In mid-1977 the band moved to the UK, where it became apparent that they and their label had different ideas as to how they should be marketed. EMI planned to sell The Saints as a typical punk band complete with ripped clothes. The Saints insisted on wearing collared shirts and sweaters, and left their hair long. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Chris Bailey, guitarist Ed Kuepper and Ivor Hay on drums with Kym Bradshaw and later Algy Ward on bass.
Kuepper, Hay and Ward left the band in 1978, but Chris Bailey continued touring and recording as The Saints with a revolving line-up of musicians throughout the 80's including the late Janine Hall on bass. The Saints' commercial breakthrough into the US came in 1986 with the album "All Fools Day", with the video for "Just Like Fire Would" receiving airplay on MTV.
After releasing a couple of records under his own name, Bailey reformed The Saints in 1996. Once again without any of the other founding members but they have reunited occasionally to perform live. The Saints music could often be heard in the background during episodes of Neighbours in the 1990's!
The current line-up is:
Chris Bailey - Guitar and vocals
Caspar Wijnberg - Bass
Peter Wilkinson - Drums
Other bands:
2) A Reggae Band.
3) Polish klezmer band from Cracow.
4) Saints (sans The) is an experimental group from Goleta, CA.
5) '60s British band recorded by Joe Meek.
6) An American 60's uptown soul group.
Kissin' Cousins
The Saints Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well she's a distant cousin but she's ain't too distant for me
And we kiss - all night. I squeeze - her tight
But we're kissin' cousins and that's what makes it allright
Well I know a gal and she taught me how to live
Yeah she gives a lot and boy she's got a lot to give
And we kiss - all night. I squeeze - her tight
We're all cousins that I truly believe
Just little lost children of Adam and Eve
Well I got a dame and she want a lot of love
Yeah and that's the kind of trouble I want me plenty of
And we kiss - all night. I squeeze - her tight
But we're kissin' cousins and that's what makes it alright
I said we're kissin' cousins an' that's what makes it alright
We're all cousins, now that I truly believe
Just little lost children of Adam and Eve
Well I know a gal and she taught me how to live
Yeah she gives a lot and boy she's got a lot to give
And we kiss - all night. I squeeze - her tight
But we're kissin' cousins and that's what makes it allright
I said we're kissin' cousins an' that's what makes it alright
The lyrics to The Saints's song Kissin' Cousins are controversial and confrontational. The theme of the song appears to be incestuous with a deep emphasis on the act of kissing, which the singer frames as being acceptable because the two parties are only "distant cousins." The song is a fast-paced rock and roll number that sets a rebellious tone and the lyrics are full of innuendo and double entendres.
The singer spends most of the song describing his attraction to his cousin, whom he describes as "cute as she can be." He emphasizes the fact that they are only "distant cousins" and that this somehow makes it alright for them to engage in physical activities. The chorus repeats the line "But we're kissin' cousins and that's what makes it allright," driving home the point that the singer sees nothing wrong with his behavior.
The final verse of the song takes a different turn, with the singer lamenting the fact that all people are related to each other, and therefore, incestuous relationships of some kind are inevitable. This final verse appears to be an attempt to justify the earlier lyrics, by arguing that everyone is related, making the idea of "kissin' cousins" less shocking.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I got a gal she's as cute as she can be
I have a beautiful girlfriend
Well she's a distant cousin but she's ain't too distant for me
She is my cousin, but not too distant, so it doesn't matter
And we kiss - all night. I squeeze - her tight
We kiss passionately and hold each other tight
But we're kissin' cousins and that's what makes it allright
Our cousin relationship is the reason why we can behave this way and it's okay
Well I know a gal and she taught me how to live
I have a female friend who gave me good advice on how to live
Yeah she gives a lot and boy she's got a lot to give
She is very generous and has a lot to offer
We're all cousins that I truly believe
I believe we are all related as cousins somehow
Just little lost children of Adam and Eve
We are all descendants of Adam and Eve
Well I got a dame and she want a lot of love
I have a woman who desires a lot of affection
Yeah and that's the kind of trouble I want me plenty of
I enjoy the trouble that comes with giving her a lot of love
I said we're kissin' cousins an' that's what makes it alright
Once again, our cousin relationship is what makes our behavior acceptable
Contributed by Victoria B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.