Perhaps the greatest 'folk'-rock outfit ever. Uncompromising and yet they sung about the plight of the oppressed. Nowadays (and most bands back then, too) they sing about a bloody Rolex, cars, drugs and nonsensical materialism. Quite sad how low things have sunk.
Immense - all four musicians are cruelly underate in my view: all distinctive, exceptional and way more competent instrumentalists than the majority of their peers and most of the rubbish we’ve heard since. As a bass player I’ve always been fascinated by Tony Butler’s lines - I’m not sure how widely known how weird they seem for a band like this but they work beautifully when on the face of them, they probably shouldn’t!! One of my all time favourite bands and this is in my Top 5 of their songs. Wonderful!
In my early teens,on my first drum kit,I literally studied Big Country. My teacher was a jazz musician,and taught me syncopation,and there was something about BC that I'm glad to this day,that I related to at the time. That drumming could have fit into a military brass band. There was the Gaelic thing going on,too. My grandfather like bagpipe music,and I 'heard' the bagpipes in many BC tunes. I've quietly wondered over the years (-quite frankly,because I've got nobody else that interested,in mulling over this sort of thing with-) why a local philharmonic orchestra hasn't reconstructed their songs,as has been the case with other people. One of my favourite songs of theirs,too.
Underrated? Not to those who grew up during that time and had half a brain, a beating heart and one ear. Mark and Tony were peerless studio musicians even before they joined BC. And Stuart was a recognized savant perhaps even before the Skids. Their relevance is not only rooted in their musicianship but moreso in their indelible social justice and equity lyrics and messaging. Still peerless decades after release.
yeh good take - i was blow away by them in 84- 85 didn't like all of their tracks but the ones i did were brilliant porroh man lingered chance. jut a shadow brilliant beautiful tracks and you're right that base player is fhukcing great and you're right at 54 now i can perceive the brilliance of these musicians fucking beautiful.
This is (from the listener's point of view) a Tony Butler song. His massive bass line really brings the song to life - even though he had to simplify it a little live because he was singing backing vocals at the same time.
22 years ago we lost Stuart. 16 December 2001 Honolulu, Hawaii A few miles from where I live.. Best Western Plaza Hotel I was a fan of BC from the beginning.. I was in disbelief..
the music, the lyrics, the forest of intertwining guitar parts at the end, with that heart-breakingly beautiful, simple nursery rhyme Celtic melody at the end, no man has ever written music more powerful than this anti-war masterpiece. This song is like Stonehenge, it seems like it must have been here forever.
I remember watching this, I was 15 at the time, and now 35 years later it still sounds fkin brilliant. Lucky enough to see Big Country a few times back in the day.
Incomparable. They are a singular unique band whose lyrics have only grown more relevant, while their musicianship remains peerless. Art that does not serve social justice and economic equity is not art; it is propaganda.
I was listening to this song on a walk earlier and it got me emotional.. And Steve Lillywhite boy did he produce a lot of great records around this time ..
I am glad live performances like this exist from the 80s and 90s. Its the only way you can hear songs that haven't undergone the inevitable mid-2000s remaster. And suddenly every single instance on youtube is that remaster and all other studio recordings automagically disappear, never to return. Sometimes someone will over-air record an LP or Cassette or maybe early CD issue which usually will thwart the coming of the algorithm and it's mandatory updates. But those are often difficult to stumble across because they are purposefully not obviously named.
I Big Country continuano a mancarmi. Quasi 40 anni dal primo concerto a cui ho partecipato a Milano, eppure la loro musica ha ancora il sapore di un gol andato a segno. Stuart, manchi troppo 😞
I have this cranked in my garage ... start pretending i can sing like Stuart ... then came the waterworks... greetin ' like a wain. Ferfsakes. Why'd ya have to go man.
One of the most perfect musical and emotional segues is the one between “Where the Rose Is Sown” and “Come Back To Me” on the Steeltown album. If I’m listening to BC on random play, I always have to make a exception for those 2 songs by playing them in their original sequence.
