Real Gone Kid

"Real Gone Kid" is a song by Scottish pop rock band Deacon Blue. Vocalist Ricky Ross wrote the song about a performance he saw of ex-Lone Justice singer Maria McKee during a time when Deacon Blue and Lone Justice toured together. The lyrics are a tribute to McKee, with the narrator using the term "real gone kid" as a designation for craziness, referring to McKee's "wild" onstage performance style. The song was included on Deacon Blue's second studio album, When the World Knows Your Name (1989).

Issued on 3 October 1988 as the first single from the album, the "Real Gone Kid" single includes three B-sides: "Little Lincoln", a cover of Sam & Dave's "Born Again", and a cover of Hüsker Dü's "It's Not Funny Anymore". "Real Gone Kid" was the band's first top-10 hit, reaching number eight on the UK Singles Chart, number 10 in Ireland, and number five in New Zealand. In Spain, the song peaked at number one for three weeks.