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great leap forward


composer
Written by: Kerr / Burchill


publisher
© 1995 EMI (Virgin) Music Publishing Ltd


background
"EMBRACE THE SUCK!"

"Not entirely sure, but I think I first heard that expression coming out of record producer, Keith Forsey?"

"It's certainly the kind of thing Keith would yelp whenever we were going through a 'rough patch' - where weeks would pass and inexplicably nothing we'd tried had worked out as good as we had hoped. Leaving us wondering if we’d ever get our 'mojo' back, fearing that word of our difficulties might get out to our record company – who'd then come and pull the plugs!"

"Using 'military language', Keith would encourage by suggesting that we should see the frustrations and disappointments for what they were - without letting them defeat us. Reminding us that the worst part of an experience often happens just before things get better, and by staying the course we would eventually achieve a breakthrough! (The Great Leap Forward.)"

"One that'd allow us to look back in future years with some small pride - at how we coped without 'cave-ing in.' Either ways. Even if aware that most have had it so much tougher than me recently, I have still uttered 'embrace the suck' to myself - more than once over the last six months. What else can be done?

Jim,
25th September 2020




lyrics
I jumped up like Apollo,
Crash landed on my feet,
The sun shot like a laser through my brain.
A little death had woken up,
And put a curse on me,
But I knew that that I'd be coming back again.
Inspiration, across the nation,
There's a poverty of expectation.
All I got to do was move ahead.

It's a blue sky,
It's a while cloud,
It's a flame.
It's a blue sky,
White cloud,
Burning flame.

I shot back to the mirror,
There was nothing left to see,
But a phantom with his heartbeat deep inside.
I could feel the dust of ages,
They were blowing back at me,
But I knew that I was born to get it right.

Everybody take the great leap forward,
Everybody knows the mysteries at hand,
If you've been praying all those sweet days for this,
Don't you know there is a whole different plan?
Sometimes I hear the madman calling,
He talks about some dark eternal place.
I've been waiting all my lifetime for this moment,
And now I've got to find some other ways.

One touch ignites this eagle,
One kiss for heaven's view,
I need the flame so I can feel alive.
You can tell my little brother,
No requiem for me,
I knew that I was born to make this flight.

Inspiration across the nation,
There's a poverty of expectation,
All I got to do was move ahead.



discography
Edit (3:46)
Produced by: Keith Forsey and Simple Minds
Recorded by: Brian Reeves
Mixed by: Tom Lord Alge

Great Leap Forward French Promo CD

Album Version (5:23)
Produced by: Keith Forsey and Simple Minds
Recorded by: Brian Reeves
Mixed by: Tom Lord Alge

Good News From The Next World Instore Play CD Good News From The Next World LP Good News From The Next World MC Good News From The Next World CD Good News From The Next World US Promo MC Good News From The Next World US MC Good News From The Next World Remaster Promo CD Good News From The Next World Remaster Limited Edition CD Good News From The Next World Remaster CD Classic Album Selection



sessions
Nicky Campbell, Radio One: 20th-23rd February 1995



live history
Good News From The Next World Tour: 1995
Festival Tour: 2004