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The Selecter are a British ska revival band from Coventry, formed in the late 1970s as one of the essential bands of the British ska movement.
Much of what set apart The Selecter from many of the other ska bands at the time was the voice of Pauline Black. She had to disguise herself as a man in order for the band to get gigs, but once they did, there was no disguising her voice. Like other ska bands of this movement, The Selecter featured a racially mixed line up, and songs about violence, politics, marijuana, a fictional spy's theme song, James Bond, and reggae classics. The name of the band is a reference to the Jamaican word for a music selecter, known elsewhere as the DJ. Also typical to the style is the mix of one vocalist singing, and the other toasting in a Jamaican style, a precursor to rapping.
The Selecter's first recording Too Much Pressure was recorded at the end of 1979 and beginning of 1980 and issued on the pre-eminent 2 Tone/Chrysalis label. Their second recording Celebrate the Bullet was issued in 1981. Though the band has continued to regroup and reform on and off, most of the many recordings available are recompiled selections from these first two albums, either live or studio recordings. The Selecter's first two albums are essential British ska recordings.
Pauline Black has been the singer in The Selecter since its formation in 1979 when the band spearheaded the Two Tone movement alongside The Specials releasing the singles "The Selecter", "Three Minute Hero", "The Whisper", "Missing Words" and "On My Radio" as well as two albums; "Too Much Pressure" and "Celebrate The Bullet". The Selecter were also featured in the cult film Dance Craze. The band split in 1982, Pauline carved out a career in TV and theatre, appearing in dramas like The Vice, The Bill, Hearts and Minds and 2000 Acres of Sky. She won the 1991 Time Out award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Billie Holiday in the play All or Nothing At All and starred next to Christopher Lee in the schlock horror film The Funny Man. She reformed The Selecter in 1991 and has released several new albums and has toured all over the world.
Nick Welsh is probably best known for being the bassist in The Selecter and formerly Bad Manners but he has worked with some of the biggest names in Ska and Reggae, Prince Buster, Laurel Aitken, Rico Rodriguez, Dave Barker and most recently Lee "Scratch" Perry with whom he received a Grammy Award Certificate for his work on the CD Jamaican ET which won The Best Reggae Category in 2002. Nick also writes music for TV which has been used world-wide on shows as diverse as WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), The Osbournes and even adverts for Ariel soap powder.
Neol Davies the founder and writer of the classic hits returns with a brand new band in 2010.
neoldaviesakatheselecter plays the mainstage at Bestival 2011 with new album and remixes.
Original line-up
Pauline Black : vocals
Compton Amanor: guitar
Charley Anderson: bass guitar
Charley Bembridge: drums
Desmond Brown: Hammond keyboard
Neol Davies: guitar
Arthur Hendrickson: vocals
Anderson and Brown left The Selecter in 1980. They were replaced by James Mackie: Hammond organ and Adam Williams: bass guitar
Reformed line-up: 1991
Pauline Black: vocals
Neol Davies: guitar
Arthur 'Gaps' Hendrickson - vocals
Martin Stewart: keyboards
Nick Welsh : bass
Perry Melius : drums
The Selecter 2010 lineup includes
Founder and songwriter Neol Davies- vocals/guitars
Lead Vocals- John Gibbons
Daniel Crosby- Drums
Andre Buyani- Bass
Tim Cansfield- Guitar
Victor Travino- Congas & Percussion
Dean Ross- Hammond Organ
Selecter Horns
Blind Leading the Blind
The Selecter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The secret almost went cold
Some words are better left unsaid
The fantasy had grown old
No more room in the fold
Don't quote me more lies you read
Looks kinda cloudy
Maybe I won't make it
Impossible questions can never be answered
No matter how hard you try
Foolishly talking
We keep on walking
The blind always leading the blind
Can't find no pot of gold
Somebody sold the rainbow
Then told us we are all free
Looked for the yellow-brick road
It was paved over in stones
Sharpened to cut up my feet
Looks kinda cloudy
Maybe I won't make it
I can see rain in the sky
Impossible questions can never be answered
No matter how hard you try
Foolishly talking
We keep on walking
The blind always leading the blind
Take the idea of Foucault
Watch the pendulum swing low
Measuring days passing by
Shifting it's weight as it goes
Pushing back all your hopes
Time after time after time
Looks kinda cloudy
Maybe I won't make it
I can see rain in the sky
Impossible questions can never be answered
No matter how hard you try
Foolishly talking, we keep on walking
The blind always leading the blind.
The Selecter's song "Blind Leading the Blind" is a commentary on society's tendency to follow blindly, without questioning and without understanding what it is they are following. The lyrics talk about how some things are better left unsaid, and how fantasies can grow old if they are not grounded in reality. The song highlights the fact that many people follow others without really knowing why, and that this blind following can lead to disappointment and disillusionment.
The first verse talks about how some secrets are never told, and how words can be better left unsaid. This could refer to the fact that sometimes it's better not to know things, or that sometimes it's better not to say things in order to avoid causing hurt or upset. The verse also talks about how fantasies can grow old, indicating that sometimes our dreams and ideals are not grounded in reality and can become stale over time. The second verse talks about how we sometimes follow others blindly, without really knowing what it is we are following. The line "impossible questions can never be answered, no matter how hard you try" suggests that sometimes we are looking for answers in the wrong places, or that sometimes there are no easy answers to be found.
The chorus repeats the idea that the blind are always leading the blind, suggesting that we are all following each other in circles without really knowing where we are going. The final verse talks about how time passes by and how we often try to measure it, but that our efforts are ultimately futile. The line "pushing back all your hopes, time after time after time" suggests that our attempts to measure time and to understand the world around us can ultimately lead to disappointment, as we are constantly being pushed back and forced to start again.
Line by Line Meaning
The story's never been told
The truth has never been revealed
The secret almost went cold
The secret almost disappeared into obscurity
Some words are better left unsaid
Not everything needs to be spoken aloud
The fantasy had grown old
The dream had lost its luster over time
No more room in the fold
There is no longer any space for you here
Don't quote me more lies you read
Do not repeat falsehoods that you have read
Looks kinda cloudy
The future is uncertain
Maybe I won't make it
I might not succeed
I can see rain in the sky
Trouble is on the horizon
Impossible questions can never be answered
Some questions cannot be resolved
No matter how hard you try
Regardless of effort
Foolishly talking
Speaking without thinking
We keep on walking
We continue on our path
The blind always leading the blind
People who are ignorant leading others who are also ignorant
Can't find no pot of gold
Unable to find riches
Somebody sold the rainbow
Someone made unrealistic promises
Then told us we are all free
Then falsely claimed that we are all liberated
Looked for the yellow-brick road
Searched for an easy path to success
It was paved over in stones
The path was obstructed by difficulties
Sharpened to cut up my feet
The obstacles hurt and slowed progress
Take the idea of Foucault
Consider Michel Foucault's philosophy
Watch the pendulum swing low
Observe the highs and lows of life
Measuring days passing by
Noting the passage of time
Shifting it's weight as it goes
Changing with each swing
Pushing back all your hopes
Crushing one's aspirations
Time after time after time
Repeatedly happening
Contributed by John N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.