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.
Of One Skin
The Skids Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Inside, you seem to acknowledge
Traced the case of your family path
A maritime captain escaped the last laugh
Ah ha ha ha ah ha!
Deep, little one, ponder
Sleep, dream, you seem to discover
Vesuvius my sheba erupted & gored
Oh oh oh oh oh oh!
Silk, little one, slender
Certain part of the gender
A mother, a father, a brother, a son
A pyramid of love remembered you're the one
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!
Beware, little one, knowledge
Inside do you acknowledge?
The Skids' song "Of One Skin" is a powerful and enigmatic meditation on identity, heritage, and the human experience of self-discovery. The lyrics speak to a young person who is coming into their own, but who is also grappling with the weight of their family history and the mysteries of the universe. The opening lines warn the listener to be cautious of knowledge, to approach understanding with care and respect, and to recognize the power and responsibility that comes with insight. The idea that knowledge can both free and bind us recurs throughout the song.
As the song progresses, the lyrics become more introspective, urging the listener to look inward and explore their own thoughts and dreams. The imagery of tracing a family path, following a right-angled road, and remembering a pyramid of love all speak to a sense of continuity and connection, of being part of a larger story. The eruption of Vesuvius, on the other hand, suggests the power and unpredictability of nature, and the way that even the most carefully planned lives can be disrupted by forces beyond our control.
Ultimately, the song is a call to self-awareness and reflection, a reminder that the quest for knowledge and understanding is both thrilling and daunting. The haunting refrain of "Inside do you acknowledge?" echoes through the final verses, challenging the listener to confront their own fears and doubts and to embrace their unique perspective on the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Beware, little one, knowledge
Be careful, young one, knowledge can be dangerous
Inside, you seem to acknowledge
But it seems like you already know this
Traced the case of your family path
You've investigated your family's history
A maritime captain escaped the last laugh
And it turns out one of your ancestors was a captain who narrowly escaped danger
Ah ha ha ha ah ha!
Ha ha! (sardonic laughter)
Deep, little one, ponder
Think deeply about what you've learned
Sleep, dream, you seem to discover
Even in your sleep, you're discovering new things
Meandered the track of a right-angled road
Your journey has been full of twists and turns
Vesuvius my sheba erupted & gored
You've faced some explosive and painful moments along the way
Oh oh oh oh oh oh!
Oh! (expressing surprise or realization)
Silk, little one, slender
You are delicate and graceful
Certain part of the gender
And there are certain gender roles that apply to you
A mother, a father, a brother, a son
You have familial relationships with different types of people
A pyramid of love remembered you're the one
But at the end of the day, you are loved and important to those around you
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!
Ah! (expression of realization or discovery)
Beware, little one, knowledge
Once again, be careful with knowledge
Inside do you acknowledge?
Do you still understand the risks associated with seeking knowledge?
Writer(s): ADAMSON, JOBSON
Contributed by Adalyn P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
MrBrianlangton
What a brilliant tune. Still sounds brilliant
Mark Watson
What a f**** amazing piece of music:for pure energy you can’t beat it:hot on its heels is The Saints are coming another incredible anthem of the punk era
Sammy Clandestine
Thank you for posting such a high quality copy of this fabulous song.
TheAtuocool
Best band ever.
Tony Nesbit
Their best.
Stephen Mccoy
I fuckin love this album
John Barry
Stuart Adamson!!!!
Graham Petrie
Has anyone got a clue what this song is actually about? I can't make it out. Great track from a great 12" in lurid red vinyl.
p aa
best
John Pirie
Tune!