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).
restless soul
The Proclaimers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
While your dreams take tomorrow
They don't fail, even when you fail
Restless soul
It drove you on 25 years ago
It'll drive you tomorrow
It can't stop it'll drive you till you drop
You're always looking for
A place your mind can rest
It's not there, it's not there
You feel like there's a curse
Putting you to the test
But you've been blessed
You're always looking for
A place your mind can rest
It's not there, it's not there
You feel like there's a curse
Putting you to the test
But you've been blessed
So drift away let tomorrow have today
While your dreams take tomorrow
They don't fail even when you fail
Restless soul
The Proclaimers’ song Restless Soul speaks to the constant search for a sense of fulfillment and purpose in life. The lyrics encourage the listener to let go of the present, to allow themselves to drift away and to focus on their dreams and aspirations for tomorrow. The idea is that although life may carry us down difficult paths, we should not lose sight of our ultimate goals, as those ideals will always drive us forward.
The song also acknowledges the struggle that comes with being a restless soul. There is a sense of never being satisfied, always looking for something more, always searching for that elusive place where the mind can rest. The lyrics suggest that this restlessness is something that has been with us for a long time and will continue to drive us relentlessly, to never give up, to never stop striving for that elusive sense of peace.
The song captures the complexities of human emotion, in that it acknowledges the curse that pushes us to constantly test ourselves, yet also recognizing that we have been blessed with the ability to keep pushing forward. These themes resonate deeply with anyone who has experienced a sense of restlessness within themselves, and the song is a powerful reminder to keep pushing towards our dreams despite any obstacles we may face.
Line by Line Meaning
Drift away let tomorrow have today
Let go of worries about today and focus on tomorrow
While your dreams take tomorrow
Spend time pursuing your dreams and aspirations tomorrow
They don't fail, even when you fail
Your dreams and aspirations will always be there, never failing, even when you don't succeed
Restless soul
You have a drive and a passion that never fades or rests
It drove you on 25 years ago
Your drive and passion has been with you for a long time
It'll drive you tomorrow
Your drive and passion will continue to push you towards your goals in the future
It can't stop it'll drive you till you drop
Your drive and passion will never cease, constantly pushing you until you can no longer continue
You're always looking for
You search constantly for
A place your mind can rest
A state of mind where you can find peace and solace
It's not there, it's not there
Such a state of mind is elusive and hard to find, yet you continue to search for it
You feel like there's a curse
You may feel like fate is working against you
Putting you to the test
Challenging you and pushing you to your limits
But you've been blessed
Despite the challenges you face, you are grateful for what you have and the opportunities you've been given
So drift away let tomorrow have today
Once again, let go of today's worries and focus on tomorrow's possibilities
While your dreams take tomorrow
Continue to pursue your dreams and aspirations tomorrow
They don't fail even when you fail
Again, remember that your dreams will always be there, even if your attempts to reach them fail
Restless soul
The song ends as it began, highlighting your inner drive and passion
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BARB DONOVAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
the pinDrop
one of my favourite songs ever |
its perfect
The Noob Police
Sheer bliss, as always. Lovely video.
therealmrbenn
I saw them at the Towersey Festival last year, and they played this song in their set. I had never heard it before, but wow, what a superb song. There is a lot more to them than 500 Miles & Letter From America. Go and see them...
Twinkle
Very good vid, thanks for uploading. Love the little boys on trikes lol
peter lane
nice way to start the morning
Dave Albiston
:-)