At its formation the band consisted of Paul Heaton (vocals), Stan Cullimore (guitar), Ted Key (bass) and Chris Lang (drums). The band's membership changed frequently throughout its existence. Ted Key was replaced by Norman Cook (who later became internationally famous as big beat musician Fatboy Slim) and drummer Chris Lang was replaced by Hugh Whitaker, former drummer with The Gargoyles, who in turn was replaced with Dave Hemingway. The band split in 1988.
The band often referred to themselves as "the 4th best band in Hull," referring to Kingston upon Hull, the city in England where the band formed in 1983. (The three bands that were "better" were Red Guitars, Everything but the Girl, and The Gargoyles.)
In 1986, the band broke through with the single Happy Hour, which reached No. 3 in the UK charts helped by a claymation animated pop promo of a type that was in vogue at the time. At the end of the same year, they had a No. 1 single with a cover version of Isley Jasper Isley's Caravan of Love.
The band released three albums: London 0 Hull 4, The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death, and the greatest bits compilation Now That's What I Call Quite Good. A new collection, Best of the Housemartins, was released in 2004, and was available in a expanded edition with a DVD collecting their music video clips.
The Housemartins lyrics were an odd mixture of Marxist politics and born-again Christianity, reflecting Paul Heaton's beliefs at the time.
The band split in 1988, but the members have since remained friends and worked on each other's projects. Norman Cook has enjoyed significant success with both Beats International and then as Fatboy Slim, while Heaton, Hemingway and roadie Sean Welch formed The Beautiful South. Stan Cullimore has become an author of children's books. Despite repeated requests from fans, they have never reformed.
In 1993, former drummer Hugh Whitaker was convicted of assault after attacking his business partner James Hewitt with an axe. Whitaker was subsequently released from prison and now resides in Leeds, where he occasionally drums with local band Percy. Whitaker is also a member of The Malkies fronted by Alistair Hulett.
Sheep
The Housemartins Lyrics
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The shepherd's smile seems to confirm my fears
And they've never questioned anything, never disagreed
Sometimes I think they must have wool in their ears
And when you see a cane, I see a crook (whoa-oh)
And when you see a crowd, I see a flock
It's sheep we're up against (sheep we're up against, sheep we're up against, sheep we're up against)
When I was young, they used to get me counting sheep
But the counting I did was all in vain
Now when I'm tired and I'm tryna get to sleep
I count humans jumping onto trains
And when you see a cane, I see a crook (whoa-oh)
And when you see a crowd, I see a flock
It's sheep we're up against (sheep we're up against, sheep we're up against, sheep we're up against)
It's sheep we're up against (sheep we're up against, sheep we're up against, sheep we're up against)
Oh yeah
And when you see a cane, I see a crook (whoa-oh)
And when you see a crowd, I see a flock
It's sheep we're up against (sheep we're up against, sheep we're up against, sheep we're up against)
It's sheep we're up against (sheep we're up against, sheep we're up against, sheep we're up against)
Whoa, sheep we're up against
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
In "Sheep", The Housemartins criticize the passive nature of people who blindly follow authority figures without questioning them. They feel angry about the simple life of shepherds who go about content with their existence, never questioning anything or showing any disagreement. The line "sometimes I think they must have wool in their ears" emphasizes how these people are not capable of hearing and comprehending what is happening around them, making them easy targets to be controlled.
The persona in the song kind of envies the sheep-like attitude these people possess because they can easily be manipulated. They reminisce about the old days when counting sheep meant something but now, counting humans jumping onto trains is the only thing that makes sense, and even that is a futile effort. The underlying message of the song is to encourage people to stop blindly following authority figures and start questioning everything, to be more proactive in shaping their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes I get so angry with the simple life they lead
I get angry with the people who live a simple life
The shepherd's smile seems to confirm my fears
The shepherd looks happy but it confirms my fears
And they've never questioned anything, never disagreed
The people have never questioned or disagreed about anything
Sometimes I think they must have wool in their ears
I think they are not listening properly
And when you see a cane, I see a crook (whoa-oh)
When you see a tool, I see someone who might use it for bad things
And when you see a crowd, I see a flock
When you see a gathering of people, I see a herd of sheep
It's sheep we're up against (sheep we're up against, sheep we're up against, sheep we're up against)
We are against people who act like sheep
When I was young, they used to get me counting sheep
People used to tell me to count sheep when I couldn't fall asleep
But the counting I did was all in vain
The counting didn't help me sleep
Now when I'm tired and I'm tryna get to sleep
Now, when I'm tired, I try to sleep
I count humans jumping onto trains
I picture people jumping onto trains instead of counting sheep to fall asleep
Oh yeah
Nothing notable in this line
Whoa, sheep we're up against
We are against people who act like sheep
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
Nothing notable in this line
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Ian Peter Cullimore, Paul Heaton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind