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).
Role Model
The Proclaimers Lyrics
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Had success with two career
she gives dying people hope, how does she cope?
She snorts a line of coke before an audience with the Pope
she's a role model for today a role model for today
I don't care what you say, she's a role model for today
She's got better looking kids than you
She is a sweet little honey, three times a mummy
You wouldn't know it cause she's got a flat little tummy
She's a role model for today, she is a role model for today
I don't care what you say she is a role model for today
but the lady's loved and the lady's cried
And the lady's cried and loved and now
The lady's signed a big book deal
And the story tells you how it all began
In the days when the lady didn't have
The price of her next meal, and its real
There's a secret to her success
She's got balls like the S.A.S.
She's got more balls than me, more balls then you
More balls than all the sweatshops
Making balls for Man U.
She's a role model for today, a role model for today
I don't care what you say she's a role model for today
But the lady's loved and the lady's cried
and the lady's cried and loved and now
the lady's signed a big book deal
The story tells you how it all began
In the days when the lady didn't have
The price of her next meal, and its all real
She's a star in every way
she is loved by straights and gays
She's taking water by the sip
a baby on her hip
a little silver ring through her lower set of lips
she's a role model for today, she is a role model for today
I don't care what you say she's a role model for today
I don't care what you say she's a role model for today
What you say, she's a role model for today
The Proclaimers' song Role Model is a satirical take on society's definition of a role model in the modern world. The song portrays a woman who has had success in multiple careers, including giving hope to dying people, but copes with the pressure by snorting a line of cocaine before meeting the Pope. Despite her flaws, the song maintains that she is a role model for today, emphasizing the absurdity of contemporary definitions of success and admiration.
The lyrics highlight how society's standards for role models are unattainable and often prioritize physical appearance, status, and wealth over character and morals. The song takes a cynical tone towards the modern obsession with celebrity culture, as the woman in question is portrayed as having better-looking kids and a husband than the listener. The line "She's got more balls than me, more balls than you" challenges the idea that one needs to be fearless to succeed in life, implying that the prerequisite for success is to have the courage to make morally questionable decisions.
Overall, the lyrics of Role Model point out that society's expectations for individuals to be perfect are unrealistic, and that people who are far from perfect can still serve as role models.
Line by Line Meaning
She's been around for a number of years
She's an experienced person who's been in the spotlight for quite some time
Had success with two career
She's had success in two different careers
she gives dying people hope, how does she cope?
Despite dealing with the sorrowful situation of helping people cope with death, she remains composed and strong
She snorts a line of coke before an audience with the Pope
She has a habit of drug use, even before meeting someone as important as the Pope
she's a role model for today a role model for today
Despite her flaws, she's a role model for modern society
I don't care what you say, she's a role model for today
The singer is confident in their belief that she's a role model
She's got better looking kids than you
Her kids are good-looking, which is seen as a positive reflection of her parenting or genes
She's got a better looking husband too
Her husband is attractive, which again reflects positively on her
She is a sweet little honey, three times a mummy
She's a cute and nurturing mother of three children
You wouldn't know it cause she's got a flat little tummy
She's able to maintain a fit body despite being a mom of three children
but the lady's loved and the lady's cried
She's experienced love and heartbreaks like any other person
And the lady's cried and loved and now
She's gone through the cycle of crying and loving and has come out stronger
The lady's signed a big book deal
Her success has led her to sign a lucrative book deal
And the story tells you how it all began
Her book tells the story of her rise to success
In the days when the lady didn't have
There was a time when she struggled to make ends meet
The price of her next meal, and it's all real
She's experienced poverty and her past struggles are not made up
There's a secret to her success
She has a secret to how she's become successful
She's got balls like the S.A.S.
She's incredibly brave and fearless like someone in the Special Air Service
She's got more balls than me, more balls then you
She's braver than the singer and everyone else
More balls than all the sweatshops
Even the workers in the oppressive sweatshops don't have her level of bravery
Making balls for Man U.
The sweatshops produce soccer balls for Manchester United
She's a star in every way
She's a celebrity who's shining bright and successful
she is loved by straights and gays
She's loved and respected by people of all genders and sexual orientations
She's taking water by the sip
She's enjoying some success, but not getting ahead of herself and being cautious
a baby on her hip
She's caring for a young child while dealing with the challenges of her career
a little silver ring through her lower set of lips
She has a piercing through her lower lip
What you say, she's a role model for today
The singer is reemphasizing their belief that she's a role model
Contributed by Joshua S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
TV
"Lower set of lips" is not making reference to lips on the face, but those in the lower part of her body.