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.
Headlights on the Parade
The Blue Nile Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Something wasn't right
I'm sorry
Would be easy
To say I love you
Headlights on the parade
Light up the way
Light up the way
I go, yeah
Close your eyes
Come with me
Only love is alive
Close your eyes
Can't you see
Only love will survive, yeah
Headlights on the parade
Light up the way
I love you
Headlights on the parade
Light up the way
I've made up my mind
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Only love will survive
Yeah
The city wins while you and I
Can't find a way
Oh, headlights on the parade, yeah, yeah
Fly little angel
Fly little angel
Yeah
The Blue Nile's song "Headlights on the Parade" is a beautiful and melancholic reflection on the complexities of love and relationships. The first stanza speaks of a troubled love where something is not quite right, indicated by the line "something wasn't right." The singer suggests that apologizing and saying "I love you" would be easy, but it's clear that the issues in the relationship run deeper. The repetition of the phrase "Headlights on the parade" seems to suggest that the singer is driving, looking ahead to the future, with the lights representing guidance and hope.
In the second stanza, the singer invites their lover to come with them and experience a world that is only alive with love. The repetition of the line "Only love will survive" reinforces the idea that love is the only thing that really matters in the world. The final stanza suggests that the city (perhaps representing the outside world or societal expectations) is winning, while the singer and their lover are struggling to find a way to make things work.
Overall, "Headlights on the Parade" is a poignant reflection on the complexities of love and relationships, and the difficulties that can arise when trying to navigate them.
Line by Line Meaning
And if in love she cried
If she cried while we were in love then something was wrong
Something wasn't right
There was something wrong that made her cry
I'm sorry
I apologize for whatever caused her to cry
Would be easy
It would be easy to say "I love you", but that's not enough
To say I love you
Saying "I love you" is not enough to fix what went wrong
Headlights on the parade
The parade is lit up by the headlights of passing cars
Light up the way
These headlights light up the way for us to move forward
I go, yeah
I am moving forward, even though it's hard
Close your eyes
Focus on what's inside, not just what's in front of you
Come with me
Let's move forward together
Only love is alive
Love is the only thing that truly matters
Can't you see
Don't focus on external distractions, focus on love
Only love will survive, yeah
Love is the only thing that will endure
I love you
Just saying "I love you" isn't enough to fix things
I've made up my mind
I've decided to move forward and focus on love
Only love will survive
Love is the only thing that will make it through hard times
The city wins while you and I
We're losing out while the city moves on
Can't find a way
Despite our efforts, we can't find a way to fix things
Oh, headlights on the parade, yeah, yeah
The parade continues, no matter what happens between us
Fly little angel
A plea to an angel to escape this difficult situation
Fly little angel
Reinforcement of the plea for an angel to leave the difficult situation
Yeah
An added emphasis on the plea for an angel to leave
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: PAUL GERARD BUCHANAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
123ubuntu666
I bought this album because Chris Roberts from Melody Maker gave it a knock out review. He raved. It was quite contrary to a lot of the stuff he was in to at the time, so it was intriguing.
I bought it blind (not having heard a not of music), on cassette.
It was quite a leap at the time, because I had some very bad tinnitus. The music was soothing enough for me to be able to play it, to lull me to sleep. I remember the odd snare jarring. But my other 'tapes' would just wreck my head. 'Hats' was a remedy for my ailment.
Slowly I got better. Listening to this album almost every night. It was almost like a drug. I mean something that makes you better. It was.
I did get better. And I ended up seeing them in London performing live. It blew my mind that they played live but gave such a perfect rendition of the record. No mean feat.
I then bought their other album "A Walk across the Rooftops". Sublime. No wonder Peter Gabriel championed them.
What is there to say?
Songs for births of your children. Songs for the deaths of your parents. And dare I say it, songs for the deaths of your children and your siblings. They go to places where very few musical artists go. They do deeper without being intrusive.
I'll stop there.
Chris Roberts' words have obviously rubbed off on me in a big way. Thanks for introducing me to the band, anyway. They weren't a disappointment.
I also saw them on that Scottish show 'Halfway to Paradise' with them playing with the Revox on the stage with them. I think. Bit of a blur now.
But the music is stronger and better than ever. Calum Malcolm is a genius.
Marinos A
The blue Nile capture that sweet sweet melancholia, the neon lighted rain soaked streets. No one did it this well. Deathless music. I'm forever grateful
Tiana Nesbitt
😂
Mr Nougat
@Household A pair of rain-soaked wellingtons next to an melting ice cream cone. yeah i get it
Ruple Thaker
Yes. Indeed.
Lynne Carr
Right. This is in a class by itself. Nothing else like it. Amazing.
Jack Hyde
Absolutely beautiful. ❤️
helen hart
No matter when I listen to this cd, it’s as brilliant as the day it was released, I absolutely love it. ❤️
Chris Murray
This is the song that helped me understand what cathartic meant. It taught me that when sorrow & sadness come along in your life, you have to find a way to embrace it, understand that what you are going through is temporary & that you'll emerge a stronger, better person with a greater empathy to others around you. Hats got me through my divorce & I thank TBN for it...
Midwin Harris
I bought this album in 1989 when I was only 14. Used to play it almost every morning on my walks to school. Love Downtown Lights and the other tracks. But when this came on I get a boost of beautiful energy tingling all over. Even now at 43, the feeling remains. Such a beautiful song. 😍
Martin Hennessy
Me too.