Adopted name of Declan McManus (1954-) English rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He emerged as part of the New Wave. His intricate yet impassioned lyrics have made him one of Britain’s foremost songwriters, and he dominated the UK rock scene into the early 1980s. His hits range from the political rocker ‘Oliver’s Army’ 1979 to the country weepy ‘Good Year for the Roses’ 1981 and the punning pop of ‘Everyday I Write the Book’ 1983.