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).
I'm On My Way
The Proclaimers Lyrics
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I'm on my way from misery to happiness today
I'm on my way to what I want from this world
And years from now you'll make it to the next world
And everything that you receive up yonder
Is what you gave to me the day I wandered
I took a right, I took a right turning yesterday
I took the road that brought me to your home town
I took the bus to streets that I could walk down
I walked the streets to find the one I'd looked for
I climbed the stair that led me to your front door
And now that I don't want for anything
I'd have Al Jolson sing "I'm sitting on top of the world"
I'll do my best, I'll do my best to do the best I can
I'll do my best, I'll do my best to do the best I can
To keep my feet, from jumping from the ground dear
To keep my heart, from jumping through my mouth dear
To keep the past, the past and not the present
To try and learn when you teach me a lesson
And now that I don't want for anything
I'd have Al Jolson sing "I'm sitting on top of the world"
I'm on my way from misery to happiness today
I'm on my way from misery to happiness today
I'm on my way to what I want from this world
And years from now you'll make it to the next world
And everything that you receive up yonder
Is what you gave to me the day I wandered
I'm on my way to what I want from this world
And years from now you'll make it to the next world
And everything that you receive up yonder
Is what you gave to me the day I wandered
I'm on my way, I'm on my way,
I'm on my way, I'm on my way,
I'm on my way, I'm on my way,
The lyrics of "I'm On My Way" by The Proclaimers describe the journey of the singer from misery to happiness. The first two lines of the chorus "I'm on my way from misery to happiness today" are repeated three times throughout the song. The lyrics imply that the singer was previously unhappy and is now on his way to achieving his desired state of happiness. He feels optimistic about his future and is on his way to attain what he wants from the world. The singer then talks about how the person he addresses in the song has helped him achieve what he wants from the world, and in return, the person will be rewarded in the next world.
In the second verse, the singer explains how he found the person he addressed. He took a right turn yesterday and kept walking until he reached the person's hometown. He walked around town until he found the house that belonged to the person he was looking for. The singer asserts that he will do his best to be grounded and not let happiness get to his head. He is willing to learn and grow as he moves forward in life.
The chorus is repeated twice towards the end of the song, and the lyrics convey the same message- the singer's journey from misery to happiness and how he will do his best not to lose his grounding.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm on my way from misery to happiness today
I am travelling from a state of sadness and hardship towards joy and contentment, and I am doing so today
I'm on my way to what I want from this world
I am making progress towards achieving my desires and ambitions in this life
And years from now you'll make it to the next world
One day in the future, you will pass on to the afterlife
And everything that you receive up yonder
All that you receive in the next realm
Is what you gave to me the day I wandered
Will be based on what you did for me during my wandering, or journey through life
I took a right, I took a right turning yesterday
Yesterday, I made a decision to take a right turn on my path in life
I took the road that brought me to your home town
I followed a path that led me to your town of residence
I walked the streets to find the one I'd looked for
I roamed the streets in search of the person I had been seeking
I climbed the stair that led me to your front door
I ascended the staircase that brought me to the entrance of your home
And now that I don't want for anything
As of now, I lack nothing that I require
I'd have Al Jolson sing "I'm sitting on top of the world"
I am so content and pleased with my current state that I would have a famous singer perform a song about it
I'll do my best, I'll do my best to do the best I can
I will put forth great effort to perform to the best of my ability
To keep my feet, from jumping from the ground dear
I will strive to maintain a sense of grounding and composure
To keep my heart, from jumping through my mouth dear
I will endeavour to keep my emotions in check so as not to become too excited or overwhelmed
To keep the past, the past and not the present
I will try my best to leave the past in the past and not allow it to interfere with the present
To try and learn when you teach me a lesson
I will make an effort to learn from any lessons that are taught to me
I'm on my way, I'm on my way,
I am continuing on my journey towards my aspirations and goals
Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHARLES STOBO REID, CRAIG MORRIS REID
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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