Stuart would have turned 63 today..11 April 1958 Manchester - 16 December 2001 Honolulu. He took his own like a few miles from where I live.. So sad. We you Love Stuart..
We're at war All the papers say We will win I read today We are strong It wasn't us We are right Who started this? Leave your work I just left school Leave your home I am no fool Take up arms It left me strong Sound alarms The school bell rings Sons of men who stand like gods We give life to feed the cause And run to ground our heathen foe Our name will never die This time will be forever Join up here I wave goodbye We need you Oh my breast sighs Have no fear I must try God will be with braver men Take the vow I know its right Praise the flag The good fight We're at war I'm on my way We will win Why do I pray? Sons of men who stand like gods We give life to feed the cause And run to ground our heathen foe Our name will never die This time will be forever I wait here in this hole Playing poker with my soul I hold the rifle close to me It lights the way to keep me free If I die in a combat zone Box me up and ship me home If I die and still come home Lay me where the rose is sown Sons of men who stand like gods We give life to feed the cause And run to ground our heathen foe Our name will never die This time will be forever
People get caught up by the musicianship but the real power was in Stuart's lyrics, lyrics defined by values that the band on some level also believed in. And those values were social and economic justice. This tune rips away the facade of nationalism and exposes war and oppression for what they are: tools exploited by the cynical and nihilistic powerful to keep the rich rich and poor poor.
Still a timeless tune, I make sure to listen to this and Dire Straits 'Brothers in Arms' every Remembrance Day to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice
Stuart would have turned 63 today..11 April 1958 Manchester - 16 December 2001 Honolulu. He took his own like a few miles from where I live.. So sad. We you Love Stuart..
the days of brilliant bands & good live music shows - tho I guess health & safety wouldn't allow crowds bundling like that today, let alone hanging off all that scaffolding, looks like great fun tho x
Golda meir b.ukraine feared the cossacks and cried when her mother fed the last spoon of gruel to her sister went to Israel and lived with the hardy pioneers cultivating the desert g- d bless here
That selfish get on the shoulders i'd have told you to get down still annoying today when at a gig think of the people behind you paying money but having to stare at your arse !
We're at war All the papers say We will win I read today We are strong It wasn't us We are right Who started this? Leave your work I just left school Leave your home I am no fool Take up arms It left me strong Sound alarms The school bell rings Sons of men who stand like gods We give life to feed the cause And run to ground our heathen foe Our name will never die This time will be forever Join up here I wave goodbye We need you Oh my breast sighs Have no fear I must try God will be with braver men Take the vow I know its right Praise the flag The good fight We're at war I'm on my way We will win Why do I pray? Sons of men who stand like gods We give life to feed the cause And run to ground our heathen foe Our name will never die This time will be forever I wait here in this hole Playing poker with my soul I hold the rifle close to me It lights the way to keep me free If I die in a combat zone Box me up and ship me home If I die and still come home Lay me where the rose is sown Sons of men who stand like gods We give life to feed the cause And run to ground our heathen foe Our name will never die This time will be forever
Steeltown is one of the greatest albums of all time. Wish I gotten to see them live. RIP Stuart. You are missed beyond measure
A desert island disc.
Still males me cry all these years later
You said it. Great album.
So many levels of meaning in this. Honour to the fallen but also layers of, is any of this actually a good idea. Also one of best bass sounds ever.
I've often thought that Mate- Tony's bass really sets this lot's sound apart from other 80s rock bands. ❤ love them. Amazing live.
Best band I ever saw play live.
RIP Stuart
ken spedding you are not on your own there, brilliant
Only 156 likes for this vid. Disappointing. Outstanding live gig wish I was there
Perhaps the greatest 'folk'-rock outfit ever. Uncompromising and yet they sung about the plight of the oppressed. Nowadays (and most bands back then, too) they sing about a bloody Rolex, cars, drugs and nonsensical materialism. Quite sad how low things have sunk.
Still miss Stuart's haunting vocals. Fan from the very beginning. Still play my LP's
Yeah, me too. 😀
And his superb guitar playing, very unique
Great Band and probably undiscovered by too many people who would absolutely love them.
