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").
Love Is...
The Beautiful South Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From the first 12" I made to the colour of my underwear
Ooh you know, you really, really know
Inside, outside in, from head to toe
But where were you in the colder days?
I'd like to know, I'd like to know
And where will you be in years to come?
I'd like to know, I'd like to know
So don't beg and don't plead
You can't have the heart you made bleed
You're in love with fame
So whilst we love, please don't scream my name
You're my friends, my only real friends
But I'd like to know where you'll be when the party ends
I remember your face the dance was slow
"Easy" by The Commodores and you said 'no'
But where were you in colder days?
I'd like to know, I'd like to know
And where will you be in years to come?
I'd like to know, I'd like to know
So here's an invitation to this caring nation
25 years from now will you come my cremation
Sherry or beer, family and friends
Will you be there? Will you be there?
No fame, no fortune, no name in lights
Will you be there? Will you be there?
The lyrics of The Beautiful South's song Love Is... reflect on the nature of relationships and the complications that arise from different priorities and values. The opening lyrics express gratitude for the level of care and attention that the subject of the song receives from a friend, but also suggest a level of obsession or intrusion in their life, with references to both the person's music career and their underwear. The song then turns to questions about the stability and longevity of the friendship, questioning where the friend was during difficult times and where they will be in the future.
The chorus continues this questioning, with the subject of the song asking not to be begged or pleaded with, and emphasizing that they are uncomfortable with the friend's desire for fame. They express a fear that the friend will only be present in their life during times of success, and will abandon them when the party ends. The song then concludes with an invitation to the friend to attend the subject's future funeral, emphasizing that they value the presence of genuine friends without the allure of fame or fortune.
Overall, the song explores the complex nature of relationships and the balance of attention and authenticity that is required for them to endure. The lyrics question the motivations of individuals and the importance of values such as care, loyalty, and empathy in building lasting connections.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooh you care, you really, really care
You truly care about me
From the first 12" I made to the colour of my underwear
You know everything about me, from my professional work to my personal preferences
Ooh you know, you really, really know
You understand me inside and out
Inside, outside in, from head to toe
You grasp every part of me, both physically and emotionally
But where were you in the colder days?
I wonder where you were when I was going through a tough time
I'd like to know, I'd like to know
I'm curious and would appreciate an answer
And where will you be in years to come?
I want to know where you'll be in the future
So don't beg and don't plead
Please don't ask me for anything
You can't have the heart you made bleed
You can't have my affection just because you hurt me
You're in love with fame
You're only interested in me because of my status
So whilst we love, please don't scream my name
Even though we may have feelings for each other, don't be obnoxious about it
You're my friends, my only real friends
You're my closest friends
But I'd like to know where you'll be when the party ends
I want to know if you'll still be around when the good times are over
I remember your face the dance was slow
I recall seeing your face during a relaxed dance
"Easy" by The Commodores and you said 'no'
You said 'no' when I requested a specific song
So here's an invitation to this caring nation
I'm inviting you and others to a community of compassion
25 years from now will you come to my cremation
I'm wondering if you'll still care about me enough to attend my funeral
Sherry or beer, family and friends
There will be drinks, loved ones, and companionship
Will you be there? Will you be there?
I want to know if you'll be present
No fame, no fortune, no name in lights
There won't be any money or recognition involved
Will you be there? Will you be there?
I really want to know if you'll show up
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVE ROTHERAY, PAUL HEATON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind