Fun facts about “Sweet Clarity Sue”

• The song was initially simply a verse in Used to Be King but it was transposed from “E” to “C” and developed separately
• The character Clarity Sue is meant to personify…well…clarity, freedom from confusion
• The song does indeed contain a “secret” — the entirety of it is a metaphorical riddle
• A version of this song has been used to recruit every single current member of SPR — Johnny, Jarret, Steu and Matty
• The organ heard on the recording is a genuine pre-WWII Hammond B2 organ — badass!
• The vocals in the bridge were a last-minute, in-studio tradeoff between Jarret and Mick, neither had sung their parts prior to laying them down

What the band has to say about “Sweet Clarity Sue”

• MICK (author): Sweet Clarity Sue is a sordid little adolescent love story. A song about a boy having a crush on a girl, but there’s a twist. When he meets the girl it is love at first sight, but he is made to believe that his friend and she are an item. Nonetheless, the two ’share a moment’ while drunk at a party one night and the protagonist agonizes over this, feeling he has betrayed his friend. As things play out it is determined that his friend and were never an item - the friend simply wanted to ‘thin the herd’ to take a crack at her without competition. But by the time this initial realization is made…it’s too late. She has reunited with an ex and our boy has ‘best friend duty’. As their friendship grows, her relationship tanks and he is left facing another moral dilemma — advise her to leave the relationship or stay out of it. Caught between the choice of “telling her truth, or something easier.” He ultimately opts to stay “stuck up on higher ground” and wishing there were something easier for all of them.

  I love the song, it’s my favorite to play live, it’s simplicity and power never cease to get me fired up. It’s songs like this that make feel really blessed to have the band I have. Jarret’s keyboards fill the gaps between the riffs perfectly and I don’t know anyone else in rock ‘n roll today who could put the kind of soaring velvet tones on the choruses the way Johnny does. 

Lyrics and music by: Mick Greenwood

Everyone has their secrets
Come, let me tell you mine

I am so blind
Must be out of my mind
Clouds are surrounding you
And the things you can’t touch
That you need so much
Are all coming into view

And oh, Sweet Clarity Sue
Why can’t I have you
All I see is the truth
Don’t want your charity
Oh Sweet Clarity Sue
I want you there for me, it’s true
There must be something easier…

We are both wrong
I knew it all along
And if there is a blame; I’ll have half
What if just for tonight
These two wrongs could make it right
Then I’m telling you, you would see that

Oh Sweet Clarity Sue
Why can’t I have you?
All I see is the truth
I don’t want your charity
Oh Sweet Clarity Sue
I want you there for me, it’s true
There must be something easier

Is that the best you can do
Oh my Clarity Sue
Should I tell you the truth, or something easier?
I’m tryin to bring it down, but I’m
Stuck up on higher ground
Don’t try and stop me now
‘Cause I can’t find something easier

Oh Sweet Clarity Sue
Why can’t I have you
I am so damn confused
Don’t want your charity
Oh Sweet Clarity Sue
I want you there for me it’s true
There must be something easier…