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").
Old Red Eyes Is Back
The Beautiful South Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Red from the night before the night before
Walked into the wrong bar walked into a door
Old Red's in town
And sitting late at night he doesn't make a sound
Just adding to the wrinkles on his deathly frown
They're only red from all the women that I could've wed
So when you look into these eyes I hope you realize
They could never be blue
They could never be blue
They could never be blue
They could never be blue
Listen up Old Red
You never listened to a word the doctor said
He told you if you drank another you'd be dead
Old Red Eyes is back
His shoulders ache all over and his brain is sore
He pours a drink and listens to his body thaw
They're only red from all the thoughts unused inside my head
They're only red from all the things I could have done instead
So when you look into these eyes I hope you realize
They could never be blue
They could never be blue
They could never be blue
They could never be blue
Blue is a street without an end
Red is the color of my hell
Blue is a greeting from a friend
Red is the color of farewell
Old Red he died
And every single landlord in the district cried
An empty bottle of whiskey laying by his side
A lazy little tear running from each eye
They could never be blue
They could never be blue
They could never be blue
They could never be blue
The song "Old Red Eyes Is Back" by The Beautiful South tells the story of a man named Old Red, who is an alcoholic trying to cope with the consequences of his actions. The lyrics suggest that Old Red has a lot of regrets and missed opportunities in his life, which have caused him to turn to alcohol to numb his pain. The lines "They're only red from all the tears that I should've shed / They're only red from all the women that I could've wed" indicate that Old Red's red eyes are a symbol of his wasted life.
The song also touches on the physical toll that excessive drinking has taken on Old Red's body. The line "His shoulders ache all over and his brain is sore" highlights the pain and discomfort that he experiences on a daily basis. Despite his troubles, Old Red is portrayed as a quiet and reflective figure, who spends his nights listening to his own thoughts and pouring himself another drink.
Overall, the song's lyrics paint a bleak picture of Old Red's life, showing how alcoholism and regrets can take a heavy toll on a person's body and mind.
Line by Line Meaning
Old Red eyes is back
The character Old Red is back in town.
Red from the night before the night before
His eyes are red from drinking heavily the night before last.
Walked into the wrong bar walked into a door
Old Red accidentally walked into the wrong bar and hit his face on a door.
And sitting late at night he doesn't make a sound
Old Red sits in silence late at night.
Just adding to the wrinkles on his deathly frown
His frown is getting deeper and more prominent with time.
They're only red from all the tears that I should've shed
His eyes are only red because he did not cry at the appropriate times.
They're only red from all the women that I could've wed
His eyes are red because he regrets not marrying certain women in his past.
So when you look into these eyes I hope you realize
The character hopes others understand why his eyes are red.
They could never be blue
His eyes could never be blue, which symbolizes something different than red.
Listen up Old Red
Someone is addressing Old Red.
You never listened to a word the doctor said
Old Red ignored the medical advice given to him by a doctor.
He told you if you drank another you'd be dead
The doctor warned Old Red that excessive drinking could kill him.
His shoulders ache all over and his brain is sore
Old Red is experiencing physical discomfort and pain.
He pours a drink and listens to his body thaw
Old Red drinks alcohol to ease his physical pain.
They're only red from all the thoughts unused inside my head
His eyes are red because he did not act upon certain thoughts and ideas.
They're only red from all the things I could have done instead
The character regrets not taking certain opportunities that were available to him.
Blue is a street without an end
Blue symbolizes something limitless and without conclusion.
Red is the color of my hell
Red symbolizes something painful and torturous, like hell.
Blue is a greeting from a friend
Blue symbolizes something friendly and welcoming.
Red is the color of farewell
Red symbolizes something final, like saying goodbye.
Old Red he died
Old Red has passed away.
And every single landlord in the district cried
Old Red was a beloved regular at many bars and establishments in the area.
An empty bottle of whiskey laying by his side
Old Red died with an empty whiskey bottle beside him.
A lazy little tear running from each eye
Even in death, Old Red's eyes remain red and full of tears.
They could never be blue
His eyes could never be blue, which symbolizes something different than red.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVE ROTHERAY, PAUL HEATON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@greenalien787
lyrics
Old Red eyes is back
Red from the night before the night before
Walked into the wrong bar walked into a door
Old Red's in town
And sitting late at night he doesn't make a sound
Just adding to the wrinkles on his deathly frown
They're only red from all the tears that I should've shed
They're only red from all the women that I could've wed
So when you look into these eyes I hope you realise
They could never be blue
They could never be blue
They could never be blue
They could never be blue
Listen up Old Red
You never listened to a word the doctor said
He told you if you drank another you'd be dead
Old Red Eyes is back
His shoulders ache all over and his brain is sore
He pours a drink and listens to his body thaw
They're only red from all the thoughts unused inside my head
They're only red from all the things I could have done instead
So when you look into these eyes I hope you realise
They could never be blue
They could never be blue
They could never be blue
They could never be blue
Blue is a street without an end
Red is the colour of my hell
Blue is a greeting from a friend
Red is the colour of farewell
Old Red he died
And every single landlord in the district cried
An empty bottle of whisky laying by his side
A lazy little tear running from each eye
They could never be blue
They could never be blue
They could never be blue
They could never be blue
@jaywhite6139
This is an absolute classic tune with some of the most incredible, insightful and bitter sweet lyrics of all time
@bubblezovlove7213
I love the way he dances amd his drunk self is being a puppet like copy. Thats so clever... i hadn't seen the video until now...
@eleanormelaugh2342
Yes I know a red eyes I can relate
@LastOfTheGangToDie10
@@eleanormelaugh2342 it’s the saddest thing in the world to witness.
@horserider591
Scary when singing in the mirror after being out from the night before the week before?
@richardstokes3625
It’s very clever in all aspects
@stewarthall2658
Always loved this tune. Now im 13 years sober and this songs lyrics still hit hard in so many ways
@maypolekittenbubbletea2266
Well done you... My dad's 20 years this year and this is one of my favorites I'm his baby. We went to see them last weekend an absolute magic moment, he loved em I loved em. Just an amazing singer and something to be proud of.... Well done 👍
@rossmacmillan1065
Well done mate!!!!!! I am sober too
@stewarthall2658
Thanks guys