I’m excited about this one. Really bloody excited! Deacon Blue are one of those bands who I quite liked back in the day but have grown to love over recent years. Sure, I understood that Dignity was an absolute classic, though I was quite late to the party in terms of fully appreciating the rest of their hits from this period, plus their excellent recent albums too. Having seen them live twice over the past couple of years or so, they’re now one of my favourite bands. More of their songs will feature here (in time), though I simply had to begin with Dignity.
The artist
Deacon Blue were formed in Glasgow in 1985. Their first album, 1987’s Raintown, stands as one of the best debuts of the decade, featuring the songs When Will You (Make My Telephone Ring), Chocolate Girl, and Dignity. Their second album, 1989’s When The World Knows Your Name, topped the UK album charts and the lead single Real Gone Kid became their first top ten single in the UK Singles Chart. Apart from a couple of periods when the band took a hiatus for five or six years at a time, they have continued releasing albums and selling out arenas across the world. Featuring the stunning vocals of husband and wife pairing Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh, they remain one of the most prolific and beloved bands around, almost 40 years after they first formed.
Why I’ve chosen to write about this song
Primarily, it’s one of the finest songs of the 80’s. I love Scottish music. The country has produced a quite crazy amount of amazing singers / bands, covering a broad spectrum of genres. It has always been a breeding ground for insanely talented musicians, and Deacon Blue are one of the finest exports. Ricky Ross has always been not just a brilliant lyricist, but one of the most interesting songwriters. He wrote this whilst on holiday in Greece (hence the reference to drinking raki), whilst thinking about the workers of Glasgow. The band, and Ross in particular, have always had a very strong social conscience, and Dignity was written at a time when UK unemployment levels were high and Ross was thinking of people doing the jobs which many others didn’t want to do, such as road-sweeping. The title refers to the dignity people felt in working, at any level, during what were quite tumultuous times. Seemingly another reason why this song resonates with so many people.
The video
Largely a band performance video, interspersed with some black and white footage from the coast. A few different versions of the song have been released, in case you’re wondering why this one (deemed to be the official UK video) will likely sound slightly different to the most commonly played recording of the song. And that’s all I’ll say on the video. There’s no need for me to waffle here. Just access the link and sing ‘Set it up, set it up, set it up…’ over and over again from the very top of your lungs!
The stats
A prime example of a huge song, loved by many, that didn’t chart anywhere near as high as you might first think! Originally released in January 1988, the song debuted at number 61 and reached a peak of 31 in the 20/2/88 chart. Rereleased in May 1994, the song charted at a peak position of 20 in the 28/5/94 chart, dropping out of the top 40 the following week.
The number one single in that 20/2/88 chart was Kylie Minogue’s I Should Be So Lucky (which knocked Tiffany’s I Think We’re Alone Now off the top spot – some week for fans of classic female pop music!), whilst the chart-topper in the 28/5/94 chart was the Manchester Utd Football Squad with Come On You Reds – the less said about that, the better… The number one albums in both weeks were Terence Trent D’Arby’s brilliant debut Introducing The Hardline According To… in 1988 and Erasure’s I Say I Say I Say in 1994 (with Deacon Blue’s Our Town – Greatest Hits just behind in second).
The cover version
I struggled a little here. I don’t know of, and couldn’t find, any cover versions by established artists. There are many versions by amateur musicians on YouTube and, whilst most are really good, none of them reached out and grabbed me. I was on the verge of not including a cover version today when I found this solo piano interpretation of the song. It’s gentle, relaxing and includes some lovely images too. Certainly worth checking out.
The wrap-up
I get a strong sense that I’m preaching to the converted with this post. So many people know and love Dignity, so I doubt I’m going to introduce anyone new to its brilliance here. But, quite often, there is a need to just acknowledge amazing tunes, and this is one of those occasions. People love it for different reasons, and there are numerous for me, though, fundamentally, it’s just a fantastic song. I’ve always loved Scottish music and artists – there’s a rich, varied, brilliant heritage there – though it’s hard to argue with the fact that Dignity was voted Scotland’s greatest song in a public vote in 2020. Grab yourself a brew, click play on that video link above, smile, and, most importantly, sing your heart out!
Best wishes.
Mick
