They Don't Know by Tracey Ullman

Album: You Broke My Heart In 17 Places (1983)

Charted: 2 8

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Songfacts®:

"They Don't Know" was written and first recorded by the British singer Kirsty MacColl in 1979. However, a strike at her distributors prevented it from being released as a single, although it was popular on UK radio. Tracey Ullman's version, however, was a hit, and Kirsty MacColl provided backing vocals on this version: the "bay-ay-be-ee" heard just before the last verse is sung by her.
The song has a retro feel to girl-group hits of the '50s and '60s. It's about a girl who hears from lots of people that the guy she's seeing isn't right for her. She feels that they just don't understand, as they've never heard of love.
Kirsty MacColl wrote this song when she was just 17. She was the daughter of folk singer/songwriter Ewan MacColl, who wrote Roberta Flack's "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face." In December 2000, she tragically died after being hit by a speedboat in the Caribbean. After her death, Tracey Ullman took part in a tribute concert for her.

MacColl was a highly regarded singer who got caught up in a lot of record label dysfunction. She was well known in the UK thanks to songs like "There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis" and "A New England," but her only song to make much impact in America is "Walking Down Madison" from 1991. You will hear her every December singing with Shane MacGowan on "Fairytale of New York."
Tracey Ullman is a British comedy actress who moved to the US and starred in her own TV series, The Tracey Ullman Show, one of the first shows on the Fox network and the birthplace of The Simpson, which started on the show as animated shorts. Music was secondary to Ullman - she fell into it after meeting the wife of Stiff Records boss Dave Robinson at the hairdresser.

Her first single, "Breakaway," went to #4 in the UK and #70 in America. "They Don't Know" was her next single and her biggest hit, reaching #2 in the UK and #8 in America. Both songs wer on her 1983 debut album, You Broke My Heart In 17 Places. After another album in 1984 she mothballed her music career to focus on acting.
The video features a cameo by Paul McCartney as a character named Paul. He is seen driving a car with Ullman in the passenger's seat. At the time, Tracey Ullman was filming a role in McCartney's movie Give My Regards To Broadstreet.

Comments: 8

Rabbi Meyer [not A Real Rabbi] from Central WisconsinOK, I came here from the Kirsty MacColl version because I thought the song reminded me of something I can't put my finger on from the sixties or early seventies - the Archies? the Osmonds? some other bubblegum pop band? Anyway, I queued up the Ullman version and maybe it's just that I heard this one? But dang it, I still think it sounds like something different. Can I get any help out there? I'm not saying KM nicked it - rather, just that it's derivative.
Calum from YorkshireWho's the two girls who dance with her in My Guy indoors and on the bed in her house? Tracy ullman is so talented in so many departments i like her a lot.
Dawn from UkLoved this version of the song and the video, but they never credit the poor guy who plays the boyfriend and I wondered why as he is quite a character in it. Has he been in anythiing else I wonder?
Paul from Los AngelesI think the first guy from her video was Paul Rutherford of Frankie Goes To Hollywood.
Dave from Wheaton, IlBTW, Who was the 1st guy in the Paul slot in the vid? Anybody know? Please, tell us.
Jeff from Liverpool, England1n 1984 tracy ullman released a cover of madness' 1980 hit 'my girl' entitled 'my guy' featuring then labour leader neil kinnock in the video reaching #23 in the uk
Jay from Glen Burnie, Md"The Tracey Ullman Show" featured a series of animated shorts inbetween sketches. These short snippets featured a family that soon became one of the most popular cartoon families in the USA.

The family was "The Simpsons". Fox television ordered the first season of the "Simpsons" TV series due to the short's popularity
Micki from Santo Ramona, CaBy the way, the Tracey Ullman show was where The Simpsons cartoon
originated from.

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