The music of The Blue Nile is built heavily on synthesizers and electronic instrumentation and percussion, although later works have featured acoustic guitar more prominently. Despite the "coldness" often associated with the use of such electronic instruments, The Blue Nile has managed to create music that is deeply emotional, and a lot of this has to do with the plaintive vocals of lead singer Paul Buchanan, whom critics have often compared to Peter Gabriel. The lyrics are often stream-of-consciousness descriptions of feelings and environments, which heighten the drama of the compositions, which are as much soundscapes as they are songs.
The band was formed when friends Buchanan and Paul Joseph Moore met Robert Bell shortly after graduating from the University of Glasgow in the late 1970s. Their debut album A Walk Across the Rooftops was the result of a request from the Linn Company to test a newly built recording studio!
The rare, later albums - which include acclaimed titles like Hats (1989) - have been released by the Scottish high end hifi company Linn and feature exceptional sound and production values.
From Rags to Riches
The Blue Nile Lyrics
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Like any son
I have hope and good intentions
And wandering into the daybreak
I learn as I go
To fall laughing into the water
Sticks and the stones are your broken promises
We wait too long to go from rags to riches
A wild wild sky, a wild wild sky
Fences and tumble down bridges surround and divide
I wear a coat of many colours, of many colours
The sticks and the stones, our broken promises
I wait no longer to go from rags to riches
People are leaving the squalor
They're leaving the houses and fires
And starting out
We find the waiting country
Sticks and the stones are your broken promises
I wait no longer, I go from rags to riches
From rags to riches
I go from rags to riches
Go from rags to riches
From rags to riches
The Blue Nile's "From Rags to Riches" is a song that conveys the journey of a man who is leaving his home and setting out on a new path, full of hope and positivity. He talks about learning along the way, despite any setbacks or obstacles that he may face. One of the key themes in these lyrics is the broken promises that he has encountered throughout his life, represented by sticks and stones. However, he refuses to allow these promises to hold him back any longer from achieving his dreams and going from rags to riches.
The singer describes wearing "a coat of many colours," symbolizing the various experiences and challenges he has faced throughout his life that have prepared him for this new journey. He expresses being in love with the feeling of freedom and the unpredictable nature of life, represented by the wild sky. The fences and tumble-down bridges that surround and divide him serve as obstacles, but he doesn't let them stop him from moving forward.
Ultimately, the song has a sense of optimism and determination as the singer sets out to achieve his goals, leaving behind the squalor of his past and embarking on a journey from rags to riches.
Line by Line Meaning
I leave the home of a lifetime
I am leaving my childhood home, the place where I have spent my entire life until now.
Like any son
As a son, leaving home is a natural part of growing up and becoming independent.
I have hope and good intentions
I am optimistic about the future and have positive aspirations for what lies ahead.
And wandering into the daybreak
I am setting out on my journey, exploring the world as the sun rises on a new day.
I learn as I go
I am gaining knowledge and experience through my travels and experiences.
To fall laughing into the water
I am embracing the unpredictability of life and approaching challenges with humor and lightheartedness.
Sticks and the stones are your broken promises
The things you said you would do, the promises you made, have been left unfulfilled.
We wait too long to go from rags to riches
We should not put off chasing our dreams and we must act now to make them a reality.
I am in love, I am in love with a feeling
I am infatuated with the sensation of doing something new, with the unknown and the endless possibilities ahead.
A wild wild sky, a wild wild sky
The beauty and vastness of the world and the opportunities it holds are limitless.
Fences and tumble down bridges surround and divide
The barriers and divisions that exist in the world can prevent us from realizing our full potential and achieving our goals.
I wear a coat of many colours, of many colours
I am diverse and complex, with many facets that make up who I am and what I am capable of.
The sticks and the stones, our broken promises
We have failed to follow through on the commitments we made to each other.
I wait no longer to go from rags to riches
I am done wasting time and ready to take action to reach my goals and achieve success.
People are leaving the squalor
Others around me are also moving away from difficult or unpleasant circumstances and seeking something better.
They're leaving the houses and fires
People are leaving their homes and communities to explore new places and opportunities.
And starting out
They are beginning their journey, embarking on a new chapter in their lives.
We find the waiting country
As we venture out into the world, we discover new lands and experiences that have been waiting for us all along.
From rags to riches
We move from humble beginnings to great success, achieving our dreams and realizing our potential.
I go from rags to riches
I am on the path to achieving my goals and reaching a state of prosperity.
Go from rags to riches
It's time to take action and transform my life, moving from a state of struggle to one of success and abundance.
From rags to riches
A final affirmation that the journey from hardship to prosperity is underway.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: PAUL GERARD BUCHANAN, ROBERT BELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rick Aleborg
The vocals on this track is just so... so damn good!
I am in love, I am in love with a feeling
A wild wild sky, A wild wild sky
william james
How can this music be so bleak yet so uplifting? And how is it possible for a band to make music (along with hats) which i find so relatable some 30 years after it was made?
JTMVision
This song is the literal feeling of things getting so worse that they can only get better
Cole Fortier
It is rarely done. But music like this are timeless creative gems, that breaks all barriers. The Blue Nile are made up of visionaries.
Barry Kyle
The Blue Nile have been given a little space “subconsciously deep inside my head” but every now and then I’ll hear a little tune or a little note from the tele or somewhere else and BANG there I have it right back in my vision and just as Crystal Clear as it was the very first time I heard “tinsel town in the rain” I don’t know for the life of me WHY WHY WHY such a band never went further because they CERTAINLY had/have what it takes to STOP people in their tracks and then they listen to what REALLY EMOTIONS feel like only through music B
Sonblok
This is art without any of the pretence! Its magical music!
Zeb Rat
I bought this album soon after it was released & still have it in my top 10 - brilliant, with just enough Pop to tease the great horde.
ian burton
I just realized why I like this band so much, they've got this clean electronica sound sort of like Tangerine dream from the same era. I bet they were influenced by TD's early stuff like Hyperborea of 1983.
HP SOS
We certainly were. Sparse yet warm. Melodic yet obtuse.
And was this b4 San Jacinto? No.
The indie Thomas Dolby meets Peter Gabriel to jam in a Tangerine Dream. And then the bassist turns up and years later decides to sing live
Sen tim ent al Man!
What a band!
No Man’s Land u betcha
Scott Mc Fadyen
Love it