Yeah miss Stuart Adamson big time ..
“Our name will never die, this time will be forever”
True story...
Immense - all four musicians are cruelly underate in my view: all distinctive, exceptional and way more competent instrumentalists than the majority of their peers and most of the rubbish we’ve heard since. As a bass player I’ve always been fascinated by Tony Butler’s lines - I’m not sure how widely known how weird they seem for a band like this but they work beautifully when on the face of them, they probably shouldn’t!!
One of my all time favourite bands and this is in my Top 5 of their songs. Wonderful!
In my early teens,on my first drum kit,I literally studied Big Country. My teacher was a jazz musician,and taught me syncopation,and there was something about BC that I'm glad to this day,that I related to at the time. That drumming could have fit into a military brass band.
There was the Gaelic thing going on,too. My grandfather like bagpipe music,and I 'heard' the bagpipes in many BC tunes.
I've quietly wondered over the years (-quite frankly,because I've got nobody else that interested,in mulling over this sort of thing with-) why a local philharmonic orchestra hasn't reconstructed their songs,as has been the case with other people.
One of my favourite songs of theirs,too.
Underrated? Not to those who grew up during that time and had half a brain, a beating heart and one ear. Mark and Tony were peerless studio musicians even before they joined BC. And Stuart was a recognized savant perhaps even before the Skids. Their relevance is not only rooted in their musicianship but moreso in their indelible social justice and equity lyrics and messaging. Still peerless decades after release.
All 4 members have a unique style that makes the entire band a gem to listen too. I'm glad that no one has copied B.C. since.
yeh good take - i was blow away by them in 84- 85 didn't like all of their tracks but the ones i did were brilliant porroh man lingered chance. jut a shadow brilliant beautiful tracks and you're right that base player is fhukcing great and you're right at 54 now i can perceive the brilliance of these musicians fucking beautiful.
Tony is what sets them out. Amazing Bass Player and Band...This Lot and Level stand out by Miles as THE 80s Bands!❤❤
This is (from the listener's point of view) a Tony Butler song. His massive bass line really brings the song to life - even though he had to simplify it a little live because he was singing backing vocals at the same time.
Loved it back in 84', and fawking love it more today.
Thank you, lads, for singing about the plight of the small folk.
22 years ago we lost Stuart. 16 December 2001 Honolulu, Hawaii
A few miles from where I live.. Best Western Plaza Hotel
I was a fan of BC from the beginning.. I was in disbelief..
Rest in peace..beautiful and tormented soul😢love this band from the beginning❤❤❤❤❤❤
BC has many great songs but there is something incredibly special about this one.
the music, the lyrics, the forest of intertwining guitar parts at the end, with that heart-breakingly beautiful, simple nursery rhyme Celtic melody at the end, no man has ever written music more powerful than this anti-war masterpiece. This song is like Stonehenge, it seems like it must have been here forever.
What a great comment Big Man ❤
Let's not forget the fantastic drumming of Mark and that thumping bass of Tony.
Loved them all from Day 1.
I remember watching this, I was 15 at the time, and now 35 years later it still sounds fkin brilliant. Lucky enough to see Big Country a few times back in the day.
Incomparable. They are a singular unique band whose lyrics have only grown more relevant, while their musicianship remains peerless. Art that does not serve social justice and economic equity is not art; it is propaganda.
Mark Brzezicki one of my biggest drumming influences and one of the reasons I started playing in 1985
Played, while dancing, virtually identically to the studio version. They were gods live.
YES 👍
I was listening to this song on a walk earlier and it got me emotional.. And Steve Lillywhite boy did he produce a lot of great records around this time ..
That's was Stuart's point: he wanted the emotions to open the door to social and economic justice.
I am glad live performances like this exist from the 80s and 90s. Its the only way you can hear songs that haven't undergone the inevitable mid-2000s remaster. And suddenly every single instance on youtube is that remaster and all other studio recordings automagically disappear, never to return. Sometimes someone will over-air record an LP or Cassette or maybe early CD issue which usually will thwart the coming of the algorithm and it's mandatory updates. But those are often difficult to stumble across because they are purposefully not obviously named.
