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).
the light
The Proclaimers Lyrics
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You say just hold your hand out don't you
You just hold your hand out don't you
That hope never leaves you
'Cause a light shines on that helps you to steer
Makes everything clear
(Well it might)
(But it doesn't)
But it doesn't in mine
(I've been stumbling)
I've been stumbling in the dark for years
And the light just made me blind
You say it lights every pathway
Shows me how to live life
For the rest of my days
For the rest of my days
(But I can't)
But I can't put my faith in
(Your words)
Your words and demands
(I believe)
I believe in God alright
It's folk like you I just can't stand
You don't have to try and scare me
To reinforce my faith sir
'cause I know that one day
I'll stand before my maker
(And it I'm found)
And if I'm found wanting
(When my case)
When my case is heard
(It'll be)
It'll be by the author
Not some interpreter of his words
You make it sound easy
You say just hold your hand out don't you
You just hold your hand out don't you
That hope never leaves you
'Cause a light shines on that helps you to steer
Makes everything clear
(Well it might)
Well it might in your world
(But it doesn't)
But it doesn't in mine
(I've been stumbling)
I've been stumbling in the dark for years
And the light just made me blind
Yeah the light just made me blind
The Proclaimers’ song “The Light” is about the conflict between personal faith and the pressures of religious conformity. The lyrics describe the tension between the singer, who believes in God, and someone who is trying to convince him to follow a specific doctrine or interpretation of scripture. The singer is skeptical of this individual, who he finds pushy and unhelpful. The song meditates on the idea of faith as a personal journey rather than something that can be easily taught or enforced.
The lines “But I can't put my faith in/Your words and demands” highlight this theme, as the singer asserts his independence from the religious authority figure. He acknowledges that his faith is important to him, but he is more interested in an authentic relationship with his creator rather than following a prescribed set of rules. The chorus emphasizes the idea of personal responsibility, and the imagery of the light that helps to steer the singer suggests that faith is something that can assist us in navigating life’s challenges.
In contrast, the second verse depicts the singer’s frustration with the religious authority figure’s attempts to impose their beliefs on him. The reference to being “found wanting” is a nod to the religious judgment that many fear, but the singer asserts that he is content to have his faith evaluated by God directly rather than through somebody else’s interpretation.
Line by Line Meaning
You make it sound easy
You oversimplify the process.
You say just hold your hand out don't you
You suggest that all I have to do is wait.
You just hold your hand out don't you
You believe that hope will inevitably find me.
That hope never leaves you
You have an unshakeable confidence in hope.
'Cause a light shines on that helps you to steer
There's a guiding force that can direct us.
Makes everything clear
This force can clarify any situation.
(Well it might)
This guidance may bring insight.
Well it might in your world
This guidance only works in your point of view.
(But it doesn't)
It doesn't work for me.
But it doesn't in mine
This guidance doesn't work for me.
(I've been stumbling)
I've been figuring things out on my own.
I've been stumbling in the dark for years
I have been lost for a long time.
And the light just made me blind
This guidance made me lose my way even further.
You say it lights every pathway
You claim that it can illuminate all paths.
Shows me how to live life
It can tell me how to live properly.
For the rest of my days
For the rest of my life.
(But I can't)
However, I can't just do that.
But I can't put my faith in
I can't just trust exclusively in
(Your words)
what you say.
Your words and demands
what you want me to do.
(I believe)
I have faith.
I believe in God alright
I believe in God, all right!
It's folk like you I just can't stand
I don't like people like you.
You don't have to try and scare me
You don't have to try and make me fearful.
To reinforce my faith sir
To strengthen my faith, sir.
'cause I know that one day
Because I know that someday
I'll stand before my maker
I will meet my Creator.
(And it I'm found)
And I think that if I am found
And if I'm found wanting
What if I fall short?
(When my case)
At the time of judgment.
When my case is heard
When my fate is decided.
(It'll be)
It will be judged
It'll be by the author
by the One who authored everything.
Not some interpreter of his words
Not someone interpreting his words but the Creator Himself.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHARLES STOBO REID, CRAIG MORRIS REID
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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"Lower set of lips" is not making reference to lips on the face, but those in the lower part of her body.