Sometimes you just have to haver.

Craig and Charlie Reid formed in Leith, Scotland in 1962. Not as The Proclaimers, of course, but as the twin brothers who would later establish themselves as such some 20 years later. The boys grew up listening to all the best of the UK rock scene — The Beatles, Stones, and Kinks, and later The Clash and The Jam — and they would put all of these musical influences to good use.

Officially transforming themselves into the folky, punky, poppy duo known as The Proclaimers in the early 80’s, the brothers Reid gained popularity in Scotland with their stripped-down brand of music featuring only acoustic guitar and percussion, a brand totally at odds with the best-selling music of the time.

Over the next few years, they scored a Top 5 hit in the UK with one of their earliest songs (when producer Gerry Rafferty remixed the track with a full band arrangement), released their debut album, and began appearing on TV and in bigger concert venues.

While waiting to travel to one of these shows, the brothers found themselves sitting around an apartment with an hour to kill. As musicians are wont to do, Brother Craig started bashing away on a nearby electric piano, and almost without trying wrote and finished “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” before needing to leave for the concert. Sometimes simplicity is the best course of action — quick and dirty and Boom, you’re done.

Brother Charlie transposed the song for guitar and added the distinctive rhythm hits, and when they went into the studio, producer Pete “18 With A Bullet” Wingfield played piano while legendary folk-rock drummer Dave Mattacks kept the beat. The Proclaimers knew they had a catchy song, but weren’t thinking “hit” until they started playing it live — audience reaction was immediate and enthusiastic.

Released as a single in 1988, “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” hit #1 in Australia, New Zealand and Iceland but just missed the Top 10 in the UK — still good, but not as successful as their first single. The song did nothing in the US (I’m not even sure if it was released there at the time). In fact, if you’re American you probably think of this as a 90’s song. Featured on the soundtrack to 1993’s off-beat rom-com Benny & Joon, “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” perambulated all the way up to #3 on the US chart, five years after it debuted.

So da-da-da-dun-dun, da-da-da-dun-dun …. with The Proclaimers.