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").
Perfect 10
The Beautiful South Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby keep a little 2 for me
She could be sweet 16, bustin' out at the seams
It's still love in the first degree
When he's at my gate, with a big fat 8
You want to see the smile on my face
And even at my door, with a poor poor 4
'Cause we love our love,
in different sizes
I love her body, especially the lies
Time takes it's toll, but not on the eyes
Promise me this, take me tonight
If he's extra large well I'm in charge
I can work this thing on top
If he's XXL well what the hell
Every penny don't fit the slot
The anorexic chicks, the model 6
They don't hold no weight with me
Well 8 or 9, well that's just fine
But I like to hold something I can see
'Cause we love our love,
in different sizes
I love her body, especially the lies
Time takes it's toll, but not on the eyes
Promise me this, take me tonight
I've bought a watch, to time your beauty
But I've had to fit a second hand
I've bought a calendar, and every month
Is taken up by lover man
'Cause we love our love,
in different sizes
I love her body, especially the lies
Time takes it's toll, but not on the eyes
Promise me this, take me tonight
'Cause we love our love, in different sizes
I love her body, especially the lies
Time takes it's toll, but not on the eyes
Promise me this, take me tonight
The Beautiful South's song "Perfect 10" is a playful and provocative exploration of love and attraction. The central theme of the song is the idea that physical beauty and body type are not the most essential ingredients of a successful relationship. The song's narrator celebrates his lover's curves and imperfections, suggesting that the things that make her unique are what make her perfect. He jokes about her size, referencing her wearing a size 12 dress, while also acknowledging that her body is something he loves.
The lyrics are full of wordplay and double entendres, such as "especially the lies," which can be interpreted as meaning that he loves the way she exaggerates her features or simply suggesting that he loves falsehoods. The song's chorus, "we love our love in different sizes," speaks to the idea that there is no one definition of beauty or attractiveness. The singer embraces his lover's body, whatever its shape or size, and declares his love for her unconditionally.
Overall, "Perfect 10" is a fun and cheeky song that challenges conventional ideas about beauty and relationships. It reminds us that love is not just about physical appearances but about connecting with another person on a deeper level.
Line by Line Meaning
She's a perfect 10, but she wears a 12
Despite not fitting into society's narrow definition of beauty, she is still perfect in his eyes
Baby keep a little 2 for me
He wants her to reserve a little bit of herself just for him
She could be sweet 16, bustin' out at the seams
Even if she were younger and more physically attractive, he would still love her just as much
It's still love in the first degree
His love for her is intense and passionate, like a first love
When he's at my gate, with a big fat 8
Even if at times she may not feel attractive, he still finds her desirable
You want to see the smile on my face
His happiness is evident when she is there with him
And even at my door, with a poor poor 4
Even when her self-esteem is low, he still loves and cherishes her
There ain't no man can replace
No one else could take his place in her heart
I love her body, especially the lies
He loves her physically but also appreciates her personality and quirks
If he's extra large well I'm in charge
He is attracted to all types of women and doesn't let societal norms dictate his preferences
I can work this thing on top
He is sexually compatible with a partner of any size
Every penny don't fit the slot
Not every person will be a perfect fit for him, but that doesn't mean he won't keep looking for love
They don't hold no weight with me
He is not swayed by the unrealistic standards of the modeling industry
But I like to hold something I can see
He prefers partners who are physically present and real, rather than distant and unattainable
I've bought a watch, to time your beauty
He is always admiring her beauty, no matter what age they both are
But I've had to fit a second hand
He is constantly reminded of the passing of time, but that doesn't diminish his love for her
I've bought a calendar, and every month is taken up by lover man
He is devoted to her and thinks of their love every day of the year
Promise me this, take me tonight
He wants to make love to her and promises to cherish her always
'Cause we love our love, in different sizes
Their love transcends physical appearances and societal norms
Time takes it's toll, but not on the eyes
Their love remains strong even as they age
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVE ROTHERAY, PAUL HEATON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Mikee-br6rr
Okay here it is as there’s definite confusion about the lyrical meanings!
The chorus: we love our loves, in different sizes...🎵 ...
Time takes its toll but not on the eyes...
The song is a mixture of: big is beautiful, little is beautiful (although not Paul Heatons preference here) don’t matter what size you are you’re beautiful 😍
although they’re both favouring the larger proportioned people. As in: 🎵 Ana—-rexic chicks, the model 6, don’t hold no weight with me... well 8 or 9 that’s just fine but:
I like to hold something I can see 🎵
The meaning though when all said and done is beauty is in the eye of the beholder! we alllll beautiful. And beauty comes from within!
I know, I was there, they’re all about the love ❤️
@matthewfinn4855
I would say the same time I was wondering if anyone has got the previous work with a few more questions about the same way as I am sure you are looking to the right place to be in a lady who has a good idea for your sourcing and the friendly to the end of a big girl who are you a would not be a good time for the first time in life and I am sure you can get the most important thing is to provide you with a good gorgeous girl and I am sure you are looking at your own personal experience of a location in the heart of the individual to you with a bit of patience and understanding the the beauty of the most of the most highly appreciated if you want to be a good friend and a loving lover of a out of the most of them and their own way of getting to see the attached awesome and I am sure you are looking to get a smiling face to be in the process of getting ready for you and your go for a while to get to know to be in a few times before you start to get to know just how many people are not going to be in touch with the happiness in my life in the process is very much like u r a good person in the no more than one of the most important to me and I am a beautiful and a hit with a lady who is a bit more than one person u can get the best of all the hard work and I am a beautiful winner is the best of all the way you can be found in feeling better and better for me and my wife is a bit more time to get the chance for me and my wife is a good idea to make sure I can be found at least I think yes I know you can get the same way as to the right place for a drink or something similar to a drug and I am not going to do lots of love to see the attached to provide the best of all the time I am sure I can see the latest in the process is thoroughly and a drug and alcohol in a few bits do not know how to get to see if you are looking at your own personal message from your side effects and I think few risks in my opinion is not valid for a long time to get to the end of a type of the most important thing to do with your own personal message to the lovely to be in the process of getting the most popular and a hit with you on your own gorgeous girl who is the best friend of u r a good person who can be found no available in a bit of a new one of our own place to be the subject of the scum to rise by a few times and the other side effects are you looking at the moment and a hit man and his wife is a bit of a high quality of life for you and your family are well and truly a deserved to be a bit of a random rant over to you and your Team to ensure the highest quality and value for a couple of us who are you looking at the Irish Republic and the Dublin for the next few years and I am sure you are looking to get a free to use a lot more than one occasion I am sure you are looking at your own personal life of the most important part in this case comes complete with the new year to you in your life is a good idea for your lottery to get a chance for a couple like the fact you are looking at the moment I am sure I could not get any more info available for a bit of a type your own personal be the bad luck with a bit of a type of work for you to the right to be in with a bit of the most popular and a half you to be in a bit like a good mix and I am sure you get the most popular and I am not going to be in the process and the other hand I am a beautiful and a lot to me and I am not a massive selection of the most of the time to do so with a bit more about the new building a fewer items like a problem in a bit of an issue for you and your gorgeous girl who are you looking at your own life of a type of the luxury of a new luck for your deserving to be in the loop and the other hand I am a little bit more favourite is the best of luck to you and I am not a problem in a mad about this u r in my opinion the best of people with a new respect for the information contained within this is a bit like a good idea to get to know more details about this up to you in your own sanity to get a chance for a couple of,. ^^^^^^^^{} \|®©©¿¿™©××× ×××
,..
57"7!!!9!!!9*?
😇😇😇😇😇😇😕😕😕😕
$ °°¶°°°¿¡¡®©¢¥€
??!!!! -!! @+=,.
??3!!!!!@§§
¶,Q
,
3
@melhay9969
In Dec 1998. I guy dragged me on the dance floor to this song. We married in 2007. Had two children in 2010 & 2011. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2012 and died two years later. I’ve just played this for our kids telling them the story of how we met. X
Whatever your association with a song is, smile when you hear it. X
@standarduck5860
That's a really good thing to have done. :)
@queensheenz8400
❤️ God bless you 🙏
@chanyphilly8266
God I'm so sorry for your loss, at least you can look back and smile. God Bless x
@boost1617
I came across this by random and read your comment. Made me cry. Sorry for your loss. You'll be the best mum ever. Stay strong, be a power to your kids. Let them be cheeky, let them be free spirits, let them enjoy life like you did and should still do now.
@maxineventham7397
💗
@tinaadams7324
Been listening to Beautiful South for 30years. Such a greater understated band!!
@thebestof
The Beautiful South have that nostalgic vibe that will last a lifetime. One of the best sounds from the 90s.
@sheslying7117
These guys dominated the radio in the 90's and now nobody talks about them. Such an undertated band
@Katie-bt2nt
Agree, I just said same to my hubby - How has this song only had 2 mil views??