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 Rocking Chair
The Beautiful South Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Looking for an angel's wings in the den of the hawk
Here I am, here I am
With a choice between an also ran and a sunbed tan
And you thought you'd found your own little look
How I misjudged, how I mistook
I guess tonight I'll take, I'll take these troubles to
the rocking chair
So I'll take these high-heeled shoes
And yes I'll take these traditional views
I'll take this deep despair
Of a 30 year old square, to the rocking chair
Here I sit, here I sit
Looking for a warming smile in a house of cold wit
Here I stand, here I stand
Torn between the balding drunk and no man's land
And they'll tell you when you've reached your peak
Where the wolf-whistle rung there's a deafening shriek
Blowing kisses into thin air
I guess tonight I'll take, I'll take these troubles to
The rocking chair
So I'll take this awkward stance
And I'll take this sexless dance
I'll take this deep despair of a 30 year old square
To the rocking chair
Am I skinny? A shade too fat?
Mmm, my friend the cat knows all about that
Am I happy?
(Here I sit, here I sit)
Just a little sad
(Looking for a warming smile in a house of cold wit)
Mmm, my friend the cat knows all about that
Am I skinny?
(Here I walk, here I walk)
A shade too fat?
(Looking for an angel's wings in the den of the hawk)
My friend the cat knows all about that
The Beautiful South's "The Rocking Chair" is a melancholy song about feeling out of place, misunderstood, and trapped in a dead-end life. The first two lines describe the singer's search for hope and purity in an uninviting, harsh environment. He is walking, presumably through a busy, chaotic city or town, looking for an "angel's wings" - a symbol of grace, lightness, and protection - in the middle of a "den of the hawk" - a metaphor for predatory, aggressive behavior and shady dealings. The contrast between the two images underscores the sense of disillusionment and alienation the singer feels.
The next two lines introduce the idea of choice and compromise. The singer is faced with two options: an "also ran", someone mediocre and uninspiring, and a "sunbed tan", a shallow and artificial attempt to look glamorous and carefree. The singer is aware that neither of these is a satisfying or authentic way to live, and he seems to pity whoever has settled for them. The next stanza expands on this theme by depicting the singer as stuck between two unsavory male figures: a "balding drunk" and "no man's land", a metaphor for isolation and loneliness. The line "torn between" implies that the choice is not really a choice, but rather a forced or impossible decision.
The chorus returns to the "rocking chair", a symbol of comfort, nostalgia, and resignation. The singer admits that he has misunderstood and misjudged someone, and that he has lost faith in his own ability to understand and connect with people. He juxtaposes images of high-heeled shoes and traditional views, awkward stances and sexless dances, as well as the desperate feeling of being a "30-year-old square." The repeated lines "I guess tonight I'll take, I'll take these troubles" suggest a resigned acceptance of his fate, as if he has no other place to go or solution to find.
Line by Line Meaning
Here I walk, here I walk
As I make my way through life, I am searching for something pure and good, even in a place that is full of danger and deceit.
Looking for an angel's wings in the den of the hawk
I am searching for something beautiful and divine, even in a place that is full of danger and darkness.
Here I am, here I am
As I stand before a crossroads in my life, I have to make a choice between two paths that are both imperfect.
With a choice between an also ran and a sunbed tan
I can choose between settling for something mediocre or trying to change myself into something that I am not.
And you thought you'd found your own little look
You believed you had discovered a unique style that was all your own.
How I misjudged, how I mistook
But in reality, you were mistaken and misunderstood the true nature of your own identity.
And you thought you'd found the style of your hair
You were confident that you had found the perfect hairstyle that suited you perfectly.
I guess tonight I'll take, I'll take these troubles to the rocking chair
But now, I am burdened with these problems and I will retreat to the comfort of my own thoughts in order to try to solve them.
So I'll take these high-heeled shoes
I will carry with me the external pressures that others have placed upon me.
And yes I'll take these traditional views
I will also embrace the conventional expectations of society, even if they don't align with my own desires.
I'll take this deep despair
I am grappling with a deep sense of hopelessness and sadness within myself.
Of a 30 year old square, to the rocking chair
I feel trapped within the confines of social norms and expectations, and seek solace in a place where I can be at peace with myself.
Here I sit, here I sit
As I reflect on my life and the people around me, I feel a sense of loneliness and isolation.
Looking for a warming smile in a house of cold wit
I am searching for a person or place where I can find comfort and kindness, even in a world full of cynicism and humorlessness.
Here I stand, here I stand
As I confront the realities of my own inadequacies, I am caught between two equally unsatisfying options.
Torn between the balding drunk and no man's land
I must choose between accepting someone who is flawed but authentic, or the emptiness of being alone.
And they'll tell you when you've reached your peak
Society will pressure you to conform to its standards of success and warn you when you fall short of its expectations.
Where the wolf-whistle rung there's a deafening shriek
But what seems like praise and admiration can quickly turn into harsh criticism and negativity.
Blowing kisses into thin air
I am yearning for someone to love, but feeling as though my affections are wasted and unreturned.
I guess tonight I'll take, I'll take these troubles to
Once again, I will seek refuge in my own thoughts and emotions, in order to process my problems.
The rocking chair
I find peace and comfort in the quiet contemplation of my own mind.
So I'll take this awkward stance
I will carry with me the sense of unease that comes with being different and uncomfortable in one's own skin.
And I'll take this sexless dance
I will also carry with me the frustration of an unfulfilled and unexplored sexuality.
Am I skinny? A shade too fat?
I am constantly worried about my own appearance, and whether I am meeting the narrow standards of conventional beauty.
Mmm, my friend the cat knows all about that
But in the end, only a non-judgemental and non-human creature like a cat can provide unconditional love and acceptance to me.
Am I happy?
Despite all of my challenges and struggles, I still yearn for a life that is fulfilling and joyful.
(Here I sit, here I sit)
Just a little sad
But for the moment, I am simply feeling a sense of melancholy and resignation.
Mmm, my friend the cat knows all about that
But no matter what, I know that my feline companion will always be there for me, offering unconditional love and support.
Am I skinny?
Despite all of my struggles, I still feel the pressure to conform to the narrow standards of beauty set by those around me.
(Here I walk, here I walk)
A shade too fat?
And I wonder if I am too heavy, too unattractive, too different from what others expect from me.
My friend the cat knows all about that
But ultimately, only my cat knows the true depth of my feelings and the challenges that I must face every day.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVE ROTHERAY, PAUL HEATON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind