"Dignity" is a song by
Deacon Blue
Deacon Blue are a Scottish pop rock band formed in Glasgow in 1985. The line-up of the band consists of vocalists Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh, keyboard player James Prime, drummer Dougie Vipond, guitarist Gregor Philp and bassist Le ...
, which was the band's first official release. It is one of their most popular songs and it is usually played as the final song at concerts.
It received the most public votes for the 1980s songs in the Scotland's Greatest Album contest run by STV in 2011, and was featured on the 12 track compilation. It was also sung at the closing ceremony at the
2014 Commonwealth Games
The 2014 Commonwealth Games (), officially known as the XX Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Glasgow 2014 (; ), were an international multi-sport event celebrated in the tradition of the Commonwealth Games as governed by the Commonwea ...
held in Glasgow.
In an interview given to the ''
Daily Record'' in 2012, songwriter
Ricky Ross stated, "I have no idea why I started writing a song like that in Greece, but that's why there's a reference to
raki in it, the local firewater. I was sitting messing around with lyrics, bored on holiday, in a far away scene. There were men from the Glasgow cleansing department depot who walked up and down the street with brushes outside my flat in
Pollokshields
Pollokshields (, Scots language, Scots: ''Powkshiels'') is an area in the Southside of Glasgow, Scotland. Its modern boundaries are largely man-made, being formed by the M77 motorway to the west and northwest with the open land of Pollok Count ...
."
Use in football
The supporters of Scottish football team
Dundee United
Dundee United Football Club is a Scotland, Scottish professional association football, football club based in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923. United are nickname ...
frequently sing "Dignity" as an anthem. Dundee United player
Tony Watt
Anthony Paul Watt (born 29 December 1993) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Motherwell on loan from side Dundee United.
He was a product of the Airdrie United youth academy before joining Celtic in 2011, ...
has expressed his love for the song. He states "That rendition of Dignity tonight was epic! Get it on after every game!" and "Top 3 memory this, normalise Dignity every game."
Multiple releases
"Dignity" has been officially released as a single three times. It was first released as the lead single of the band's first album ''
Raintown''. The single failed to chart in the UK, although it did reach the lower region of the charts in the Netherlands, and sales on the album were slow to start. The 12" version of the first release featured a different vocal and alternate lyrics. After the release of two subsequent singles, "Dignity" was re-recorded in November 1987 by
Bob Clearmountain
Bob Clearmountain (born Chiaramonte, January 15, 1953) is an American mixing engineer and record producer, best known for his work with major acts, including Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Roxy Music, Pretenders, and Bryan A ...
and re-released in January 1988 as the fourth single (and second release of "Dignity"). The second release charted on the
UK Singles Chart and its success helped increase sales of ''Raintown''.
"Dignity" was released for a third time as the second single from Deacon Blue's first greatest hits compilation ''
Our Town - The Greatest Hits''. During the third release, two companion CD singles were released—one with the original version of "Dignity" and one with the Bob Clearmountain re-recording.
Track listings
All songs written by
Ricky Ross, except where noted:
Dignity (1st release) (March 1987)
7" single
(Deac 1)
# "Dignity" - 4:00
# "Riches" - 2:39
Cassette single
(XPC 4011) (packaged with 7" single)
# "Dignity" - 4:00
# "Riches" - 2:39
# Edited excerpts of songs from ''
Raintown''
12" single
(Deac t1)
# "Dignity (12" Version)"
# "Riches" (12" Version)"
# "Ribbons and Bows" - 4:18
Dignity (2nd release) (January 1988)
7" single
(Deac 4)
# "Dignity
ob Clearmountain recording - 4:13
# "Suffering" - 2:44
7" extended play single
(Deac ep4)
# "Dignity
ob Clearmountain recording - 4:13
# "Suffering" - 2:44
# "Raintown (Piano Version)" - 3:40
# "Ronnie Spector" (Ross,
Kelling
Kelling (also known as ''Low Kelling'' or ''Lower Kelling'') is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.
Kelling is located west of Cromer and north of Norwich, along the A149 and within the Norfolk Coast AONB.
His ...
,
Prime
A prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a product of two smaller natural numbers. A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is called a composite number. For example, 5 is prime because the only ways ...
) - 3:29
10" single
(Deac q4)
# "Dignity
ob Clearmountain recording - 4:13
# "Suffering" - 2:44
# "Shifting Sand" (Ross, Prime) - 3:18
12" single
(Deac t4)
# "Dignity
ob Clearmountain recording(Extended Version)"
# "Just Like Boys" (Ross, Prime) - 3:13
# "Shifting Sand" (Ross, Prime) - 3:18
# "Ronnie Spector" (Ross, Kelling, Prime) - 3:29
CD single
(CDDeac 4)
# "Dignity
ob Clearmountain recording
# "Suffering" - 2:44
# "Just Like Boys" (Ross, Prime) - 3:13
# "Shifting Sand" (Ross, Prime) - 3:18
Dignity (3rd release) (May 1994)
Cassette single
(660448 4)
# "Dignity
ob Clearmountain recording - 4:16
# "Beautiful Stranger" (Ross, Prime) - 3:54
CD single A
(660448 2)
# "Dignity
ob Clearmountain recording - 4:16
# "Beautiful Stranger" (Ross, Prime) - 3:54
# "Waves of Sorrow (Piano and Vocal Version)" - 3:25
# "Bethlehem's Gate (Piano and Vocal Version)" - 3:33
CD single B
(660448 5)
# "Dignity" - 4:03
# "Fergus Sings the Blues (Live from the Hammersmith Odeon, 22.04.93)" (Ross, Prime) - 4:10
# "Loaded (Live from the Hammersmith Odeon, 22.04.93)" - 3:51
# "Chocolate Girl (Live from the Hammersmith Odeon, 22.04.93)
ith "My Girl" melody - 6:22
Charts
Certifications
References
{{authority control
Deacon Blue songs
1987 debut singles
1988 singles
1994 singles
Songs written by Ricky Ross (musician)
Song recordings produced by Bob Clearmountain
1986 songs
Columbia Records singles