Dexys Midnight Runners - Tell Me When My Light Turns Green Lyrics

Absolute gold.

Probably The Best Debut album

Anyone realise the album cover is a picture of catholics on the move while there houses are being burnt out in Belfast, didn't think so. Hate to get political about such a brilliant album, but Kevin Rowland picked that picture himself.

Yes, some of us know this.
This was taken during the troubles. Years later, Kevin tracked down the boy in the photo, Anthony O'Shaughnessy, and they're good friends to this day

It's a well known fact that

@James Fallon only if you're a fan I'd say

I’m 15 years old when I listen to this song.

It Sounds more UK than the Beatles...

Wonderful. 8:30am with slight hangover. Hangover and low mood dispersed.

Lead instruments, trumpet and trombone, absolute genius

come on i am waiting

Comeback i miss you guys the 80s were beautifall

Burning.

Brillliant!

***Very nice track taken from their first great album 1980! * TY for reminding us * If you like it, you’re Welcolme on "WAVEof80"­on FB!
The French place where "New wave and Electro 80's" is King! ;-) 78/92!!
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Fucking brilliant. Maybe you had to be there, but Rowland caught lightning in a bottle in '80 and this was the best album that year, hands down.

I think you're right.

What a bit of brasswork. So soulful it brings tears to my eyes.Fabulous.

Would you please tell me when my light turns green?

this is SICK !!whoever these people are, this is the coolest sound I ever heard as far as pop music goes

Shame this one never did as well as Come on Eileen

I'm 14 and listening to this in 2018. My dad always tell me stories of the Dexys Midnight Runners and Madness and all the things him and his mates would do to when they'd be on Top of the Pops. It's a shame I can't listen to this kind of music now unless it's on YouTube

I love that early '80's British soul! Great song!!!

The best band of the Uk..period..sorry Paul and john

unique, unparalleled, without a doubt the greatest debut album in history

British?
Never heard this before

Tune !!!

I really like the horns on this song~!

Outstanding!!! Dexys, particularly Kevin Rowland showed me an extraordinary alternative to what music should sound like... Hello Kevin from Colombia...you are out of this world!

I loved "C'mon Eileen" so much that when I couldn't find the album in stores I bought another Dexys Midnight Runners album instead . Turns out that album, 1980's Searching For The Young Soul Rebels is fantastic. Listend to this album over and over at PR while at Trent. I'm vinylly burning this album after all these years! "Dexys", as all the cool kids say, have a unique sound what with Kevin Rowland's squeaky voice and horns front and centre particularly on this album. Many good songs on this album but this one "Tell Me When My Light Turns Green" is superb. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mYxZUJt4xc. A song about mental health before people really talked about it.

Stuff like this, the Specials, Amy Winehouse or Sharon Jones with the Dap-Kings....will we ever hear horns like that again?

And Blue Ox Babes too...

First album I remember buying. Saved up money from my paper round and then got it from the local Woolworths. Oh how times have changed

The harmonising between the saxophones makes me happy

Thanks Tom Katers for introducing me to such a great song!

The original and best brummie boys!

I'm having a whip round

1980s squaddie, bought this when it came out, wore it out on Sundays , dreading going back to Aldershot , away from Mum, Home, Friends. Thanks Dexys, for the relevant lyrics, SOUL & attitude. I should have spent the 6 years learning to dance & getting into the NS scene.

Did u serve in the north

Buenísimos!!

An Anthem to my teenage years. Incredible band.

it don't get much better

happy days

I bought this album in late 1980 after i finished school. I read a review on the album in Rolling Stone magazine and thought i would give them a go. I was instantly hooked! I got a job onion picking in that summer and every day after a stinking, windy, dirty day making fuck all money picking stinking fucking onions i would race home and put this album on and all my pain would disappear. Kevin Rowland and your band i am eternally grateful!

yes tony great memories much love respect.))

How do you feel about onions now?

lol hahaha ! classic

onion picking 😮

Great song! This is Soul!

At 55, aside from the obvious reasons of vitality and physical strength, I would hate to b young today. Today's young generation have nothing to listen to which comes anywhere near the talent, variety and power so many bands had from the 1960's to the late 1980's....then it all went RAP and music died...

+47millionvictors Try harder

+47millionvictors Try Public Enemy. Same anger, different style.

you know it   from a 54 year old you had to be there   a classic on the radio every day

47millionvictors So true. I turned 54 yesterday and Dexy's are second to none.

Well you have to look a bit through the surface of todays music and then you can find some genuinely amazing "modern" songs too, you just have to look.

The best ever album of it`s generation. Great band and fronted by the best vocalist ever in Kevin Rowland.

Stone cold classic!

The instrument solo alone made it worth buying the album back then!

i saw them in Wolverhampton,at the Lafayette,wearing donkey jackets..

and me mate I walked up the bilston road ten ft tall!!!:-) :-) :-) :-)

yes indeed..what a noise they made!

1st time I saw them in the front window of the french duck :-)

Every song should have a trombone solo !

in my oppinion ranked as 1 of the greatest albums ever made.& im not saying that as a 52 year old mod.

I'm saying it as a 52 year old mod.

57 year old ska fan and I agree

Yep from a 12 year old mod

Have to agree. Best debut album ever.

As a 51 year old stoner rock guy I can say this is up there w the greats!!! Them devil horns!!!

Having to evacuate in face of the Orange bwanas. Timely indeed!

