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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
Not So Tall
The Selecter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where purple faces said it all
I wasn't looking for no sympathy
An opportunity to make me small
Then my skin began to crawl
I took a bus up where the air is green
And all year round the sky is blue
The mediocrity of what they do
Believing what they say is true
Oh it's such a silly dream
But you're not so tall
Oh it's such a simple thing
but you're not so tall
Oh no you're not so tall
At all
I took a stroll along a red-brick road
Where baby's' cheeks are shiny brown
I heard the crack of an almighty load
The curiosity of that fat sound
Brought all the children running round
Oh it's such a silly dream
But you're not so tall
Oh it's such a simple thing
but you're not so tall
Oh no you're not so tall
At all
When I think of the good vibrations
All the things I like to do
Then I get a strange sensation
Why is everyone so cruel
Oh you're not so tall
Oh no you're not so tall, one day, some day)
The Selecter's song "Not So Tall" is a commentary on society's skewed perception of success and the human tendency to compare oneself with others. The first verse paints a picture of a street where the people around have purple faces, which might indicate being unhappy or unfulfilled. The singer of the song, however, is not looking for sympathy. Instead, they come across an opportunity to make themselves small, which makes them feel uncomfortable ("my skin began to crawl"). This could mean that the singer is susceptible to external pressures that make them question their worth and size.
In the second verse, the singer takes a bus to a place where the air is green and the sky is blue, the kind of idyllic place that people might associate with happiness and success. However, they find that people there pretend not to notice the mediocrity of their lives. They still believe in what they say and do, even if it's not that different from people in other places. This might be because they have internalized the societal expectations of what they should be doing with their lives, without questioning why they do those things.
The chorus of the song ("Oh it's such a silly dream, but you're not so tall...") is an uplifting message meant to counteract the negative feelings that the verses elicit. It suggests that the dream of being successful or happy is not really that complicated or unattainable. The singer repeats this message twice in each chorus, adding a note of hopefulness ("one day, some day").
Line by Line Meaning
I took a walk along a yellow street
I went for a walk in a place of uncertainty.
Where purple faces said it all
Where insecurity and self-doubt lingered heavy on people's faces.
I wasn't looking for no sympathy
I didn't want others to feel sorry for me.
An opportunity to make me small
Instead, I wanted a chance to feel humble and grounded.
Then my skin began to crawl
But the atmosphere became unsettling and uncomfortable for me.
I took a bus up where the air is green
I tried again to find peace in a serene environment.
And all year round the sky is blue
Where the natural beauty of the environment never fades.
The people all pretend that they can't see
But even in this haven, people act blind towards their own mediocrity.
The mediocrity of what they do
They settle for averageness instead of striving for greatness.
Believing what they say is true
They convince themselves that their way of life is the right path, refusing to see beyond it.
Oh it's such a silly dream
The desire for something better may seem unrealistic or trivial to others.
But you're not so tall
However, the person seeking this dream doesn't feel superior or above anyone else.
At all
In fact, they feel small and humble in the grand scheme of things.
I took a stroll along a red-brick road
In another attempt for inner peace, I went for a walk in a traditional environment.
Where baby's' cheeks are shiny brown
Where the youth are innocent and pure, and embody happiness.
I heard the crack of an almighty load
But even in this idyllic setting, there is an underlying tension.
The curiosity of that fat sound
The need to see what caused the disruption and disturbance.
Brought all the children running round
But the children, who are uncorrupted by the outside world, were not deterred by the sound.
When I think of the good vibrations
Reflecting on the moments of happiness and positivity.
All the things I like to do
The activities and hobbies that bring joy and fulfillment.
Then I get a strange sensation
But something peculiar arises in those moments of reflection.
Why is everyone so cruel
A realization that people can be so harsh and unsympathetic towards one another.
Oh you're not so tall
In this moment of understanding, the person feels connected to others and recognizes that we're all the same size.
Oh no you're not so tall, one day, some day
But ultimately, there is hope and optimism for a better future where everyone can see past their mediocrity and treat others with kindness and empathy.
Contributed by Ian N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.