Better days wish we could go back .but at least we have the footage to watch
Our name will never die, this time will be forever
Two stunning Yammies. What a sound, best guitars ever made IMHO. And three folk wi nae taste.
Yes they were so popular in the 80s I had an sg 1000
One of my Big Country favourites.
mine too!!!! Loved you Stuart.....gone to to sooon, evergreen and beautiful forever RIP
I'm from malta and yes i miss him too
I Big Country continuano a mancarmi. Quasi 40 anni dal primo concerto a cui ho partecipato a Milano, eppure la loro musica ha ancora il sapore di un gol andato a segno.
Stuart, manchi troppo 😞
One of their best. Powerful, still stays with me after all these years.
Great band, great tune , proper underestimated , fucking loved em
Another incredible song and performance by Big Country!
So true, Their talent was so good, spine tingling hair raising stuff, absolutely brilliant Band.
Saw them at Murray field many moons ago what a fucking concert r.i.p stu gone not forgotten
Your name will never die ...big country legends
still an astonishing song
One thing about a Big Country gig....the lads always seem to really, really fucking enjoy playing.
11 April: Happy Birthday Stuart Adamson.
Always missed.
I have this cranked in my garage ... start pretending i can sing like Stuart ... then came the waterworks... greetin ' like a wain. Ferfsakes. Why'd ya have to go man.
I saw them live in November 1986. Great show.
I am from Italy, I managed to see the Alarm on 2nd of Feb, 2016 and Big Country on 26th Sept 2016, both in Milan. I am a lucky person.
Stu will always be my great Idol in music, surely
This song is an absolute anthem! Love it!
Still sounds brilliant nearly 40 years later. Stuart adamson musical maestro. Gone far too soon.
Fabulous!! Love Big Country..
All the best musicians are born in Manchester
One of the most powerful songs ever made.
absolutely. musically as well as lyrically.
Steel Town. Legend.
One of the most perfect musical and emotional segues is the one between “Where the Rose Is Sown” and “Come Back To Me” on the Steeltown album. If I’m listening to BC on random play, I always have to make a exception for those 2 songs by playing them in their original sequence.
Good tip
Yes. Always found that transition absolutely brilliant. The change from ‘The Seer’ to ‘The Teacher’ is also very well done
18 years... miss you Stuart 💔
Stuart would have turned 63 today..11 April 1958 Manchester - 16 December 2001 Honolulu.
He took his own like a few miles from where I live.. So sad. We you Love Stuart..
Was at the barrowland concert at new year, absolutely amazing,one of the nest gigs I've ever seen
All great musicians, but what a rhythm section that was !!
wow, 40 years have passed..
Absolutely love this song live 💖
Lay me where the rose is sown
all the love
great memories
We're at war All the papers say
We will win I read today
We are strong It wasn't us
We are right Who started this?
Leave your work I just left school
Leave your home I am no fool
Take up arms It left me strong
Sound alarms The school bell rings
Sons of men who stand like gods
We give life to feed the cause
And run to ground our heathen foe
Our name will never die
This time will be forever
Join up here I wave goodbye
We need you Oh my breast sighs
Have no fear I must try
God will be with braver men
Take the vow I know its right
Praise the flag The good fight
We're at war I'm on my way
We will win Why do I pray?
Sons of men who stand like gods
We give life to feed the cause
And run to ground our heathen foe
Our name will never die
This time will be forever
I wait here in this hole
Playing poker with my soul
I hold the rifle close to me
It lights the way to keep me free
If I die in a combat zone
Box me up and ship me home
If I die and still come home
Lay me where the rose is sown
Sons of men who stand like gods
We give life to feed the cause
And run to ground our heathen foe
Our name will never die
This time will be forever
People get caught up by the musicianship but the real power was in Stuart's lyrics, lyrics defined by values that the band on some level also believed in. And those values were social and economic justice. This tune rips away the facade of nationalism and exposes war and oppression for what they are: tools exploited by the cynical and nihilistic powerful to keep the rich rich and poor poor.
