Blurb:
"Sit Down" is one of the most famous songs by James, released in 1989 by Rough Trade Records. In its seven-minute original form, the song only reached number 77 in the UK Singles Chart. Due to this unimpressive performance their record label's managing director, Geoff Travis, told them they were not a viable commercial proposition beyond an audience of 20,000.
The song's lyrics were written in Autumn 1988 as a thank you to two women who greatly inspired Tim Booth - author Doris Lessing and singer Patti Smith. After experiencing success as part of the Madchester music scene, with a rerecorded version of the song regularly causing clubbers to sit down when it was played, the single was rereleased in 1991. It spent three weeks at number 2 in the Singles Chart (kept off the top spot by Chesney Hawkes).
After the release of their 'Best Of' album the song was remixed by Apollo 440 and released as a single for a third time in November 1998, reaching number 7 (their biggest hit since the 1991 release).
The band had to sell the rights to the song to Mercury Records to help pay off debts to the record company. The song has been covered by Voice of the Beehive and played live by Carter USM in some 1992 shows, although no recorded version of this exists.
In 2006, Sit Down was used as a featured song in BBC Three's Manchester Passion, in which lead singer Tim Booth also appeared as Judas Iscariot. Darren Morfitt in the role of Jesus sang a less upbeat rendition of the piece to his resting disciples while the presenter hand-signaled the audience to literally sit down. Although Booth did not perform the song during the show, he did sing it in an encore after the credits rolled.
"Sit Down" is one of the most famous songs by James, released in 1989 by Rough Trade Records. In its seven-minute original form, the song only reached number 77 in the UK Singles Chart. Due to this unimpressive performance their record label's managing director, Geoff Travis, told them they were not a viable commercial proposition beyond an audience of 20,000.
The song's lyrics were written in Autumn 1988 as a thank you to two women who greatly inspired Tim Booth - author Doris Lessing and singer Patti Smith. After experiencing success as part of the Madchester music scene, with a rerecorded version of the song regularly causing clubbers to sit down when it was played, the single was rereleased in 1991. It spent three weeks at number 2 in the Singles Chart (kept off the top spot by Chesney Hawkes).
After the release of their 'Best Of' album the song was remixed by Apollo 440 and released as a single for a third time in November 1998, reaching number 7 (their biggest hit since the 1991 release).
The band had to sell the rights to the song to Mercury Records to help pay off debts to the record company. The song has been covered by Voice of the Beehive and played live by Carter USM in some 1992 shows, although no recorded version of this exists.
In 2006, Sit Down was used as a featured song in BBC Three's Manchester Passion, in which lead singer Tim Booth also appeared as Judas Iscariot. Darren Morfitt in the role of Jesus sang a less upbeat rendition of the piece to his resting disciples while the presenter hand-signaled the audience to literally sit down. Although Booth did not perform the song during the show, he did sing it in an encore after the credits rolled.
Scroll and Sing:
I sing myself to sleep
A song from the darkest hour
Secrets I can't keep
Inside of the day
Swing from high to deep
Extremes of sweet and sour
Hope that God exists
I hope I pray
Drawn by the undertow
My life is out of control
I believe this wave will bear my weight
So let it flow
Oh sit down
Oh sit down
Oh sit down
Sit down next to me
Sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down, down
In sympathy
Now I'm relieved to hear
That you've been to some far out places
It's hard to carry on
When you feel all alone
Now I've swung back down again
It's worse than it was before
If I hadn't seen such riches
I could live with being poor
Oh sit down
Oh sit down
Oh sit down
Sit down next to me
Sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down, down
In sympathy
Those who feel the breath of sadness
Sit down next to me
Those who find they're touched by madness
Sit down next to me
Those who find themselves ridiculous
Sit down next to me
In love, in fear, in hate, in tears
In love, in fear, in hate, in tears
In love, in fear, in hate, in tears
In love, in fear, in hate
Down
Down
Oh sit down
Oh sit down
Oh sit down
Sit down next to me
Sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down, down
In sympathy
Oh sit down
Oh sit down
Oh sit down
Sit down next to me
Sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down, down
In sympathy
Down
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