New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)

That's a pretty big assumption. Actually, the really funny thing about the early to mid 80's is that MOST groups, especially new wave and euro avant garde poseur music bands, did NOT do drugs! They were creative on their own. I guess you had to be there (and NOT do drugs and actually remember those times).

The lyrics don't mean anything specifically, but are like another instrument. I read a Bono quote about Simple Minds being trance music pioneers. This is early trance music before it was called that, which has an hypnotic effect, electronic music with a melodic bassline that later would be associated with drug use, but not at his time, I don't think. Without the lyrics it would be a bit like 'Theme for Great Cities' on the previous 'Sons and Fascination' double album.

Jim believes one of the reasons he is still at the top of his GAME is that he is a teetotal vegetarian who has always shunned drugs.

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Jim Kerr has said in multiple interviews that during the writing of New Gold Dream he, for the first time since forming SM, felt like they were achieving success and had reached actual star-status. If you go back to songs from previous albums, Sons/Sisters particularly, his lyrics hinted at notes of pessimism and doubt. New Gold Dream is about success in the music industry. The 'she' he is referring to is fame. The Years " '81,'82, '83, '84" refer to the number of years (albums) they had signed on to record with Virgin, THE label you wanted to record under in the early '80s. It's funny that the same fame which inspired these lyrics out of Kerr was also responsible for the departure of Brian McGee who regarded the fame and touring as a hassle.

The lead singer once said in a biography or article that I read, that there was no specific meaning to the songs of that time...only imagery. He chose lyrics for how they sounded, not what they meant.

So, yes...they are a little like a madness or dream. I don't think it was drug induced though. There has never been any correlation between the band members and drugs to hit the media.

That's a pretty big assumption. Actually, the really funny thing about the early to mid 80's is that MOST groups, especially new wave and euro avant garde poseur music bands, did NOT do drugs! They were creative on their own. I guess you had to be there (and NOT do drugs and actually remember those times).

i was there Pedengo and it was all about imagery and creativity. Jim Kerr had experimented with plenty drugs during his reign of hit supremacy. This song always motivated me in sports and school at the time and thinking of my dreams and ambitions in life.

The lyrics to this album are only meant as images. If you read them as a "poem", I suppose its either about a couple in love or a couple having a drug trip.

Does anybody know what this song talks about ? I think about a sort of madness, or strange feelings we have when we dream (or are on drugs???).

At the time I was listening quite a bit to Simple Minds and being in the borderlands between heavy metal - punk and synth, Simple Minds was at the time one of those bands that came from a punkrock scene initially similar to Ultravox that paved the way and broke the mainstage fame due to several things going on in the music scene. Changes in the way instruments were used, synthesizers becoming more accepted and too many "bubblegum" pop artists that never really were artists at all but being promoted as being artists because of an easy way for the promoters to gain easy money - the record industry was "hot" and growing.\nNo matter what Jim Kerr says himself, I believe that this song is not about drugs at all but rather a reflection of the fact that they had just broke the barriers to hit the mainstage. Remember most individuals when they start a band and carry on making their living on that have a "dream" about being headliners on the mainstage. I think that what is actually said in the lyrics such as "she" is referred to "money" and that this "new gold dream" is a statement that they "have made it" and are being paid for it. Obviously with their background at the time Jim could not really officially write a lyric that embraced "money" considering where they came from as they would have lost credibility within that scene and heritage. I think it is as "Simple as that" :-)