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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
Then She Did
The Selecter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Anything I can do dear?
His blue Cortina was parked so near
She liked the idea
Don't know why she fucked up
Always drunk and drugged up
Those chrome hearts, they rust up
He said go, then she did
She staggered home at ten to four
What's it to you dear
Couldn't get the key in the door
Ring in the New year!
Don't know why she fucked up
Always drunk and drugged up
Those chrome hearts, they rust up
He said go, then she did
Chipping away at a heart of chrome
Love's shiny veneer
The cowboy spends his nights alone
Nothing left to do here
Don't know how she puts up
With no love to make up
For stains on the tea cups
He said go, she said no.
Don't know why she fucked up
Always drunk and drugged up
Those chrome hearts, they rust up
He said go, then she did
Then she did
Then she did
The Selecter's song Then She Did tells a story of a girl who is seemingly lost, addicted to alcohol and drugs, and stuck in a destructive cycle of making bad decisions. The first verse talks about a cowboy who approaches her with a suggestive tone, asking if there's anything he can do to help her. The girl seems to take a liking to the idea, but eventually leaves anyway, as the lyrics say "he said go, then she did."
In the second verse, the girl makes her way home while intoxicated, but struggles to open the door. She sarcastically tells the singer, "what's it to you, dear?" indicating that she is not interested in hearing anyone else's opinion of her. The chorus repeats the phrase "don't know why she fucked up, always drunk and drugged up, those chrome hearts they rust up, he said go then she did" indicating that this is a recurring theme in her life.
The final verse talks about the cowboy spending his nights alone, highlighting that his advances towards the girl were likely empty or insincere. The lyrics "chipping away at a heart of chrome, love's shiny veneer" suggest that the girl's experiences have hardened her and made her difficult to love. However, she still refuses to go back to the cowboy, as she says "he said go, she said no."
Line by Line Meaning
A cowboy whispered in her ear
A stranger made advances towards her.
Anything I can do dear?
The cowboy offered to help her in some way.
His blue Cortina was parked so near
The cowboy's car was close by, possibly indicating he had ulterior motives.
She liked the idea
She was intrigued by the cowboy's advances.
Don't know why she fucked up
She did something wrong, possibly due to substance use or lack of judgement.
Always drunk and drugged up
She frequently uses alcohol and drugs.
Those chrome hearts, they rust up
The superficial attraction to shiny objects fades over time.
He said go, then she did
The cowboy asked her to leave, and she complied.
She staggered home at ten to four
She returned home late and possibly under the influence.
What's it to you dear
She was dismissive of someone's inquiry about her actions.
Couldn't get the key in the door
She struggled to unlock her own home, potentially due to intoxication.
Ring in the New year!
A sarcastic exclamation, possibly indicating her unhappiness with the current situation.
Chipping away at a heart of chrome
Attempting to unravel the superficial facade of love.
Love's shiny veneer
The facade of love is alluring at first, but fades over time like shiny chrome.
The cowboy spends his nights alone
The cowboy is left with no one after the woman left.
Nothing left to do here
The relationship has run its course and there is no point in continuing it.
Don't know how she puts up
The cowboy doesn't understand why the woman stays in the relationship.
With no love to make up
There is no love or affection in the relationship to repair.
For stains on the tea cups
The small imperfections in life that do not matter in the grand scheme of things.
He said go, she said no.
A possible argument or disagreement between the cowboy and the woman.
Then she did
The woman left the relationship.
Then she did
Re-emphasizing the woman's choice to leave the relationship.
Contributed by Xavier M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.