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).
Over And Done With
The Proclaimers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shetland made her jumpers
And the devil made her features
Threw up her bands when my mum said our names
Embroidered all her stories with slanderous claims
It's over and done with
This is the story of losing my virginity
People I'm making no claims to a mystery
But sometimes it seems like
My sex life's all history
I'm not saying these events didn't
Touch our lives in any way
But, ah, they didn't make the impression
That some people say
This is the story of watching a man dying
The subjects unpopular
But I don't feel like lying
When I think of it now I acted like a sinner
I just washed my bands
Then I went for my dinner.
The Proclaimers' song "Over And Done With" is a reflection of the past experiences of the singer. The first paragraph of the song tells the story of a teacher who made jumpers from Shetland while possessing undesirable physical features. When the teacher announced their names, she slanders her family with every story embroidered. The chorus "It's over and done with" suggests a resolution and a closure to the situation.
The second paragraph reveals the singer's experiences with losing their virginity. The lyrics imply that the singer has had a rich sex life in the past, but now it seems to be just history. The sentiment of the lyrics is rather nostalgic, conveying a sense of sadness or wistfulness for time passed. The chorus is repeated once again, emphasizing that these events are all over and they're done with.
The final paragraph is about watching a man die. The singer admits to feeling like a sinner in retrospect, but at the time, they simply washed their hands and went for their dinner. The subject matter is dark and morbid, but the nonchalant attitude of the singer towards the event seems to imply a kind of detachment from the impact of the experience.
Overall, "Over And Done With" is a song about past experiences, reflecting on life events retroactively, and feeling that they don't have the same impact as they did at the time. It's a bitter-sweet look back on life before moving on to new experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
This is the story of our first teacher
We are about to tell the tale of our first teacher
Shetland made her jumpers
She wore sweaters that were made in Shetland
And the devil made her features
Her appearance was unpleasant
Threw up her bands when my mum said our names
She made an objectionable face when my mom called our names
Embroidered all her stories with slanderous claims
She would falsely accuse people in her stories
It's over and done with
That situation is finished and no longer relevant
This is the story of losing my virginity
We are about to recount the experience of losing our virginity
I held my breath and the bed held a trinity
We were nervous and there were three people involved in the act
People I'm making no claims to a mystery
I'm not trying to pretend it was anything more than it was
But sometimes it seems like
Occasionally it feels as though
My sex life's all history
My sexual experiences are all in the past
I'm not saying these events didn't
I'm not denying that these events occurred
Touch our lives in any way
Had some impact on our lives
But, ah, they didn't make the impression
However, they weren't as significant as some people make them out to be
That some people say
As others have claimed
This is the story of watching a man dying
We are going to tell the story of witnessing the death of a man
The subjects unpopular
It's not a pleasant topic
But I don't feel like lying
Nevertheless, I don't want to deceive anyone
When I think of it now I acted like a sinner
Looking back, I feel guilty about my behavior
I just washed my bands
I merely cleaned my hands
Then I went for my dinner.
And then I resumed my daily routine without much thought about it
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHARLES STOBO REID, CRAIG MORRIS REID
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@CBuM27
After listening to this a few times, I've come to realize this song is flawless. I'm not even a Proclaimers fan.
@alch3mi5t.
yes you are.
@willgingell5595
Ha, I was the same. Now just ordered 2 CDs, including the 1 pictured.
@duffman18
Why aren't you a proclaimers fan? They're legit amazing, they've got endless amounts of great songs
@duffman18
@Gennady Golovkin I'm English and even I love them. You can't argue with songwriting that good. They deserve way more success than just being the funny song about walking band.
@dontspikemydrink9382
Heresy
@shanespivey8261
It just does not get better than this. Absolutely the best Proclaimers song.
@tupNtess
If you've seen their fan base, they're actually very popular. They have fans of all ages from all over the globe (me being one of them). I've been to one of their concerts, and it's amazing how many people not only come to see them perform, but how many people completely love them. Craig and Charlie are by far the best duo ever!
@clemenza1234
.....these guys are truly one of the most under rated and under appreciated musicians in the history of music. they're labeled as "one hit wonders". says you......to me, all of their songs are hits.
@murphysmommy
This song ROCKS! I loved it in Bottle Rocket.