Bonus pic:  One of the asiatic lilies has finally opened. What a beauty!

Today’s cut is from disc 5 of Like Omigod! The 80s Pop Culture Box (Totally).  Learn more about it in my earlier post here.  The song chosen today is “They Don’t Know,” by actress/comedienne, Tracey Ullman.  I think Tracey is a brilliant comedienne but was very surprised to see she had a singing career also.   I chose this song for her and for the video as much as anything.

“They Don’t Know” was composed and first recorded in 1979 by Kirsty MacColl, which became a Top Ten hit via a 1983 recording by Tracey Ullman.

In October of 1983 Tracey Ullman reached number two on the UK Singles Chart with her recording of “They Don’t Know” for Stiff Records: the track would be included on Ullman’s debut album You Broke My Heart in 17 Places.

Well known in the UK as an actress/comedienne, Ullman had had a surprise Top Ten hit with her debut single “Breakaway”: Pete Waterman, whose Loose End Productions had recently provided Stiff with the Belle Stars hit singles, suggested to his friend Kirsty MacColl that she pitch her composition “They Don’t Know” for Ullman to record as her second single. “They Don’t Know” was Ullman’s only Top 40 hit in the US: although she had three more entries in the UK Top 30 – including the Top-Ten hit “Move Over Darling”

A video was filmed to promote Ullman’s version of “They Don’t Know” in which Paul McCartney, then filming Give My Regards to Broad Street in which Ullman had a cameo role, appeared as himself.

You’ve been around for such a long time now
Oh
Maybe I could leave you but I don’t know how
And why should I be lonely ev’ry night
When I can be with you
Oh yes
You make it right
And I don’t listen to the guys who say that you’re bad for me
And I should turn you away
‘Cause they don’t know about us
And they’ve never heard of love

I get a feeling when I look at you wherever you go now I want to be there too
They say we’re crazy but I just don’t care

And if they keep on talking
Still they get nowhere

So I don’t mind if they don’t understand
When I look at you and you hold my hand
‘Cause they don’t know about us
And they’ve never heard of love
Why should it matter to us if they don’t approve?
We should just take our chances while we’ve got nothing to lose

Baby
There’s no need for living in the past
Now I’ve found good loving gonna make it last
I tell the others
Don’t bother me
‘Cause when they look at you
They don’t see what I see
No
I don’t listen to their wasted lines

Got my eyes wide open and I see the signs
‘Cause they don’t know about us
And they’ve never heard of love
No
I don’t listen to their wasted lines
Got my eyes wide open and I see the signs
‘Cause they don’t know about us and they’ve never heard of love

Songwriters: Kirsty MacColl