Glittering Prize

The words to this joyful bliss-inducing tune seem centered around the desire to worship [a god, nature, a lover, whatever], yet doesn't filter out doubt ["can you never stop?" "could there ever be more than one?"] or the memory of what one enjoyed about their life before they were in love/worship ["remember the bright side of midnight" "attraction of fame"]. You could surely read a lot into some of the other lines if you wanted but that's the gist of it, to me. This song can take you places, and does it while being a bit vague, lol...kinda like the confusion that love/worship can cause.

There are a few little mistakes in the lyrics above [and on the Simple Minds site etc] This is what I have come up with

Shine on, shine the light on me, In all of my life So that much more I see

In the light of his love In the light of reflection What a world [is] this world???What a world this world Sometimes oh so it seems ??? Eyes to the skies. In that silver gift friendship A glittering prize Is it the prize of lost loves

They can remember quiet side of midnight They can remember attraction of fame Like a glittering prize I saw you up on a clear day First taking hearts Then our last breath away

Always came a time Tme was by your side We were spending time - we were staring out Catch me in a dream Captured all in heart We were spending time - we were staring out Could there ever be - ever more than one It's called an act of love Can you you ever stop?

Shine on, shine the light on me, In all of my life So that much more I see Like a glittering prize I saw you up on a clear day First taking hearts then our last breath away
Only on a clear day Coming into our lives Only on a clear day… in our lives

We can remember quiet side of midnight We can remember attraction of fame.
Like a glittering prize I saw you up on a clear day First taking hearts Then our last breath away

See it in the eyes - satellite skies. We were spending time - we were staring out
Takin’, takin’ more endless breath away.
We were staring out, now we’re staring in Could there ever be - ever more than one Called an act of love Can you you ever stop?

Shine on, shine the light on me, In all of my life so that much more I see Like a glittering prize I saw up you on a clear day First taking hearts. Then our last breath away

Only on a clear day Of our lives Always on a clear day Is it the price of love Like a glittering prize Only on a clear day

There was a drama on TV in early 1976 called "The Glittering Prizes". This has nothing to do with the lyrics, but it may well have had an infuence on the title. Plus, in 1979, the phrase was used in the song "Factory".

For its 40th Anniversary, Jim Kerr put a post on Facebook. Part of the post read "The theme of the song (in keeping with the lyrical theme of the album, new gold dream) loosely deals with the notion of somehow finding ourselves becoming inspired. As in : Being struck by a divine influence, one that is directly and immediately exerted upon the mind or soul."