The Go-Betweens were a critically-acclaimed cult act famously summarised by Village Voice critic Robert Christgau thus: “Robert Forster and Grant McLennan are the greatest songwriting partnership working today.”
Early drummers Lissa Ross and Tim Mustapha were followed by Lindy Morrison, who was a constant member through the six albums the band recorded in their first and most prolific era. Robert Vickers made the band a four piece when he joined on bass for the third album - "Spring Hill Fair". He left following the fifth album, to be replaced by long-time Brisbane muso John Wilsteed. Amanda Brown (violin, oboe and vocals) was the other key member, heavily influencing the Go-Betweens sound on the final two albums in this period.
The Go-Betweens toured overseas numerous times and produced such indie hits as "Cattle and Cane" (1983) and "Streets of Your Town" (1988). After recording six acclaimed albums, Forster and McLennan disbanded The Go-Betweens in December 1989.
Forster and McLennan pursued solo careers throughout the '90s but were inspired to work together after they were invited by fans at French music magazine Les Inrockuptibles to perform at the magazine's 10th anniversary.
In 2000, Forster and McLennan reformed The Go-Betweens, assisted by all three members of Sleater-Kinney, and recorded the album The Friends of Rachel Worth.
The most recent line-up (2005) included Forster, McLennan, Adele Pickvance (bass) and Glenn Thompson (drums).
In October 2005 The Go-Betweens finally achieved mainstream recognition, with the album Oceans Apart (produced by Mark Wallis and Dave Ruffy) winning an ARIA award for Best Adult Contemporary Album.
Grant McLennan died in his sleep at his home in Highgate Hill, Brisbane on May 6, 2006. He was preparing for a party at his home when he mentioned he was feeling ill, and went to lie down. He was found later that night, and is believed to have suffered a heart attack. With McLennan's death, Robert Forster announced that the Go-Betweens are no more.
"The Go-Betweens have made their final album. They have played their final show. We let it rest at that, being very proud of what we have done." - Robert Forster (May 7th 2006). In June 2007, a tribute album, Write Your Adventures Down, was released in Australia.
Discography:
Non-Album Singles
* "Lee Remick/Karen" (Able Label, 1978)
* "People Say/Don't Let Him Come Back" (Able Label, 1979)
* "I Need Two Heads/Stop before You say It" (Missing Link/Postcard, 1980)
Albums
* Send Me A Lullaby (1982)
* Before Hollywood (1983)
* Spring Hill Fair (1984)
* Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express (1986)
* Tallulah (1987)
* 16 Lovers Lane (1988)
* 16 Lovers Lane Acoustic Démos (1996)
* Live on SNAP (1999)
* The Friends of Rachel Worth (2000)
* Bright Yellow Bright Orange (2003)
* Oceans Apart (2005)
* Live At The Tivoli, Brisbane (2006)
Compilations
* 1978-1990 (1990)
* Bellavista Terrace: Best of the Go-Betweens (1999)
* 78 'til 79 the Lost Album (1999)
Previous Members:
* Malcolm Kelly ("People Say")
* Jaqueline / Candice ("People Say")
2) The Go-Betweens [60s] A american garage band, made one single 1965.
Knock Knock / Have Her for My Own
The Clarke Sisters
The Go-Betweens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They sleep in the back of a feminist bookstore.
The Clarke Sisters
The eldest sister keeps a midnight vigil.
The youngest sister she's not spiritual.
The Clarke Sisters.
Their steel grey hair, their lovely steel grey hair.
The Clarke Sisters.
I'm sure they won't mind.
But don't you dare, laugh at their collections
Handed down, handed down for love.
The middle sister gets her period blood.
The flood of love. The flood of love.
The Clarke Sisters.
Their steel grey hair, their lovely steel grey hair.
The Clarke Sisters.
The afternoon world, the bees have stung the softball girls.
The midnight world, the crystal ball down the wooden hall.
The treehouse stands, their early childhood, were treehouse plans.
And right above,
The Clarke Sisters, handed down to love.
Handed down to love. Handed down to love.
The Go-Betweens' song "The Clarke Sisters" is a portrayal of three sisters who stand out from society's norms. The first verse paints a bleak picture of their troubled past with their father's law. The chorus describes their signature physical attribute, which is their steel grey hair, and emphasizes the significance of their sisterly bond through the repeated refrain "The Clarke Sisters." The second verse portrays the distinct personalities of the eldest and youngest sisters, with the former keeping a midnight vigil and the latter having no interest in spirituality.
The third verse delves into the biological and emotional upheavals of the middle sister getting her period for the first time, described as the "flood of love." The final lines of the song might be alluding to the memory of the sisters' childhoods, with a reference to a treehouse and the phrase "handed down to love," possibly hinting at the sisters passing on their independent spirit to future generations.
The song's overall theme seems to be celebrating the quirks and resilience of these unconventional women, who are comfortable in their own skin and unapologetic about their non-conformist ways.
Line by Line Meaning
They had problems with their father's law.
The Clarke sisters faced legal issues with their father.
They sleep in the back of a feminist bookstore.
The Clarke sisters live in the rear of a feminist bookshop, where they likely work and share the bookstore's maufacturing.
The Clarke Sisters
This is a song about the Clarke sisters.
The eldest sister keeps a midnight vigil.
The oldest Clarke sister regularly stays up late, keeping a vigil for someone or something.
The youngest sister she's not spiritual.
The youngest Clarke sister is not a spiritual person.
The Clarke Sisters.
This is a song about the Clarke sisters.
Their steel grey hair, their lovely steel grey hair.
The Clarke sisters have beautiful steel-grey hair, which is noteworthy enough to be mentioned twice.
Why don't I introduce you
The artist considers introducing the listener to the Clarke sisters.
I'm sure they won't mind.
The artist believes that the Clarke sisters won't have a problem with meeting the listener.
But don't you dare, laugh at their collections
The artist advises the listener not to ridicule the Clarke sisters' collections due to their immense sentimental value.
Handed down, handed down for love.
The sisters inherited their collection items from family members or friends who gave them out of love.
The middle sister gets her period blood.
The middle Clarke sister starts menstruating, which is a sign of coming of age.
The flood of love. The flood of love.
The singer repeats the phrase 'the flood of love' to emphasize the importance of the onset of menstruation as a signal of womanhood.
The Clarke Sisters.
This is a song about the Clarke sisters.
Their steel grey hair, their lovely steel grey hair.
The Clarke sisters have beautiful steel-grey hair, which is noteworthy enough to be mentioned twice.
The afternoon world, the bees have stung the softball girls.
This line describes a painful memory from the Clarke sisters' childhood, in which they were stung by bees during a softball game.
The midnight world, the crystal ball down the wooden hall.
The artist paints a surrealistic picture of the Clarke sisters' living quarters, with a crystal ball placed down a wooden hallway.
The treehouse stands, their early childhood, were treehouse plans.
The Clarke sisters had a treehouse in their childhood, which is now a memory as the treehouse stands no more.
And right above,
At this point, the singer is indicating something that is literally located above the treehouse.
The Clarke Sisters, handed down to love.
The Clarke family name was handed down to the sisters due to love, indicating the importance of family bonds.
Handed down to love. Handed down to love. Handed down to love.
The phrase 'handed down to love' is reiterated three times to emphasize the importance of love in the bond between the Clarke sisters.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GRANT MCLENNAN, ROBERT DERWENT GARTH FORSTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind