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).
Just Because
The Proclaimers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And just because your Mother thinks you’re hot
And, just because you think you’ve got something
Nobody else has got
You’ve caused me to spend all my money
You laughed and called me Old Santa Claus
Well, I’m telling you baby, I’m through with you
Hey bop, hey ba, ba, Hey bop, hey ba, ba, Hey bop, hey ba, ba,
Hey bop, hey ba, ba, Hey bop, hey ba, ba, Hey bop, hey ba, ba,
Hey bop, hey ba, ba, Hey bop, hey ba, ba, Hey bop, hey ba, ba,
Hey bop, hey ba, ba, Hey bop, hey ba, ba, Hey bop, hey boop, boop,
Hey bop, hey boop, boop, boop, Hey bop, hey boop, boop, boop, hey bop, hey ba ba,
Hey, hey, hey
There’ll come a time when you’ll be lonesome
And there’ll come a time when you’ll be blue
And there’ll sure to come a time when Old Santa
He won’t pay your bills for you
You’ve cause me to lose all my women
And now, you say we are through
Well, I’m telling you baby, I was through with you
A long, long, long, time ago, yeah
Hey bop, hey ba, ba, Hey bop, hey ba, ba, Hey bop, hey ba, ba,
Hey bop, hey ba, ba, Hey bop, hey ba, ba, Hey bop, hey ba, ba,
Hey bop, hey ba, ba, Hey bop, hey bop, oooh, Hey bop, hey bop, ooh,
Hey bop, hey bop, ooh, Hey bop, hey bop, ooh, Hey bop, hey, bop, yeah,
Hey bop, hey, yeah, Hey bop, hey, bop, yeah, Hey bop, hey, ba ba, Yeah!
Just because you think you’re so pretty, Oh!
And just because your mama thinks you’re the hottest thing in town
Just because you think you’ve got something, something
Nobody else has got, yeah
You caused me to spend all of my money, honey
You laughed and called me your Old Santa Claus
Well, I’d like to tell you, just why I’m through with you
It’s because, it’s just, just, just because
The Proclaimers’ song “Just Because” is a classic rock and roll tune with a catchy beat and relatable lyrics. The song revolves around a relationship where the singer has clearly had enough of their partner’s selfishness and vanity. In the first stanza, the singer describes how the partner thinks they’re pretty and has something nobody else has got, which has caused them to spend all their money, being laughed at as “Old Santa Claus”. The repetition of “just because” emphasizes the absurdity of the partner’s attitude and entitlement.
The chorus reassures the partner that they will not always have Old Santa Claus to pay their bills for them, and the singer has lost all their “women” because of their partner. The final stanza expresses the singer’s frustration and disappointment with the partner and confirms that they have been “through with you” for a long time.
Overall, “Just Because” highlights the frustrating experiences of being in a relationship with someone who is vain, selfish, and unappreciative. The chorus states that sooner or later, the partner will be faced with the reality that they can no longer rely on others to take care of them.
Line by Line Meaning
Just because you think you’re so pretty, Oh!
The singer is pointing out that the only reason the person being referred to is acting superior is because they believe themselves to be attractive.
And just because your mama thinks you’re the hottest thing in town
The person being referred to is receiving validation from their mother, which makes them think they are better than others.
Just because you think you’ve got something, something, Nobody else has got, yeah
The person being referred to thinks they have something unique or special, which makes them feel entitled to treat others poorly.
You caused me to spend all of my money, honey
The singer spent money on the person being referred to, implying that they are materialistic and high-maintenance.
You laughed and called me your Old Santa Claus
The person being referred to is mocking the singer, possibly for spending money on them or trying to please them too much.
Well, I’d like to tell you, just why I’m through with you, It’s because, it’s just, just, just because
The singer is stating that there is no specific reason why they are leaving the person being referred to, but rather that it is just a culmination of many small things that have added up over time.
There’ll come a time when you’ll be lonesome
The singer is anticipating that the person being referred to will eventually be alone and unhappy, possibly as a result of their behavior.
And there’ll come a time when you’ll be blue
The singer continues to predict that the person being referred to will be unhappy and depressed at some point in the future.
And there’ll sure to come a time when Old Santa, He won’t pay your bills for you
The singer is implying that the person being referred to is financially dependent on others and will eventually have to take responsibility for themselves.
You’ve cause me to lose all my women
The person being referred to has caused the singer to lose other romantic partners, possibly due to their jealousy or controlling behavior.
And now, you say we are through, Well, I’m telling you baby, I was through with you, A long, long, long, time ago, yeah
The person being referred to is ending the relationship, but the singer is telling them that they had already mentally checked out of the relationship a long time ago.
Contributed by Declan M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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.