BIG JIM AT HIS BEST AS ALWAYS

HOW THE HELL CAN YOU FORGET YOU DID THIS IT WAS 2ND SONG ON THE GREATEST ALBUM EVER SEARCHING FOR THE YOUNG SOUL REBELS!

a brilliant song

Nice! I was 4 when "Come on Eileen" came out. I was obsessed with it. I watched MTV all day so I could see the video as much as possible. I pieced together a Dexys outfit consisting of tattered overalls, a handkerchief, and black shoes without socks. I was a poor kid, so finding tattered overalls was easy, I just got them at the clothing bank. Haha.

You bet he is! He's 6 now, and is astounding in every way. In the car today, he serenaded us with a note- and word-perfect rendition of "Fire Brigade" by The Move.

Adorable! I hope he's still a fan :)

いいね！

check out some of the Bureau stuff, better than the crap around today

Bought the bureau album Oct 81 and have played it to death.
Seen them Mayfair suite newcastle upon Tyne may 81.
They were awesome

best song dexys did i love it thank you x x

really he is

i've worn this track out!

What a band. What an album......

Dexys midnight runners is absolutely awesome.

How great is Kevin Rowland? a national treasure!!!!!!!!!!

Irish blood, English heart

i have bought this album so many times, on lp, cassette, and cd,, an absolute must... love it

the only thing i can say is thank you from the bottem of my heart ! without your tunes i would not be here !

After more than 30 years, i bought SFTYSR today. Put it in my car, blasted it out and, when this song was being played, i was so overwhelmed by it. So full of joy!
Now it's late at night, heard it here one more time, and i just want to thank God for Dexys Midnight Runners and beg Him to bless all the good people out there who listen to them.
Our lights will most certainly turn green soon!

best wishes and a big Aloha from the middle of the Pacific my friend...........

My elder brother bought the album , when vinyl was king. Someone stood on it at a party , don't know what the hell they were wearing but had a 'big heel' print scratch on one side . Still played without jumping , but quite a few clicks. Never stopped me playing it over and over again.. still love this , its still sounding fresh ......... kind of miss the scratch's though :)

Fantastic brass arrangement, one of my all time favorites.

this sounds fantastic in a LWB van at full tilt,did it tonight on the way home from work,sun shining windows down and this blasting out,oh to be 13 again takes me right back to 79/80 when I saw DEXY's at loughbrough uni .......£3 quid on the door..... and I was underage !!!!!!!!!!

gotta agree with Sid... amazing drums and possibly the best debut album of that or any era

The teams that meet In caffs still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand-up .....

soulman1888 me too

the whole searching for the young soul rebels album was sheer class.....

I love this, especially the horns and the rhythm section. What a fantastic trombone solo. And Kevin's voice. In whatever ineup they had, Dexy's were the best band ever.

Tiffanys Great yarmouth ,,,many years ago DMR were support act for two tone bands ,think they were selecter and the specials,,,,, they've both long gone from my memory but being at the front of the crowd when the Horn section was giving it some is a moment I wont forget....

Well I wouldn't go that far, but thanks. I can't remember if we did this befor the album, wasn't it a B side?

@Stoker1959 are you THE Stoker? If so, you sir,are a genius! Best drummer EVER!!

This L.P. is definitley in my top 5 ever!

I hear this and am transported back in time, to vinyl and record players......... And piling up the singles, ready to drop and play!!

great record

"ｶﾓﾝ･ｱｲﾘｰﾝ"で吹き上がった、８０年代ﾌﾞﾙｰ･ｱｲﾄﾞ･ｿｳﾙの粋なﾊﾞﾝﾄﾞ､ﾃﾞｨｷｼｰ･ﾐｯﾄﾞﾅｲﾄ･ﾗﾝﾅｰｽﾞのﾅｲｽ"TellMeWhenMyLightTurnsGreen"

@WingersHampsteadHome I fully agree, another No.1 for sure, everyone I've ever played this song to falls in love with it, can't believe it wasn't released as a single

1:13-1:20 just makes me melt

tune rowland bonkers but brilliant x

dexy,s are king x

BIRMINGHAM UK .....as usuall......

best dexy's midnight runners song!

GENIUS! How was this not issued as the follow-up to Geno?! Nice one MistaSid

everbody at the time wanted 2 nick dexys horn section and this song is one of the reasons why....never heard better in my 45 years....

@mollyandbenb That's just brilliant! I'd love to listen to this song for 90 minutes myself...

８０年代に､一陣の風､ﾃﾞｨｷｼｰ･ﾐｯﾄﾞﾅｲﾄ･ﾗｲﾀﾞｰｽﾞ､ﾚﾄﾛﾃｨｯｸなﾌﾞﾙｰ･ｱｲﾄﾞ･ｿｳﾙ"Tell Me When My Light Turns Green"

simply one of the best things ever to come out of the uk !!!!!!! we top the world with our music !

Thanks Mista Sid!

Grande som grande musica , metais ouro , dexys Diamante , Kevin Genio .

@charliechicpea oh yeah, but if you're gonna have something bangin' and shakin' your van, it may as well be something cool like Dexys, and not some stupid gangbang rap shit! that's all I hear around my area, it's a crime!

@mollyandbenb All i can say is Desmonds has immaculate taste... cheers!

@MistaSid Absolute class is right. Kudos to DMRs for keeping the spirit of soul music alive in the era of punk & new wave.

@tommyluvstraci No it was Dexys' very own 'Big' Jimmy Patterson . Absolute class

Was that Rico on the trombone?

Damn! I haven't heard this tune in over 25 years. What a geat song especially the horn arrangements. They've literally out-Stax'ed the Memphis Horns. Rowland's vocals are pure genius & so original. Hail to Dexys MRs!!!

my favourite band ever...and ever

Amazing song - the brass is pucka - when you play it now people just don't know where to look!

My favorite Dexy's song