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").
Mirror
The Beautiful South Lyrics
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They could be black, they could be white
Tell me who's knocking at the knocking shop door tonight
Not much a girl can do but open or close
Those things are above doors
Not much legs can do but open or close
Those things are above us whores
So imagine a mirror
Bigger than the room it was placed in
Imagine my wish for a future that cannot hold my wish
Imagine the want to hold a rod that cannot hold the fish
Imagine a rod that cannot hold the fish
They could be lonely or could be bust
They could be tack, they could be real
They do have feelings, but just right now I feel
A feminine receptacle, that's just what I am
Those things are above us whores
Just the best target practice, for a misguided man
Those things are above us whores
So imagine a mirror
Bigger than the room it was placed in
Imagine my wish for a future that cannot hold my wish
Imagine the want to hold a rod that cannot hold the fish
Imagine a rod that cannot hold the fish
The Beautiful South's song "Mirror" is a dark and biting commentary on the objectification of women in society, particularly through the lens of the sex industry. The lyrics describe women who could look like anyone, but are reduced to their physical attributes and exist solely for male pleasure. The phrase "knocking shop" is a vulgar term for a brothel, and the lyrics suggest that for the women who work there, their only agency is in deciding whether to open or close the door to their room.
The repeated line "those things are above us whores" is a powerful reminder that although the women in this industry are often seen as less than human, they are in fact equal to their customers and deserving of respect and dignity. The chorus then turns to a more introspective tone, imagining a larger mirror which would reflect not just the physical appearance of the women, but the societal structures which create and perpetuate their exploitation. The final line about the rod that cannot hold the fish suggests a longing for something more, for a way out of the cycle of abuse and degradation.
Overall, "Mirror" is a poignant and thought-provoking song about an uncomfortable truth that is often relegated to the margins of our society. It challenges us to consider our own complicity in perpetuating systems of oppression and the ways in which we can work towards a more just and equitable world.
Line by Line Meaning
They could be fat or could be thin
It doesn't matter what their body type is.
They could be black, they could be white
Their race is insignificant.
Tell me who's knocking at the knocking shop door tonight
I am a prostitute and want to know who my next client will be.
Not much a girl can do but open or close
As a prostitute, my only job is to either accept or reject clients.
Those things are above doors
The physical act is simple and doesn't require much thought or emotion.
Not much legs can do but open or close
As a prostitute, my body is my only tool to earn money.
Those things are above us whores
The work we do is degrading and limits us.
So imagine a mirror
Visualize a reflection of yourself.
Bigger than the room it was placed in
A metaphor for introspection.
Imagine my wish for a future that cannot hold my wish
I dream of a better future, but my reality will never match those dreams.
Imagine the want to hold a rod that cannot hold the fish
I strive for something that I will never fully attain.
They could be lonely or could be bust
Clients come from all walks of life.
They could be tack, they could be real
Clients can range from rough to genuine.
They do have feelings, but just right now I feel
Although clients have emotions, in my current situation, it is my feelings that matter.
A feminine receptacle, that's just what I am
As a prostitute, my worth is solely defined by the service I provide.
Just the best target practice, for a misguided man
Some men see prostitution as a way to take out their frustrations and anger.
Imagine a rod that cannot hold the fish
My dreams of a better future are unrealistic and will never fully manifest.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVE ROTHERAY, PAUL HEATON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind