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").
The Gates
The Beautiful South Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause as soon as she arrives God has to send her down again
?You've got an extra five years to clean up after men?
?I mean no disrespect God, but you better make it ten?
Well if heaven's an improvement I won't mind the extra squeeze
I've got a few more birds down there, after losing bees
Trying to lose their bees
So don't be shocked who queue-jumps
Or who just calmly waits
A certain type of behavior
The guest list just creates
No time for lively discussion
No time for televised debates
The well-meaning soon become well meant
It's the hard sell or hell at the gates, the gates
Alcoholic finds himself outside the pearly gates
I've only got one worry God, a few outstanding slates
Any tab you used to have been passed to so called mates
And after they've paid-up they're off to the land of empty crates
Heaven is a glass, neither half empty nor half full
So do us all a favor God and give that thing a pull
Give that thing a pull
So don't be shocked who queue-jumps
Or who just calmly waits
A certain type of behavior
The guest list just creates
No time for lively discussion
No time for televised debates
The well-meaning soon become the well meant
It's the hard sell or hell at the gates, the gates
Model turns up hours late, he had to get it right
If you're gonna look cool in heaven wear something more than white
Vanity's close to arrogance, just slightly more polite
Fashion show a jumble sale at a slightly different height
At a slightly different height
So don't be shocked who queue-jumps
Or who just calmly waits
A certain type of behavior
The guest list just creates
No time for lively discussion
No time for televised debates
The well-meaning soon become the well meant
It's the hard sell or hell at the gates, the gates
The gates, the gates
The Beautiful South's song "The Gates" is a satirical commentary on the idea of heaven and the afterlife. The first verse describes a woman going to heaven, but immediately having to return to earth because she has "an extra five years to clean up after men." This line is a jab at traditional gender roles that place a disproportionate burden on women to perform domestic labor. The singer goes on to suggest that God should give her ten years instead of five to get the job done. This speaks to the frustration many people feel about the unfairness of society, and how much time and effort it takes to achieve equality.
The second verse features an alcoholic who has arrived at the gates of heaven with "a few outstanding slates." He is worried that his debts won't be paid off and that he won't be allowed entry. This part of the song highlights the idea that people have to be "good enough" to get into heaven, and that there's a certain amount of gatekeeping involved in who is allowed in. The chorus repeats the idea that the "guest list" creates certain types of behavior, suggesting that people are only good because they want to get into heaven.
The final verse features a model who is worried about what to wear to heaven. The singer suggests that she wear something other than white, as "vanity's close to arrogance." This line plays on the idea that people who are obsessed with their appearance are seen as shallow or egotistical. Overall, "The Gates" is a witty and darkly humorous take on the afterlife, suggesting that heaven is just as fraught with inequality and judgment as earth.
Line by Line Meaning
Woman goes to heaven, it's not important when
It doesn't matter when a woman goes to heaven
'Cause as soon as she arrives God has to send her down again
Because God sends her back immediately upon arrival
You've got an extra five years to clean up after men
You have an additional five years to tidy up after men
I mean no disrespect God, but you better make it ten
No offense, God, but ten years should be better
Well if heaven's an improvement I won't mind the extra squeeze
If heaven is better, I don't mind the lack of space
I've got a few more birds down there, after losing bees
I still have some friends left down there after losing others
Trying to lose their bees
Trying to get rid of bad relationships
So don't be shocked who queue-jumps
Don't be surprised by line-cutters
Or who just calmly waits
Or by those who don't seem bothered by waiting
A certain type of behavior
People's behavior is unique to them
The guest list just creates
The guest list is responsible for certain attitudes
No time for lively discussion
There's no time for talking in heaven
No time for televised debates
There's also no room for television debates
The well-meaning soon become well meant
Those with good intentions often become redundant
It's the hard sell or hell at the gates, the gates
It's either convincing enough to get in, or you go to hell
Alcoholic finds himself outside the pearly gates
An alcoholic reaches heaven's gates
I've only got one worry God, a few outstanding slates
My only concern, God, is a few unpaid debts
Any tab you used to have been passed to so called mates
Any debts that existed, have been passed around
And after they've paid-up they're off to the land of empty crates
Once they've paid, they go to a place of nothingness
Heaven is a glass, neither half empty nor half full
Heaven is neither optimist nor pessimist
So do us all a favor God and give that thing a pull
God, do us a favor and make things clearer
Model turns up hours late, he had to get it right
A model arrives late because he had to look perfect
If you're gonna look cool in heaven wear something more than white
If you want to look good in heaven, wearing white is not enough
Vanity's close to arrogance, just slightly more polite
Being vain is like being arrogant, just more subtle
Fashion show a jumble sale at a slightly different height
A fashion show in heaven is like a chaotic sale, but fancier
The gates, the gates
Repeating the title of the song
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVE ROTHERAY, PAUL HEATON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind