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).
It's My Life
The Proclaimers Lyrics
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He bad married daughters and a single son
And he's lost his job as this years begun
And it broke my heart
Saw his wife who was fifty-two
She said she was sure they could make it through
That her single wage would just have to do
Talked about it with the family now
What began in sadness ended up a row
All the guys with the clever mouths
They were saying we should move south
Saw the son who's been gone two weeks
And he's down already with a job to seek
And he's in Kings Cross and there's no-one speaking
And it broke my heart.
The Proclaimers' song "It Broke My Heart" tells the story of a middle-aged couple who are dealing with the fallout of losing a job. The first verse introduces a man who is 51 years old and has lost his job as the year has begun. He has married daughters and a single son. The second verse introduces the man's wife, who is 52 years old and says that they can make it through despite her single wage. These two characters represent the working-class people who struggle to make ends meet despite their best efforts.
The third verse introduces an altercation in which the family talks about the situation. The conversation ends up turning into a fight amongst the men, and there is a suggestion that they should move south in search of work. The final verse introduces the son who has been gone for two weeks and is already struggling to find work in Kings Cross. He finds himself in a difficult situation where there is no one to speak with, and this leaves the singer heartbroken.
The lyrics of "It Broke My Heart" are about the struggles of everyday people who are suffering from the consequences of economic uncertainty. The song captures the feelings of hopelessness, despair, and ultimately, loss that working-class people face during tough times. The power of the song lies in its ability to speak to anyone who has ever experienced economic hardship.
Line by Line Meaning
Saw a man who was fifty-one
I saw a man who was in his fifties.
He bad married daughters and a single son
He had daughters who were married and one son who was single.
And he's lost his job as this years begun
He lost his job at the beginning of the year.
And it broke my heart
It saddened me deeply.
Saw his wife who was fifty-two
I saw his wife who was in her fifties.
She said she was sure they could make it through
She was confident they could overcome their challenges.
That her single wage would just have to do
She mentioned that her income would have to suffice.
And it broke my heart
This also saddened me.
Talked about it with the family now
They discussed the situation with their relatives.
What began in sadness ended up a row
The family's conversation started off sad and turned into an argument.
All the guys with the clever mouths
The men in the family who thought they had all the answers.
They were saying we should move south
They suggested moving to a southern location as a solution.
Saw the son who's been gone two weeks
They saw their son who had been gone for two weeks.
And he's down already with a job to seek
He was feeling discouraged about having to look for a job.
And he's in Kings Cross and there's no-one speaking
He was in a lonely place where nobody was talking to him.
And it broke my heart.
This situation also made me very sad.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHARLES STOBO REID, CRAIG MORRIS REID
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TV
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.