The Skids continue to enjoy popularity with two top 20 singles, "Masquerade" and "Working for the Yankee Dollar", from the album "Days in Europa", produced by Bill Nelson. The Cover of the album, showing an "aryan", was seen by some as Nazi, and was soon replaced with a less controversial sleeve. This sleeve, although conventional, still bore the image of the first release seen through the viewers eyes by a picture on the wall, alongside a picture of 'Scared to Dance', the sleeve portrayed a woman , bare breast showing, in the hands of a man.
The Absolute Game was The Skids' 1980 third album (not counting the two different mix versions released of their second album 1979's Days in Europa) and was produced by Mick Glossop. It featured two new band members, Russell Webb (bass guitar, vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion) and Mike Baillie (drums, vocals, percussion).
The album continued the Skids' progression from a punky sound into a more mellow one - paralleled by many bands of the period. The album has a great deal in common with Days in Europa, but not much with its successor, Joy. Around this time the band were driven by internal rifts and disagreements, leading to various members coming and going. Soon after the release and live concert tour of The Absolute Game, Adamson and Baillie left the band. (Although Adamson did temporarily return to play on one more song from the album Joy, called Iona.) Adamson went on to launch the career of his new band, Big Country, and Baillie moved back to Scotland to live. A great deal of Big Country's future sound and style can be heard in this album. In particularly on Hurry On Boys, which features bagpipe simulations and real didgeridoo. Joy has a completely different sound to other Skids albums, and some fans consider The Absolute Game to be the last canonical Skids album.
Soon after the release and live concert tour of The Absolute Game, Adamson and Baillie left the band. (Although Adamson did temporarily return to play on one more song from the album Joy, called Iona.) Adamson went on to launch the career of his new band, Big Country, and Baillie moved back to Scotland to live. It left Jobson and Webb, in 1981, to write and record the band's fourth and final album Joy, which Russell Webb also produced. The pair played multiple instruments on the album, and also invited a collection of seventeen musical friends to perform on various tracks with them. The Skids dissolved in 1982, with the album Fanfare posthumously issued by Virgin. It was a mixture of greatest hits and unreleased tracks.
Jobson and Webb then went onto form a new band called The Armoury Show. The group only recorded one album called Waiting for the Floods in 1985 before splitting up. Jobson went onto pursue a solo career as a poet, songwriter, television presenter and most recently a film director. He released albums on the Belgian record label Les Disques du Crepuscule, and the UK's own Parlophone Records.
Sadly, on December 16 2001, Stuart was found dead in Best Western Plaza Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii, having committed suicide.
In the year 2007, U2 and Greenday covered "The Saints Are Coming" recorded originaly by the skids for the "Scared to Dance" album. Most fans seen this as a juncture to include new fans to the old punk scene.
In 2007 Richard Jobson, William Simpson and Mike Baillie, along with Bruce Watson (guitar/vocals) of Big Country, Jamie Watson (guitar), Brian Jobson (vocals) and Jane Button (vocals), got together to play three gigs. They were to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the group's formation, and as a final tribute to Stuart Adamson, who died in 2001. The shows on 4 July and 5 July were at Dunfermline's Glen Pavilion, where they were supported by Rosyth band The Draymin - outside of which The Skids had previously played only their second gig according to Jobson - and on 7 July, at the T in the Park festival.
Skids returned to the stage on 28 November 2009 as one of the headlining acts in Homecoming Live, a series of gigs held around the SECC complex in Glasgow to celebrate the end of the Year of Homecoming in Scotland. The line-up mirrored the 2007 gigs, with members of The Gospel Truth Choir joining Button on backing vocals for "A Woman in Winter" and "Working for the Yankee Dollar".
The same lineup performed a concert on 5 March 2010 at the ABC in Glasgow, with support from The Law and Bruce & Jamie Watson, and lastly a concert on 6 March 2010 at the Alhambra Theatre, Dunfermline, with support from Beatnic Prestige and Bruce & Jamie Watson. This final concert was to conclude a week of events celebrating the works, past and present, of Richard Jobson as part of The Fifer Festival 2010 on 6 March 2010.
In 2016 the band reformed and announced a 40th anniversary tour of the UK with their original singer Richard Jobson. In 2018, Skids released their fifth album, Burning Cities.
Both Dunfermline Athletic FC and Charlton Athletic FC use "Into the Valley" as a theme song.
Into The Valley
The Skids Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
betrothed and divine
realisations no virtue
but who can define
why soldiers go marching
those amsses a line
this disease is catching
from victory to stone
ahoy! ahoy! land, sea and sky
ahoy!ahoy! boy, man and soldier
ahoy! ahoy! deceived and then punctured
ahoy! ahoy! long may they die
out of concealment
blank and stark eyed
why so uncertain
this culture deceives
prophesised, brainwashed
tomorrows demise
all systems failing
the placards unroll
ahoy! ahoy! land, sea and sky
ahoy! ahoy! boy, man and soldier
ahoy! ahoy! deceived and then punctured
ahoy! ahoy! long may they die
time for the audit
the gathering trial
a collectors dilemma
repositioned and filed
The Skids' song "Into The Valley" explores the theme of war and its impact on soldiers and society. In the first verse, the lyrics suggest that soldiers are celebrated and honored, but their actions and motivations are not always virtuous or easy to define. The idea of soldiers marching in lines is compared to a contagious disease that spreads as war is seen as a victory that ultimately leads to destruction.
The chorus of the song, with its repeated "ahoy! ahoy!" refrain, evokes a sense of urgency and distress. The use of the nautical term "ahoy" suggests that the soldiers are lost at sea or adrift in a world that has lost its way. The lines "deceived and then punctured" and "long may they die" convey a sense of betrayal and violence, as soldiers are seen as being used and abused by those in power.
The second verse of the song highlights a sense of confusion and uncertainty around the motives and actions of soldiers. The use of the word "culture" suggests that society plays a role in perpetuating war and violence, while the idea of being brainwashed and prophesied to heralds a sense of doom and inevitability. The final lines of the song, which focus on the idea of an audit and trial, suggest that there may be some accountability for those who create war and send soldiers into battle.
Overall, "Into The Valley" is a powerful song that speaks to the complex relationship between soldiers and society, and the devastating impact of war on both.
Line by Line Meaning
into the valley
Entering a dangerous situation or an uncertain future
betrothed and divine
Referring to the idea of soldiers being committed and devoted to their cause as if it were a divine obligation
realisations no virtue
Coming to the realization of the situation at hand is not enough to change the outcome
but who can define
Even though the situation is clear, it is difficult to understand the reasons behind it
why soldiers go marching
Questioning the motives and reasons behind the soldiers' actions
those masses a line
The soldiers are marching together in a line, losing their individuality as they become a group
this disease is catching
The destructive nature of war spreads like an infectious disease
from victory to stone
The soldiers go from the thrill of victory to the cold, lifeless death of the battlefield
ahoy! ahoy! land, sea and sky
A call to attention, looking out to all aspects of the world
ahoy!ahoy! boy, man and soldier
All males, regardless of age or status, are affected by the horrors of war
ahoy! ahoy! deceived and then punctured
A warning that those who are deceived will eventually face the painful consequences
ahoy! ahoy! long may they die
A dark wish that the violence of war will continue and the soldiers will perish
out of concealment
The truth is no longer hidden in secrecy
blank and stark-eyed
The soldiers are devoid of emotion, their eyes reflecting the emptiness of war
why so uncertain
Even though the war is clear, it is difficult to know how it will end
this culture deceives
The culture surrounding war leads people to believe in the glory and nobility of fighting, but the reality is far from it
prophesised, brainwashed
The inevitability of war is ingrained in the soldiers' minds through propaganda and brainwashing techniques
tomorrows demise
The future holds only death and destruction
all systems failing
Everything is falling apart and nothing seems to be working
the placards unroll
The signs of impending doom are becoming more and more evident
time for the audit
It is time to take stock of the situation and understand the consequences
the gathering trial
The judgment of history will hold those responsible for the atrocities committed in war accountable
a collectors dilemma
The dilemma of what to do with the spoils of war, collected by the victors
repositioned and filed
The artifacts of war are cataloged and put away, but the memories and scars remain
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@redrum4100
Like everyone else on here, I never had a clue what he was singing either - it was just a great tune - but what a shame, given that the lyrics are so incredibly powerful and moving. What an author! See below:
Into the valley, betrothed and divine
Realizations no virtue but who can define
Why soldiers go marching, those masses a line
This disease is catching from victory to stone
Ahoy, ahoy, land, sea and sky
Ahoy, ahoy, boy, man and soldier
Ahoy, ahoy, deceived and then punctured
Ahoy, ahoy, long may they die
Out of concealment, blank and stark eyed
Why so uncertain this culture deceives
Prophesied, brainwashed tomorrow's demise
All systems failing the placards unroll
Ahoy, ahoy, land, sea and sky
Ahoy, ahoy, boy, man and soldier
Ahoy, ahoy, deceived and then punctured
Ahoy, ahoy, long may they die
Time for the audit, gathering trial
La la la la la, la la la la la, la la la la la, la la la la la
Collector's dilemma, repositioned and filed
Ahoy, ahoy, land, sea and sky
Ahoy, ahoy, boy, man and soldier
Ahoy, ahoy, deceived and then punctured
Ahoy, ahoy, long may they die
Into the valley, betrothed and divine
Realizations no virtue but who can define
Why soldiers go marching, those masses a line
This disease is catching from victory to stone
La la la la la, la la la la la, la la la la la, la la la la la
Into the valley, betrothed and divine
La la la la la, la la la la la, la la la la la, la la la la la
Into the valley, betrothed and divine
@garethevans3566
Love it...what a generation I grew up in...Skids..Ruts..Undertones.. Stiff Little Fingers...the tunes sound so fresh even now I'm 60...
@karlalton3170
Me to dude same age 😁 the good days are gone 🙁🙁
@gmantramp404
Yep even the Skids used to get gobbed on at the gigs before the headline acts. seen it many times at Clouds and Tiffanys Edinburgh.
Best line from Jobson was stop gobbin or we're just gonna do slow songs 😂😂😂😂
@paulmcleod1469
Beautifully put my friend ...we were so lucky..some of us suffering a bit from the lifestyle but we wouldn't change for nothing eh ?
@kevindavies7452
💯 still listen to the music like it was yday so glad that was my youth wouldn’t change a thing
@seansands424
Same as can,t for the sex pistols the clash the stranglers the jam, squeeze eta it was a great time
@salsabil44
Still one of the greatest intros to any song, ever.
@mrpdofff
Definitely...!!!
@AndyHuff38
Ain’t that the truth
@donaldkilgour187
I concur