Top Ten Dexys Songs
10 “Reminisce- Pt. 2”- Don’t Stand Me Down
This is a soft, pretty spoken word piece about a summer Rowland spent with his girlfriend. It touches on themes of innocence and beauty that are present on the rest of the album.
9. “Burn it Down”- Searching For The Young Soul Rebels
A declaration of war, and the first track on the album. Catchy and angry, even if the lyrics leave something to be desired. They’re mostly just names of famous Irish writers, if I’m honest. But the energy with which they are delivered makes the song special.
8. “All in All (This One Last Wild Waltz)”- Too Rye Ay
I’ve never looked up the lyrics of this song because I’m afraid of destroying it’s magic. It is sad and moving and the tempo is infectious. I like to imagine them playing this on the Titanic as it went down.
7. “The Occasional Flicker”- Don’t Stand Me Down
Jazzy and theatrical. A sign of great things to come on the rest of the album, as well as a great song in its own right.
6. “Let’s Make This Precious”- Too Rye Ay
The manifesto of the band: attempting to make something precious and pure in a world that despises both.
5. “Seven Days Too Long”- Searching For The Young Soul Rebels
A Motown hit that never was.
4. “Come On Eilleen”- Too Rye Ay
Some people hate it. Some people love it. I love it.
3. “This is What She’s Like”- Don’t Stand Me Down
Dexys at their most theatrical. Sounds like a tune from a Broadway play about love and beauty in the modern era. Kind of like the rest of the album.
2. “Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile)”- Too Rye Ay
They took a pretty good song and made it perfect. The only reason this isn’t number one is because it doesn’t reflect Dexys’ identity as a band. It still has Van Morrison’s fingerprints all over it.
1. “Tell Me When My Light Turns Green”- Searching For The Young Soul Rebels
Unlike “Jackie Wilson,” this is a Dexys original that happens to be perfect, so it gets the top spot.