Good Thing – Fine Young Cannibals | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#1); 1989
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
In 1980 The Beat were in the vanguard of the UK ska revival. Three years later ska and The Beat were played out so guitarist Andy Cox and bassist David Steele teamed up to form another group.
They auditioned hundreds of potential vocalists before finally reaching out to actor/singer Roland Gift, whose band Akrylyx had once opened for The Beat. The new trio took their name from the title of a 1960 Robert Wagner/Natalie Wood film none of them had seen: All The Fine Young Cannibals.
In mid-1985 FYC racked up a British Top 10 – Johnny Come Home (U.S. Peak #76; 1986) – and they were on their way. Fame in the States was delayed until 1989 when She Drives Me Crazy, their sixth UK chart single, went all the way to #1 in April. Three months later Good Thing repeated the feat.
If filmgoers found Good Thing vaguely familiar, it’s because the tune (and the band) played a featured role in the 1987 flick Tin Men.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Fine Young Cannibals
Lyrics Written by:
- Roland Gift
- David Steele
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).