I didn't expect this post to be so long. I'd recommend setting aside a decent amount of time to read.
I was recently recommended this video by the mighty algorithm overlord.
ONE HIT WONDERLAND: "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by The Proclaimers - Todd In the shadows
Now I must come clean, I'm a bit of a proclaimers fan as you can see from my 2024 replay. However I don't think that should impact what I'm trying to convey.
It's hard to disagree that 500 miles will forever be the song associated with the band for the vast majority of people, I can't begin to imagine how many times it has been drunkenly sung in pubs around the world but it's not what I associate most with the band. From as early as I can remember my Granny had a little book filled with CDs in the glove box of her car, several of which being the proclaimers. We'd listen to them basically every time we were going somewhere, everything from the greatest hits to full album runthroughs. They're music has continued to stay with me throughout my life, they have such a range of songs that cover so many different topics its hard to not find a song you like. I personally believe their first two albums, This is the Story and Sunshine on Leith are no skippers however I don't think that's a position most people from outside of Scotland would hold. What makes the proclaimers so special to me is how close to home the issues they cover are and that is why I think its good they're a "one hit wonder". They've constantly been writing about political and social events in Scotland and the impact that has had on them and the people they meet and interact with daily. I think it's incredibly important for art to be grounded in such a way as it helps facilitate the invocation of certain feelings or emotional responses. Regardless of all the success they've had, they never moved away from Leith. Their 2018 single Streets of Edinburgh reflects the fact they still hold Edinburgh and being Scottish as core to their being.
I want to mention a few of my favourite/notable songs from their albums that I think people either would enjoy or have a message that I think resonates with my point. I will recommend setting aside some time to listen to the albums in their entirety though. Or if you are struck by the urge to watch a musical Sunshine on Leith isn't too bad either, if a little cheesy. I'd recommend.
This is the Story
I'll start with their first album, This is the Story. Released on the 27th of April 1987 they came out swinging, the album is full of political and social messages. It covers everything from unemployment, to love and to how terrible Hibernian FC is.
The album opens strong with Throw the 'R' Away, a song most Scots will relate to. We're often made to feel like having less of an accent is better, whether it be done subtly in the mocking of the words we use or being asked to repeat ourselves several times because of our accent is "too thick", it's typically seen that having less of an accent is better in all regards. Well not to our home town heroes Charlie and Craig, they take pride in their accent and make a point of wanting to retain it even though it would probably be more beneficial to their career if they just dropped it. Is this a song that has mass public appeal? No, probably not. Is this a song that I can relate to? Yeah.
The follow up is probably my favourite proclaimers song and one that I really must recommend in the strongest possible terms, Over and Done With. I think the songs message speaks for itself, I just find it an incredibly potent reminder when life's not going my way or a large change has occurred.
Now I know I said its a no skipper but for brevity and me getting to bed we're skipping to Letter from America. This song is rather heavy as it laments the emigration of Scots, who moved in hopes of a better future. It also alludes to the Highland Clearances (a time in which people were cleared off land to improve profit for landowners, often being forced to emigrate to Canada and America) by mentioning the areas that were devastated by them. Wider appeal? Maybe to some of those good old Scotch Americans or fans of history but not really anyone else. Outside of the proclaimers who is retelling these tales? Sure there were bands like Silly Wizard and The Corries who covered similarly impactful and historical events (Which I may write a future blog post about) but generally speaking its such a specific topic.
Continuing on we have It Broke My Heart. A song about the struggles of being made unemployed and how it can often cause division in a family, something a lot of Scottish families in the 80s and even now can relate to.
Alright it's been a bit heavy for those last two, thankfully we've got the bread and butter of the proclaimers coming up, a love song. Make my Heart Fly is a classic song you want to belt out with your friend in a car, there's nothing more I can say to do it justice.
To end this album we've got another cheery one. The Joyful Kilmarnock Blues is a song all about living in the moment and not worrying about the negatives, told via an away day with Hibs. It's a very fun song and I can often prompt one of my friends into singing it bar for bar by simply saying "I'm not gonna talk about it" however its so laced with Scottish places and the football culture I doubt it would translate to anywhere else. I must say though, it has become one of my favourite songs in the last couple years.
I hope this makes sense
These songs cover events that have left such a resounding mark on Scotland, often told in ways that make frequent use of Scottish places or common experiences that their really not designed for that wide a spread of appeal. I think it's important for cultural experiences to be retained now more than ever, children access the internet at an ever decreasing age and the shared experiences these songs contain could so easily be lost. Sure every Taylor Swift album goes number one world wide but I don't think that is the metric that should be used when judging a career. I'll talk more about this in Sunshine on Leith.
Sunshine on Leith
Stay with me here alright just one more album.
Sunshine on Leith was released on the 12th of September 1988 and opens with the song that spawned this whole debate - I'm Gonna be (500 Miles). Great song, big fan etc but unfortunately will be skipped over for this.
Now the second track is relevant even today! How very unlike the proclaimers to write a song that has withstood the test of time. I jest. The Proclaimers have never hidden their affinity for Scottish Independence and this song is probably their biggest swing at the topic. The song covers their inability to understand why people who are so proud to be Scottish and so capable in every way fail to stand up for themselves when it comes to self governance. I saw a comment on the youtube video months ago that said something along the lines of "You got a vote and it was no, get over it already" - now the song was written 26 years prior but nobody ever said the average youtube commenter was intelligent.
Alright too real again. Luckily track 3 is a love song and another one of their greatest hits - Then I Met You. A song about how one person has the ability to completely flip your life on it's head. Just a masterpiece of a love song. I find most proclaimers love songs focus on how incredible and dedicated they are to the other person, which I think is a pretty sweet way to talk about a partner.
Now for the titular track. This song I think has possibly the greatest example of community impact as it is the anthem of Hibernian FC. I don't think anything will come close to the version sung by fans after the 2024/25 derby win at Easter Road. Although the song is a love song, it's never really felt fully like one to me, it has always felt more like a celebration of community. Possibly why it's done so well as a football song. It does however reinforce the point of this post, this song is held incredibly close by so many people born here and that support a football team. The song never achieved the Top 40s singles chart, missing out by just 1 place. Does that mean it's not a hit? Maybe idk what those charts really mean but it certainly has been a hit with the community and that's as great an achievement as any.
I'll conclude this album with I'm On My Way, most famously featured in Shrek. It's another great song and probably their next closest to a "hit" if I was to guess. Always best sung with a partner at karaoke, assuming you are capable of coordinating who sings which lines. I would be surprised if anyone reading this has never heard it.
Conclusions
To conclude, I think the songs featured in this list are a great showing of representation in music and how mass market appeal/success is not always a good thing, creating art that resonates with the people in your community is arguably more important than maximising general appeal. For years to come the proclaimers songs will be sung at football matches, in pubs and karaoke bars, passed from generation to generation allowing them to connect over the shared experiences and familiar places.
Alright I hope this was a consistent read and that it made sense. I fear I may have lost the objective somewhere in the middle simply due to the length and time this has taken to write mixed with enjoying the songs instead of writing about them. There's a hundred other songs I could recommend from them and I had to skip a fair few doing this so I do hope you give the albums a try in full and allow them the time they deserve. I hope you at least gained one song for your playlist from all this and maybe even a new found appreciation for folk music.
Honourable Mentions
A list of songs I enjoy that weren't in the list, in no particular order: