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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
Die Happy
The Selecter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pull down the blinds
No problems anymore
Everything's fine
Throw out the papers
The colour TV
Don't want no distractions
While I drink my tea
What if the world stops
I wanna die happy
I wanna die happy
I wanna die happy
Pull up a chair
I've got something to say
Wise men and fools
Always end the same way
People are people
For such a short time
Humans are human
Okay never mind
What if a bomb drops
I wanna die happy
I wanna die happy
I wanna die happy
Close up the candy store
Pull down the blinds
Enjoy yourself
Why not have a good time
Humans are human
We make so much mess
Once I care more
Now I couldn't care less
What if the world stops
I wanna die happy
(Look at all the bodies
Dem a rockin' in de dance)
I wanna die happy
(A winy winy like dem
Always in a trance)
I wanna die happy
(Me wan fe step up
But me never get a chance)
I wanna die happy
(But never mind com
Mek we give a second glance)
I wanna die happy
(Me never born yah
So me going freelance)
No complications on my mind
Enjoy myself and have a good time
The Selecter's song Die Happy is an ode to taking control of one's own happiness and letting go of a world full of chaos and distractions. The opening lines "Close up the candy store, pull down the blinds, no problems anymore, everything's fine" suggests the need to put away all the things that distract us and let us become more deeply engaged in life in a meaningful way. It's a call for people to simplify their lives, minimize distractions, and dedicate more energy to doing things that truly make them happy without worrying about what is happening in the world. The lines "Throw out the papers, the colour TV, don't want no distractions while I drink my tea" emphasizes the need for people to avoid disturbing news and events that can cause stress and anxiety.
The chorus of the song "What if the world stops, I wanna die happy" reiterates the theme of living life to the fullest without fear of death or external circumstances affecting one's happiness. The lines "Humans are human, we make so much mess, once I care more, now I couldn't care less" suggests that the singer has come to accept the imperfections of life and is focusing on the things that bring them joy rather than being weighed down by the things that cannot be easily controlled.
The final lines "No complications on my mind, enjoy myself and have a good time" congratulate people on finally letting go of their worries, and emphasizing the importance of self-reflection, joy, and enjoying life. The song rings true to all people searching for happiness in a world that is full of chaos and distractions.
Line by Line Meaning
Close up the candy store
Let's close down all the things that distract us from our inner peace and happiness.
Pull down the blinds
Let's shut out the external noise and focus on our own thoughts and emotions.
No problems anymore
Once we close ourselves off from the distractions, there will be no more problems to worry about.
Everything's fine
When we focus on our inner selves, we realize that everything is already fine and we don't need anything else to make us happy.
Throw out the papers
Let's stop paying attention to news and other sources of negativity and focus on positivity and inner peace.
The colour TV
Similar to the newspapers, even TV can be a source of negativity or distraction if we let it be, so let's turn it off and find inner happiness instead.
Don't want no distractions
In summary, we don't want any distractions because we're on a quest for inner happiness.
While I drink my tea
This is the moment to focus on our own thoughts and emotions – even while doing something as simple as drinking tea.
What if the world stops
This is a rhetorical question to highlight that even if something terrible happens in the world, we still want to be able to find inner happiness amidst it all.
I wanna die happy
The ultimate goal for all of us should be to find inner peace and happiness – even in the face of adversity or death.
Pull up a chair
This is an invitation to listen carefully to what is being said next.
I've got something to say
The artist has something important and insightful to share with us.
Wise men and fools
This line acknowledges that ultimately, all humans are mortal and will face the same fate – death.
Always end the same way
This is a reminder that regardless of how much one has achieved in life, the end will always be the same.
People are people
This line affirms our common humanity – regardless of race, gender, nationality, etc.
For such a short time
This is a reminder that our lives are short and we should strive to find happiness and meaning within them.
Humans are human
This is another affirmation of our shared humanity.
Okay never mind
Having acknowledged our mortality and humanity, the singer then encourages us to focus on finding happiness and not worry about these things too much.
What if a bomb drops
This is another rhetorical question to highlight that even when faced with the worst-case scenario, we should still strive for inner happiness.
Enjoy yourself
This line is a reminder to live life to the fullest and not take any of it for granted.
Why not have a good time
There's no harm in enjoying oneself as long as it doesn't hurt others.
We make so much mess
This is an acknowledgement that as humans, we often make mistakes and create problems for ourselves.
Once I care more
The singer is acknowledging that they used to worry about these problems more.
Now I couldn't care less
The artist has reached a point where they realize that finding inner happiness is more important than worrying about external problems.
No complications on my mind
The singer has achieved inner peace and is no longer concerned with external complications.
Contributed by William Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.