They were formed in Wallasey, England in 1988, with singer/guitarist Sice aka Simon Rowebottom, guitarist/songwriter Martin Carr, bassist Timothy Brown and original drummer Steve Hewitt. Hewitt was replaced by Rob Cieka following their first release, the extremely rare Ichabod and I.
In 1992, the band released Everything's Alright Forever but it was 1993's Giant Steps that finally brought the band to a mass audience, in the UK at least. They were on the illustrious Creation Records label with other British greats like the Jesus and Mary Chain, Primal Scream, and My Bloody Valentine.
The Boos never were quite able to break in the US, even with the poppier 1995 Wake Up!. The album brought critical acclaim to the band, but was not promoted by their US domestic label, Columbia, and the band was subsequently dropped. During this time, Sice put out a solo album, First Fruits under the name Eggman. 1996 also saw the Boo Radleys bring about another change, the heavier C'mon Kids. The band split in 1999, just months after the release of Kingsize.
Martin Carr went on to form Brave Captain, putting out several albums. Despite a pledge to never play again, Sice formed a new band, Paperlung, in 2005.
More info can be found on their website: http://www.booradleys.co.uk/
If You Want It Take It
The Boo Radleys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nowhere to hide away
Nothing to bribe them with
I've got nothing against not being
Proud, to me it's alright
Grab what's going and make it
Mine, no sense in hanging
I don't worry about being proud
As long as I'm alright
If you want it, make it yours
There's nothing bright about being
Undecided
If you want it, take it all
There's nothing cool about having
To go without
The lyrics to The Boo Radleys song If You Want It Take It express a message of empowerment and seizing opportunities. The opening lines "Call the cops and make it loud, nowhere to hide away, nothing to bribe them with" imply a sense of urgency and an absence of fear. The singer is unafraid and determined to claim something for themselves. The following lines "I've got nothing against not being proud, to me it's alright" suggest that the singer is not concerned with the opinions of others, and there is a willingness to take what they can get.
The second verse reinforces this message with lines like "Grab what's going and make it mine, no sense in hanging round waiting for hand-me-downs". This is a call to action for the listener, urging them to be proactive and to take control of their own lives. The chorus repeats the phrase "If you want it, make it yours" and emphasizes the importance of making decisive choices and taking ownership of one's desires. The lines "There's nothing bright about being undecided, there's nothing cool about having to go without" further stress the importance of taking action and not settling for less than what one wants.
Overall, the song is an anthem for self-empowerment and seizing opportunities. It encourages listeners to take control of their own lives and to not be afraid to go after what they want.
Line by Line Meaning
Call the cops and make it loud
Make a big scene and get attention to fix the problem
Nowhere to hide away
There's no escape or avoiding the situation
Nothing to bribe them with
No way to pay someone off or convince them to help
I've got nothing against not being proud, to me it's alright
It's okay to not always feel proud or confident in yourself
Grab what's going and make it mine, no sense in hanging round waiting for hand-me downs
Take control of what is available instead of waiting for something else to come along
I don't worry about being proud, as long as I'm alright
Feeling proud is not the most important thing, as long as you're doing okay
If you want it, make it yours
Take ownership of what you desire
There's nothing bright about being undecided
Not knowing what to do is not a good thing
If you want it, take it all
Don't settle for less, go after everything you want
There's nothing cool about having to go without
Being in a position of lacking something is not desirable or admirable
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MARTIN JAMES CARR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aron Royle
Brilliant tune. Only 500 listens??? How is this possible?
jasonpfinch
This was my favourite on the album, and the album blew my mind at the time. It was all about my move from my first girlfriend to my second (for me).
Luke Chester
Not sure that this tune is made by humans. Too good by far