- - -
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
Three Minute Hero
The Selecter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You say yes
But all the time you know
It's a mess
It's 5 PM and you're on your way home
Just another day with that endless grey drone
Three minute hero
I wanna be, a three minute hero
I wanna be, a three minute hero
Drag yourself along the road
Sit on the bus
Switch on your transistor
Causes a fuss
It's 11 PM and you're on your way home
Just another night with that endless grey drone
Three minute hero
I wanna be, a three minute hero
I wanna be, a three minute hero
I wanna be, a three minute hero
I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be
A three minute hero
Three minute hero
I wanna be, a three minute hero
I wanna be, a three minute hero
I wanna be, a three minute hero
It's too early in the morning
Stupid job
Don't wanna eat, can't think straight
Same as yesterday
It's 7 AM and you're leaving home
Just another day with that endless grey drone
A three minute hero, I wanna be
A three minute hero, I wanna be
A three minute hero, I wanna be
A three minute hero, I wanna be
A three minute hero, I wanna be
A three minute hero, I wanna be
A three minute hero, I gotta be
A three minute hero, I wanna be
A three minute hero, I gotta be
A three minute hero, I wanna be
A three minute hero, I gotta be
The Selecter's song Three Minute Hero is about a person who is stuck in a mundane routine and finds solace in the escapism that music provides. The song begins by challenging the notion of being alright when everything around you seems like a mess. The singer seems to be going through the motions and is tired of living in a world where the days feel endless and the nights are just as monotonous. They long to be a three-minute hero, a reference to the length of a typical pop song, providing a brief escape from their dreary reality.
The song's verses describe the singer's day, from leaving home in the morning to returning at night. They feel trapped in their job and commute, and use music as a means of escape from their bleak existence. The catchy chorus is a call to action, a plea to become something more than just another worker going through the motions. The repetition of the phrase "I wanna be, a three-minute hero" reinforces the idea that music and the idea of being a hero even if it's just for three minutes, provides a sense of hope in an otherwise dreary world.
Line by Line Meaning
They asked you if you're alright
Someone expressed concern for you
You say yes
You responded positively
But all the time you know
You are aware
It's a mess
Your life is chaotic
It's 5 PM and you're on your way home
You are leaving work for the day
Just another day with that endless grey drone
Your daily routine is monotonous and unfulfilling
Three minute hero
The ideal of being a short-lived hero
I wanna be, a three minute hero
You desire to be a temporary savior
Drag yourself along the road
You're struggling to walk
Sit on the bus
You're taking public transportation
Switch on your transistor
You're listening to the radio
Causes a fuss
It may bother someone around you
It's 11 PM and you're on your way home
You're returning home late at night
Just another night with that endless grey drone
Your monotonous routine continues into the night
It's too early in the morning
It's too early to be awake
Stupid job
You detest your job
Don't wanna eat, can't think straight
You're not hungry and you're struggling to focus
Same as yesterday
Your life is stale
It's 7 AM and you're leaving home
You're leaving for work
A three minute hero, I wanna be
You still aspire to be a temporary hero
A three minute hero, I gotta be
You feel that you must be a temporary hero
Lyrics © Casablanca Media Publishing
Written by: Neol Davies
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rachelgeorge6455
pauline black a true heroine of those times and a class act energyand still the same lady at the crash festival in london wonderful to see that jam in 2012 keep going and inspiring pauline a superb band sound of my youth X
@magumba1000
You n me both mate xXx
@mellymel245
This track🔥💯🇬🇧banger🔥
@paulselkirk2345
Another brilliant song from Pauline black and the selecter like this group 🤩😊😎🤗
@dickygriffiths3297
Damn, I loves this tune.
@tutts999
Back when a completely new music scene started every 18 months.
@ghostpuppet31
Wow! Trippy to hear a song, that I haven't heard in decades!
@siroswaldfortitude409
far out
@martymayo6298
Had this on 7 inch back in the day, some how misplaced...... 2021 just bought on ebay...... I'm getting it all back
@reaper4477
Still got my original from cov hmv plus on my radio 😎