With the recent release of the beautiful Ten Add Ten, I couldn’t think of a better time to write about Scouting for Girls. They were one of my favourite bands during my mid-to-late teenage years and helped to vividly characterise those years of my life. Since then, I have adored their past and current stuff just as much as I used to! As I listened to Ten Add Ten with matured ears, I still found myself hearing the energetic, innocent and heartfelt nature I always warmly associated with their music. In terms of the new material, “Butterflies”, “Dancing in the Daylight” and “Kids at Christmas” are my favourites from Ten Add Ten, an album which fully encapsulates the spirit of Scouting for Girls from their beginnings to now. This throwback post is to warmly look back at their music.

Scouting for Girls: their debut album

The month was September and the year, 2007. Some of their biggest hits were from their eponymous album, which spent a fortnight as UK’s number 1 album in 2008. Here is a quick run through some of my favourites.

“She’s So Lovely”

“A stunner, I want her. Was she this fit when she was 10 years younger?”

Any Scouting for Girls retrospective is incomplete without “She’s So Lovely”, their most recognisable hit. It is catchy and infectious beyond belief! The energetic vocals of the band’s frontman, Roy Stride, has always been one of the things I’ve loved most about the band.

I remember being around 11 at the time and wanting to be like the woman in the vid of this song (but without the creepy guy she was dating?). Just in case you need another reminder, the guy below:

The video really is loads of fun! It is creatively filmed and enjoyable to follow. Will she stay with this guy or give up on him and get with Roy instead? What follows is a game of bowling which seems to more intense than a World Cup Final. All in all, what a song!

“Elvis Ain’t Dead”

“I wish it was me you chose. Elvis ain’t dead. And you’re coming back.”

Despite being not as popular as “She’s So Lovely”, “Elvis Ain’t Dead” is perhaps just as relatable (if not even more so) and has a music video just as entertaining. It is the ultimate song about not accepting reality, or in this case, the reality of failure and rejection. We hear the struggle of a man whose girlfriend left him, as he mopes around wishing she’d return and dreaming for the unlikely. We have all been there! Will she come back? Is Elvis still alive? Will I graduate with a First? Okay, the last one is not a concern of the song, but still…

The music video, as I said, is awesome. You don’t only have Roy in despair going about his day, but you’ve also got loads of Elvis impersonators! Below I present the best ones:

And Roy’s reaction is priceless:

Lastly…

Where can I find these shiny trousers?!

“I Wish I Was James Bond”

This song is an absolute treat for SFG fans and 007 fans alike. In my case, I am both – so double yay for me! It is catchy, spirited and full of fun references to the Bond films. Below are the coolest lyrics from the song:

“I’ve seen you walk the screen, it’s you that I adore. Since I was a boy I’ve wanted to be like Roger Moore.”

“A girl in every port, and gadgets up my sleeve. The world is not enough for the both of us it seems!”

Or maybe I just adore the references because I’m a bit of a nerd?! Nevertheless, it is a cracking song!

“Heartbeat”

“I’ll walk you home, from the dark. I’ll give you my jacket, I’ll give you my heart!”

Heartbeat’s upbeat tempo perfectly matches the racing emotions that the song expresses.

Scouting for Girls outdo themselves again with a wonderful video to pair with. With the help of <3 graphics, the video playfully captures the moments numerous individuals either make or break their encounters with another. We see hearts skipping and breaking, all in the narrative of a magical lovers’ ball. It attends to the heartstrings in a really playful way! The last shot of the video (below), is a perfect display of the connections the video plays with. To revisit this song, click here.

Everybody wants to be on TV: their second album

In April 2010, Scouting for Girls released their second album. Oh boy, this one was also full of absolute corkers!

“This Ain’t a Love Song”

“I’m going down, I’ll be coming back fighting
I may be scared and a little bit frightened
But I’ll be back, I’ll be coming back to life”

“This Ain’t a Love Song” is one of my favourite Scouting for Girls songs of all time. It is all about saying goodbye. Even though you may be hurting because of it, you can gather up the courage to come back to life. It is definitely one of those songs that pull on the heartstrings, hard.

“You can try but you’ll never keep me down
You can’t try… I  know I’m lost but I’m waiting to be found!

The music video is entirely filmed in an airport, and you can say it is quite different to the opening scene from Love Actually. Instead of being full of happy reunions, the video also portrays many sombre goodbyes. Among all of this, Roy is shown walking around the airport alone singing his heart out. He is emotionally exposed, and his emotions are all too familiar. The video also makes you curious about what happened to the people waiting alone in the airport: the bride, the little girl, and especially the man with his pet goldfish?!

“This ain’t a love song, this is goodbye”

“Famous” + “Posh Girls”

“I can’t act, I can’t dance, I can’t sing, can’t you see? But I’m young and I’m pretty and that’s all you need.”

“Famous” is very reminiscent of “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles – it has a certain synth-pop vibe!

“Posh Girls” on the other hand, reminds me of The Jam. It has a very punk rock vibe and it is sooo catchy! It is playful, and I wouldn’t take the lyrics to heart.

“He was just a little bit scared, a little apprehensive. He was just a boy from a local comprehensive.”

“There’s nothing like a little bit of class. The poor boy never stood a chance!”

Still Thinking About You: a quick glance

Here, I present 3 love songs from their 2015 album which are beyond beautiful! They make you feel all warm and fuzzy! Even if, like me, you’re not in a relationship. As a Wet Wet Wet once said, love is all around! Do you feel it in your fingers? Or toes? Okay I’ll stop!

“Life’s Too Short”

“Now I now we just met, but I’ll never forget / The way you tripped me, you tripped me up in love.”

Truer words have never been spoken than “life is too short.” The perfect song to encourage you to make the most of life and to just go for it! The video is also really playful. Watch it here.

“Home”

“Walking round in circles, all my life / Trying to find you, trying to make things right / I just wanted, you to know / That I loved you, and that you’re my home.”

A joyful song which reminds you that home is wherever you want it to be. Whether it is a hobby, a person or a place. It is where you seek absolute comfort and makes you the person you are. The music video is rather bizarre too, but adorable.

“Christmas in the Air (Tonight)”

“Your smile warms me like central heating / Hot chocolate on a frosty evening / Warm breath, cold lips, that I’ve been waiting for, all my life to kiss.”

By far, my favourite Xmas song of the past 20 years. It is beyond magical! <3 “Christmas in the Air (Tonight)” isn’t even a massive hit in the department of Christmas songs but it is still one of my favourites, if not my sole favourite. I love it that much!

Doesn’t it feel like a very British Christmas song too? It speaks of walking through streets being closed for mini markets, going to the pub, time flying, and finding warmth in the people you love, to escape from the cold. The latter of these things is something we have to do for most of the year!

“There’s a little bit of Christmas in the air, and it feels so nice, Loving you for the first time.”

I hope it’s not too early to be talking about Christmas?!

Hope you enjoyed this lengthy retrospective! You can tell I adore them right? Until next time,

From Sophia with Love x

P.S. For the last throwback post on The Killers’ Mr Brightside, click here.