Well said sir.
Still a timeless tune, I make sure to listen to this and Dire Straits 'Brothers in Arms' every Remembrance Day to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice
That drum outro ... superb.
Brzezinski is among the finest percussionists of any era.
R.I.P. Stuart!!
Stuart would have turned 63 today..11 April 1958 Manchester - 16 December 2001 Honolulu.
He took his own like a few miles from where I live.. So sad. We you Love Stuart..
dave griego Would have been about month older than Paul Weller, really sad:-(
AMaZING SONG!❤️❤️❤️
What a great riff 😵 i wish that I have be there 🤧 I’m 23
The bass at the end!
If I die in a combat zone , fucking great band
I think it is about The Falklands War. Great song.
That was Fields of Fire. More about all war in general. It is a GREAT song, my favorite of theirs.
@@dbc1dc Yes, a cutting diatribe against war. The first three albums were thematically tied.
The best version of this song was recorded live at camden lock DINGWALLS the album is called BIG COUNTRY ELECTRIC it's on youtube...
Incredible ! 😍
amazing
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Is this Newcastle please transport me there my fave City and band
I had the fortune of seeing BC with Stuart 3 times. The last time I knew he wasn’t himself.
the days of brilliant bands & good live music shows - tho I guess health & safety wouldn't allow crowds bundling like that today, let alone hanging off all that scaffolding, looks like great fun tho x
Ken, health and bleeding safety ruined a the fun!
Och, come now. We can quite enjoy great music and be safe, too.
NO NEED TO...BIG UP!
We all know, what they meant to everyone, back then, and now!❤
Loved stuart...but Bruce Watson. ...surely the most underrated/underappreciated guitarist of a generation.
The guy at 4:12 is really handsome. Big Country will forever be my favorite band. And NOT just because of the guy at 4:12.
Good to see u haven’t lost your eye for it 😉 It’s like riding a bike, u never lose it 💥
😂
The one in the red shirt?
@@DominiqueGarofalo yes!!
@@DominiqueGarofalo Yes!! So handsome.
god
Mark just ripping it up
Phenomenal.. like Irn Bru
Marley Bu made from girders
Mark tearing it up
I've goat a stonner!
What a band especially live. Only The Stereophonics now can come near
The cure🤷🏻♂️
Same.
Golda meir b.ukraine feared the cossacks and cried when her mother fed the last spoon of gruel to her sister went to Israel and lived with the hardy pioneers cultivating the desert g- d bless here
That selfish get on the shoulders i'd have told you to get down still annoying today when at a gig think of the people behind you paying money but having to stare at your arse !
inmyday a can in the back of the head would have sorted it
gone too soon what happened stu
This could be Ukraine's song (Mariupol) for Steel Town.
As much as I appreciate a band like Oasis, they are not fit to lick these boys boots
Fuck war.
as long as man has existed there has been war and it will never end its just life.
I guess it's alright then. Fuck slavery?
Not a shitty band
I agree 👍💯 big country is greatest band ever
I agree 👍💯 big country is the best band ever
Love it !!
We're at war All the papers say
We will win I read today
We are strong It wasn't us
We are right Who started this?
Leave your work I just left school
Leave your home I am no fool
Take up arms It left me strong
Sound alarms The school bell rings
Sons of men who stand like gods
We give life to feed the cause
And run to ground our heathen foe
Our name will never die
This time will be forever
Join up here I wave goodbye
We need you Oh my breast sighs
Have no fear I must try
God will be with braver men
Take the vow I know its right
Praise the flag The good fight
We're at war I'm on my way
We will win Why do I pray?
Sons of men who stand like gods
We give life to feed the cause
And run to ground our heathen foe
Our name will never die
This time will be forever
I wait here in this hole
Playing poker with my soul
I hold the rifle close to me
It lights the way to keep me free
If I die in a combat zone
Box me up and ship me home
If I die and still come home
Lay me where the rose is sown
Sons of men who stand like gods
We give life to feed the cause
And run to ground our heathen foe
Our name will never die
This time will be forever