Craig Reid and Charlie Reid were born in Leith, Scotland in 1962, and grew up in Edinburgh, Cornwall and Auchtermuchty. After several punk rock bands at school they formed The Proclaimers in 1983.
The pair came to public attention when an Inverness based fan sent their demo to the British band The Housemartins, who were impressed enough to invite The Proclaimers on their 1986 UK tour. The exposure of the tour won them a January 1987 appearance on the British pop music television programme The Tube on Channel Four; "Letter from America" peaked at number 3 in the UK Singles Chart, whilst the album This is the Story went gold. The follow-up album Sunshine on Leith featured "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" and "I'm On My Way". They had a hit with their EP King of the Road, which reached number 9 in UK in 1990.
In March 2007 they recorded a new version of "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" with television comedy characters Andy Pipkin (played by Matt Lucas) and Brian Potter (Peter Kay) for the Comic Relief charity. A long list of celebrities were featured in the music video for this new version, including David Bellamy, Rod, Jane and Freddy, Paul O'Grady, David Tennant, Frank Sidebottom and many more. This new version of the song reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart.
The band was one of The B-52s' touring partners on their Funplex tour in Australia and New Zealand in November 2009, alongside Mental as Anything.
The brothers are fans of Hibernian Football Club, and "Sunshine on Leith" has become a theme song for the club, being played at home matches for important fixtures, such as the Edinburgh derby versus Heart of Midlothian FC, the club's city rivals. Charlie and Craig Reid appeared at their Easter Road stadium for the 'Hands Off Hibs' campaign in 1990 when Wallace Mercer, a wealthly Edinburgh businessman with direct connections to Hearts FC, attempted a takeover of the club but was defeated by fan pressure.
They are also well-known supporters of Scottish independence and have at various stages of their lives been activists for the Scottish National Party, expressing such views during their promotional tour of Britain in March 2007. However in April 2007 Charlie Reid announced that he had switched his allegiance to the Scottish Socialist Party in protest at the Scottish National Party's receipt of funding from big business. Many of their songs reflect their political views, such as "Letter from America" and "Cap in Hand".
On 16 May 2006 the twins announced their participation in a campaign to free a fellow Scot, Kenny Richey, from his death row sentence in Ohio, including an appearance at a charity concert. Also, in 2010 they participated with Billy Bragg in a show supporting Reprieve, charity that fights the death penalty. The Proclaimers also support other charities such as The Lighthouse Foundation (addiction victims), AICR (cancer research), Drake Music Scotland (help disabled people through music) or 500 miles (amputees or disabled people in Africa).
Everybody
The Proclaimers Lyrics
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Seems we're going that way
Everybody's a victim
We're becoming like the USA
Everybody's a victim
Seems we're going that way
Everybody's a victim
We're becoming like the USA
I demand recompense
For sitting on the fence
Throughout my adult life
You've got to put my parents in jail
For raising me in Fife
It doesn't matter what I do
You have to say it's alright
And I need you to send somebody around
To tuck me in at night
Because...
Everybody's a victim
Seems we're going that way
Everybody's a victim
We're becoming like the USA
Well it's not my fault
That I'm positive
I just stuck a needle in my arm
And nobody told me
That sixty a day
Would do me any harm
My liver's shrivelling like a leaf
But it's not the whisky that doo's it
Call me irresponsible
And I'm really going to lose it
Because...
Everybody's a victim
Seems we're going that way
Everybody's a victim
We're becoming like the USA
Wear a ribbon for this
Hug a stranger for that
Light a candle to the dead
And soon you'll forget
That you ever had
A brain inside our head
We value everythin the same
We turn it into farce
So we don't know a crisis
'Till it kicks us up the arse
Because...
Everybody's a victim
Seems we're going that way
Everybody's a victim
We're becoming like the USA
Everybody's a victim
Seems we're going that way
Everybody's a victim
We're becoming like the USA
Everybody's a victim
Seems we're going that way
Everybody's a victim
We're becoming like the USA
The Proclaimers' song "Everybody's a Victim" is a commentary on the culture of victimhood that seems to be prevalent in our society. The lyrics suggest that people are quick to blame others for their problems and that nobody is willing to take responsibility for their actions. The opening lines "Everybody's a victim, seems we're going that way" set the overall tone for the song.
The song takes a satirical look at the idea of victimhood by presenting a series of absurd scenarios. The first verse talks about demanding recompense for sitting on the fence and wanting his parents to be put in jail for raising him in Fife. The second verse talks about blaming drug addiction on the fact that nobody told him it was harmful and blaming his liver damage on something other than alcohol.
The chorus repeats the idea that everyone is becoming a victim and that we're becoming like the USA. This suggests that the culture of victimhood is something that is spreading throughout the world, and that the USA is a prime example of this.
In summary, "Everybody's a Victim" is a critique of the culture of victimhood that has become prevalent in today's society. It suggests that people are quick to blame others for their problems and that nobody is willing to take responsibility for their actions. The song takes a satirical look at this phenomenon by presenting a series of absurd scenarios.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody's a victim
The mentality that everyone is a victim is spreading
Seems we're going that way
It appears that this mentality is becoming more widespread
We're becoming like the USA
The singer believes that the USA is known for this mentality and that the country is spreading it to other parts of the world
I demand recompense
The artist is demanding some kind of compensation
For sitting on the fence
This compensation is for not taking sides or not making a decision in the past
Throughout my adult life
This has been a problem for the singer for a long time
You've got to put my parents in jail
The singer is placing blame on their parents for their upbringing
For raising me in Fife
The artist thinks that their upbringing in Fife was the cause of their problems and that their parents are responsible
It doesn't matter what I do
The artist feels that their actions are not important and that they will always be seen as a victim
You have to say it's alright
The artist wants others to accept their behavior and not criticize them
And I need you to send somebody around
The singer is seeking attention and possibly help
To tuck me in at night
This attention may involve someone being there for the artist at night
Well it's not my fault
The singer is denying responsibility for something
That I'm positive
The singer is suggesting that they have some kind of illness or condition
I just stuck a needle in my arm
The singer is admitting to drug use
And nobody told me
The artist is suggesting that they were not properly informed about the risks of their actions
That sixty a day
The artist is suggesting that they use drugs frequently
Would do me any harm
The singer has a history of denying the negative consequences of their actions
My liver's shrivelling like a leaf
The singer is experiencing physical health problems as a result of their behavior
But it's not the whisky that doo's it
The artist denies that their excessive drinking is the cause of their health problems
Call me irresponsible
The artist is acknowledging that they have made poor decisions or behaved poorly
And I'm really going to lose it
The artist is suggesting that they may not be able to handle the situation and may break down emotionally or mentally
Wear a ribbon for this
The singer is criticizing the practice of wearing ribbons as a symbol of support or awareness for a cause
Hug a stranger for that
The artist is criticizing the idea of strangers hugging as a form of support or comfort
Light a candle to the dead
The singer is criticizing the practice of lighting candles for deceased individuals
And soon you'll forget
The singer believes that these actions are meaningless and forgettable
That you ever had
The singer believes that people do not truly care or remember these things
A brain inside our head
The artist is suggesting that people are not thinking or reasoning logically
We value everything the same
The artist believes that people are treating everything equally or without proper perspective
We turn it into farce
The singer is criticizing the trivialization of serious issues or events
So we don't know a crisis
The singer is suggesting that people are not aware of or do not truly understand serious problems or issues
Till it kicks us up the arse
The artist is suggesting that people only recognize the severity of a problem or issue when it directly affects them
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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on Role Model
"Lower set of lips" is not making reference to lips on the face, but those in the lower part of her body.