It was an idea they'd had for a while, but it was "slipping through their fingers". It had a great guitar motif but they'd never found the right arrangement (or a lyric). But it was an idea they kept returing to.

The lyrics were inspired by several sources: an exhibition of Banky's work; travelling on tube trains to Jez Coad's London studio and seeing the graffiti (and listening to the kids on the train who knew the graffiti artists and one saying: "Wait until you see this one. It's got soul... Graffiti Soul"); and an early interview from the early days of the band.

"It's a track that nearly slipped through our fingers. When you're working on ideas you always think they've got potential. I'm a wee bit venerable because I always think whatever the new idea, it's the best thing we've ever worked on. I don't know why that is, but I just think they're fantastic. A couple of weeks later, when you've not really cracked it, you think "God, this thing, it's not living up to the potential" so ideas can go on the back burner. And, someday, a couple of years later, it pops up on your iPod randomly and you think "Hang on a minute, I can hear this again. What were we thinking? It's just too slow." Or "the chorus is the verse". Things that were staring you in the face but because you were so intense with them, you've never seen it. [Graffiti Soul] had always been a good idea, I think it was six or seven years ago when it first appeared, an Andy Gillespie (who we worked with in Glasgow) and Charlie Burchill idea. It was Cinderella - the ugly duckling that became the title track but you can't play it after midnight. - Jim

You bring me lightening! Footsteps walking in again. Name checks begin again. Stand here let's soak it in again. The white lines and the inner pain. When I’m sorting out the wars, And breaking out the holes, That lead to me to the scars, Things written on the wall, There’s nothing I would change in my graffiti soul. You bring me lightening! Footsteps walking in again. The white lines stencilled in again. And when I'm sorting out the wars, And breaking out the holes, That lead me to the scars they’ve written on the wall. There’s nothing I’d change in my graffiti soul. And when I am rushing in my head, Yet cruising in control, Admiring the spread beyond the neon sprawl, There’s nothing I’d change in my graffiti soul. You bring me lightening! And when I’m sorting out the wars, And breaking out the holes, That lead me to the scars they’ve written on the wall, There’s nothing I’d change in my graffiti soul. And when I am rushing in my head, Yet cruising in control, Admiring the spread beyond the neon sprawl, There’s nothing I’d change in my graffiti soul. You bring me lightening!

Album Version (4:48) Produced by: Jez Coad and Simple Minds Engineers: Arjen Mesinga, Simon Dawson, Mark Bishop Assistant Engineer: Ben Cunningham Pre-Production: Gordy Goudie, Andy Gillespie, Kevin Burleigh Mixed by: Bob Clearmountain
Live Version (3rd November 2009) (5:00) Recorded: Arena, Vienna, Austria Mixed By Concert Online
Live Version (5th November 2009) (5:06) Recorded: Saschall, Florence, Italy Mixed By Concert Online
Live Version (8th November 2009) (4:26) Recorded: Gran Teatro Di Padova, Padova, Italy Mixed By Concert Online
Live Version (19th November 2009) (4:29) Recorded: Kursaal, San Sebastian, Spain Mixed By Concert Online
Live Version (22nd November 2009) (4:32) Recorded: Falconer Theatre, Copenhagen, Denmark Mixed By Concert Online
Live Version (28th November 2009) (4:32) Recorded: Forest National, Brussels, Belgium Mixed By Concert Online
Live Version (30th November 2009) (3:26) Recorded: Metro Arena, Newcastle, UK Mixed By Concert Online

Album Version (4:48) Produced by: Jez Coad and Simple Minds Engineers: Arjen Mesinga, Simon Dawson, Mark Bishop Assistant Engineer: Ben Cunningham Pre-Production: Gordy Goudie, Andy Gillespie, Kevin Burleigh Mixed by: Bob Clearmountain
Live Version (3rd November 2009) (5:00) Recorded: Arena, Vienna, Austria Mixed By Concert Online
Live Version (5th November 2009) (5:06) Recorded: Saschall, Florence, Italy Mixed By Concert Online
Live Version (8th November 2009) (4:26) Recorded: Gran Teatro Di Padova, Padova, Italy Mixed By Concert Online
Live Version (19th November 2009) (4:29) Recorded: Kursaal, San Sebastian, Spain Mixed By Concert Online
Live Version (22nd November 2009) (4:32) Recorded: Falconer Theatre, Copenhagen, Denmark Mixed By Concert Online
Live Version (28th November 2009) (4:32) Recorded: Forest National, Brussels, Belgium Mixed By Concert Online
Live Version (30th November 2009) (3:26) Recorded: Metro Arena, Newcastle, UK Mixed By Concert Online