaning in any community setting.
And the dance floor's beginning to sway
The song has an uplifting effect on people and can make them happy and carefree.
Some gay men go wearing women's makeup
Gay men, like anyone else, have different ways of expressing their gender and identity.
Just to prove to themselves they can
They may experiment with makeup to understand themselves better or to see if they can pass as a different gender.
And on the masculine side of this whole wide world
There is a huge spectrum of masculinity, and it's not fair to assume that there is only one way to be a man.
There's no 101% man, man
Therefore, it's impossible for anyone to be 100% masculine because everyone's expression is unique and different.
Gay men who've knocked homophobics clean out
Even if someone is gay, it doesn't mean they're weak or defenseless. Some may fight back against homophobia.
When most would have turned and ran
Many people would choose to escape rather than confront their attackers.
Gay men who hate it when they get called queer
The word 'queer' is still sometimes used as an insult, and some gay people find it offensive.
And gay men who don't give a damn
Others, however, may embrace the word and refuse to let it bother them.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVE ROTHERAY, PAUL HEATON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind