Rooted in Scottish folk music yet nigh-impossible to pin down into any existing genre, the Proclaimers are definitely one of the greatest cult bands in the world. It’s a terrible injustice for a band this good to be known to the general public for only one song, but if you had to choose one song for that purpose out of their entire body of work, you couldn’t have chosen much better than this one. This song is the kind of masterpiece that people routinely take for granted to begin with, and its massive overexposure has only worsened that problem, but it is still an exquisite piece of songwriting. The song is beautiful in its flawless construction and repeating simple declarations of love, and has a force of sheer lovestruck joy in its thrilling chorus unmatched almost anywhere in music. Whether you consider it a classic of the Eighties (when it made its debut) or the Nineties (when it became popular in our country), it ranks among the greatest songs of either decade, and while the Proclaimers should be better known for the many other wonderful songs they’ve written, I suppose I can live with this song being their primary legacy for the moment.
Verdict: An incomparable masterpiece.