You're Gorgeous Explained

You're Gorgeous
Cover:You're Gorgeous.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Babybird
Album:Ugly Beautiful
B-Side:
  • "You're Gorgeous Too"
  • "Hing King Blues"
  • "KW Jesus TV Roof Appeal"
  • "Bébé Limonade"
  • "Ooh Yeah"
  • "Carcrash"
Genre:Pop
Length:3:44
Label:Echo
Producer:
Prev Title:Goodnight
Prev Year:1996
Next Title:Candy Girl
Next Year:1997

"You're Gorgeous" is a song by British musical project Babybird, released as a commercial single by The Echo Label on 30 September 1996. Babybird member Stephen Jones wrote the song and co-produced it with Steve Power. It was their only top-10 hit on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number three, and reached the top 40 in Australia, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand and Sweden. Melody Maker ranked "You're Gorgeous" number 11 in their list of "Singles of the Year" of 1996.[1] It is also the track for which the band is best known.

Lyrical meaning

The song's lyrics are interpreted to describe the way a photographer exploits his models. The track is often mistaken as a love song due to the way it is initially presented, with one person complimenting the other until it is revealed that the narrator is a female model speaking to the photographer.[2] [3]

Critical reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic (who gave the Ugly Beautiful album 4.5 stars out of 5) praised the song as an "effortlessly catchy" pop single, which "positively radiates with twisted sexuality".[4] The Independent wrote, "Take the hit single "You're Gorgeous" – ostensibly a love ballad of warm togetherness, but, like REM's "The One I Love", actually carrying more sinister undercurrents. In this case, its the song's pitiable account of pornographic devotion – having ice-cubes rubbed on chests, being photographed with legs pulled apart on car bonnets, and being paid £20 with vague promises of being seen in a magazine – all endured for infatuation's sake, because the snapper is so gorgeous."[5]

Kevin Courtney from Irish Times named it a "catchy, slightly risque surprise hit".[6] Ian Watson from Melody Maker was negative, saying, "This single starts haughty, moves onto vain and ends up sickeningly narcissistic, with the stupid singer bloke directing the central you're gorgeous line to his own sneering monkey face in the shattered mirror."[7] Another Melody Maker editor, Caitlin Moran, wrote that the lyrics, "with their Legs pulled apart and ice rubbed on your chest, are about sticky porny photographers hunting beaver shots from models. Steve's quietly, humorously and hornily feminist: Will you lick my candy, girl (And I don't mean that rudely)? gives you a fairly good idea of his world-view."[8] A reviewer from Music Week gave it four out of five, adding, "Filling the void between Vic Reeves and Bono, Stephen Jones's rich baritone is a svelte joy on this rather flimsy tale of tank tops and snapshots."[9]

Impact and legacy

In December 1996, British magazine Melody Maker ranked "You're Gorgeous" number eleven in their list of "Singles of the Year", writing, "Tipping the conventional paean to physical perfection on its arse, Sheffield's bedsit balladeer Steve Jones came up trumps with this tale of a (male) model whose strings are pulled by a (female) photographer."[1]

Track listings

All songs were written by Stephen Jones.

  1. "You're Gorgeous"
  2. "You're Gorgeous Too"
  3. "Hing King Blues"
  4. "KW Jesus TV Roof Appeal"
  1. "You're Gorgeous"
  2. "Bébé Limonade"
  3. "Ooh Yeah"
  4. "Carcrash"

A1. "You're Gorgeous"

B1. "You're Gorgeous Too"

B2. "Bébé Limonade"

A1. "You're Gorgeous"

A2. "You're Gorgeous Too"

B1. "You're Gorgeous"

B2. "Bébé Limonade"

  1. "You're Gorgeous"
  2. "Bébé Limonade" (featuring Olivia Trench)
  3. "You're Gorgeous Too"
  4. "Carcrash"

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1996–1998)Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[16] 30
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[17] 2
Italy (Musica e dischi)[18] 18

Year-end charts

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)
United Kingdom30 September 1996Echo[21]
United States31 October 1997Atlantic[22]
13 January 1998Contemporary hit radio[23]

Notes and References

  1. Singles Of The Year. Melody Maker. 21 December 1996. 68. 5 June 2024.
  2. Web site: Lyrics. Songfacts. 13 March 2022.
  3. Web site: Week Ending October 12th 1996. Masterton. James. James Masterton. Chart Watch UK. 6 October 1996. 3 October 2021.
  4. Web site: Ugly Beautiful Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine. Erlewine. Stephen Thomas. Stephen Thomas Erlewine. AllMusic. 13 March 2022.
  5. "Babybird Review". The Independent. 18 October 1996.
  6. Courtney, Kevin (7 February 1997). "Single File". Irish Times.
  7. Ian. Watson. Singles. Melody Maker. 28 September 1996. 52. 17 May 2024.
  8. Caitlin. Moran. Albums. Melody Maker. 19 October 1996. 54. 28 May 2024. Caitlin Moran.
  9. Reviews: Singles. Music Week. 21 September 1996. 14. 5 September 2021.
  10. You're Gorgeous. Babybird. 1996. UK CD1 liner notes. The Echo Label. ECS CD26.
  11. You're Gorgeous. Babybird. 1996. UK CD2 liner notes. The Echo Label. ECS CX26.
  12. You're Gorgeous. Babybird. 1996. UK 7-inch single sleeve. The Echo Label. ECS 026.
  13. You're Gorgeous. Babybird. 1996. UK cassette single sleeve. The Echo Label. ECSMC 26.
  14. You're Gorgeous. Babybird. 1996. European CD single liner notes. The Echo Label. MCD 80135.
  15. You're Gorgeous. Babybird. 1996. Australian CD single liner notes. Liberation Records, The Echo Label. D1488.
  16. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 13. 43. 26 October 1996. 17. 25 January 2020.
  17. News: Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (NR. 203 Vikuna 9.1. '97 – 15.1. '97). Dagblaðið Vísir. is. 16. 10 January 1997. 22 July 2018.
  18. Hits of the World – Italy. Billboard. 110. 18. 18. 2 May 1998. 4 June 2020.
  19. Top 100 Singles 1996. Music Week. 25. 18 January 1997.
  20. News: Árslistinn 1997 – Íslenski Listinn – 100 Vinsælustu Lögin. Dagblaðið Vísir. is. 25. 2 January 1998. 16 February 2020.
  21. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 57. 28 September 1996. 3 July 2021.
  22. Baby Bird Hopes to Take Wing in U.S.. Reece. Doug. Billboard. 109. 37. 22. 13 September 1997. Atlantic will begin working 'You're Gorgeous' at modern rock and triple-A radio on Halloween....
  23. New Releases. Radio & Records. 1230. 40. 9 January 1998.