Skids were a Scottish punk rock and new wave band, formed in Dunfermline, Fife in 1977 by Stuart Adamson (guitar, keyboards, percussion and backing vocals), William Simpson (bass guitar and backing vocals), Thomas Kellichan (drums) and Richard Jobson (vocals, guitar and keyboards). Their biggest success was the 1978 single "Into the Valley" and the 1980 album The Absolute Game.
Skids played their first gig on 19 August 1977 at the Bellville Hotel in Pilmuir Street, Dunfermline, Scotland. Within six months they had released the Charles EP on the No Bad record label, created by Sandy Muir, a Dunfermline music shop owner turned manager. The record brought them to the attention of national BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel. This led to a local gig supporting The Clash. Virgin Records then signed up Skids in April 1978. The singles "Sweet Suburbia" and "The Saints Are Coming" both made commercial inroads, before "Into the Valley" reached the UK Top 10 singles chart in early 1979. The band released their debut studio album, Scared to Dance, the same year. It was recorded at The Townhouse Studios in London, England with production and keyboards by David Batchelor. Adamson walked out towards the end of the sessions before all the guitar overdubs were completed. Session guitarist Chris Jenkins was chief maintenance engineer at Townhouse studios and completed the album using Adamson's studio set up, adding additional guitar to four tracks – "Into the Valley", "Integral Plot", "Calling the Tune" and "Scared to Dance". In the meantime Adamson returned to Scotland while the recording was finished. He rejoined the band for the live concert tour promotion of the album. The record included "The Saints Are Coming", which was later covered in late 2006 as a charity single by U2 and Green Day.
Mission is a gambler
The Wager, the one card to play
Priest has the burden
He thinks, the right thing, to say
Amid all the honour
He sees, the wrong one, to share
Since child is an angel
The duty, the one card prepare
Jury is a gabler
The wager, the one card, to play
Judge has the burden
He tells, the wrong one, to pay
Amid all the honour
He puts, the wrong one, to trial
Since child is an angel
No jury, but one card, so vile
Come and play circus games
Come and play at circus games
Come and play circus games
Come and play at circus games
Mother is a gambler
The wager, the one card, to play
Birth has the burden
She says no children today
Midst all dishonour
She sees a heavenly noose
Since child is an angel
The mother, one child, set loose
Come and play circus games
Come and play at circus games
Come and play circus games