In Spring of 1989, they signed to U2's independent Mother Records label to release their eponymous debut CD. "Grey Matter" was a mild local hit, but it was followed by "Celebrate", which hit the top 10 of the Ireland charts. College radio stations began to pick up the song. It received significant airplay, and eventually reached the top 5 of the US Modern Rock Tracks chart. Atlantic Records signed the band, and re-released "Grey Matter" in the US, where it became a lesser college rock hit. Atlantic released their debut album internationally, where it received generally poor reviews but sold well in Ireland.
After a tour to support the debut album, An Emotional Fish returned to the studio to record Junk Puppets. The songs were recorded over eight months, and four of the songs were produced by David A. Stewart. In 1993, the album was released, and An Emotional Fish opened for U2 on the Zoo TV Tour. However, the album sold few copies outside of Ireland. In 1994, the band released Sloper, but only secured a distribution deal in the UK. The album was released in the US two years later.
In 2002, Gerard Whelan began performing again as Jerry Fish, including two albums with Jerry Fish and the Mudbug Club. The other former members of An Emotional Fish all made appearances as Mudbug Club musicians.
Half Moon
An Emotional Fish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everybody's here today
It's halfmoon at the halfmoon
And I guess, everybody wants to stay
More than a little bit longer,
Hey we all need a little more time
for there's a little more song here,
with a little more rhyme
Here I don't want to I don't have to
that were friends here is all we ask of you
at the halfmoon.
It's halfmoon at the halfmoon
Everybody sing hey! hey! hey!
It's halfmoon at the halfmoon
And I guess, everybody wants to play
More than a little bit longer,
Hey we all need a little more time
For there's a little more of yours here
and a little more of mine
Here I don't want to I don't have to
that were friends here is all we ask of you
at the halfmoon.
Here I don't want to I don't have to
High up above me hangs a halfmoon
Here I don't want to no one asks me to
come be our friend here at the halfmoon
Here we love you.
The song "Half Moon" by An Emotional Fish is an expression of the joyous atmosphere at a gathering of friends at the Half Moon Pub. The Half Moon, often referred to as The Half Moon Inn, is an actual venue in Cork, Ireland, where the band members spent quite a bit of time in their youth. The opening lines of the first verse, "It's half moon at the halfmoon, Everybody's here today," establish the setting and the mood. As the celebration ensues, the chorus is repeated and the focus shifts to the desire to extend the festivities, “More than a little bit longer, Hey we all need a little more time, for there's a little more song here, with a little more rhyme."
The verses convey a message of community and friendship as the singer asks for nothing more than the company of those around him saying, “Here I don't want to I don't have to, that we’re friends here is all we ask of you." This is an invitation for everyone to feel at ease, to let go of any outside concerns, and to be present in the moment. As the song reaches its climax, the line "Here we love you" expresses the intensity of the bond among the group.
Line by Line Meaning
It's halfmoon at the halfmoon
We are at the Half Moon, and it is the night of a half moon.
Everybody's here today
Everyone has shown up tonight to be together and enjoy the music.
And I guess, everybody wants to stay
The atmosphere is so good that everyone wants to continue hanging out and listening to the music.
More than a little bit longer,
We all want to stay here for a while, longer than expected.
Hey we all need a little more time
We all need some extra time to be with each other and prolong the good time that we are having.
for there's a little more song here,
There is still more music to be played and heard.
with a little more rhyme
The lyrics of the songs being played still have some clever wordplay to enjoy.
Here I don't want to I don't have to
No one is forcing me to do anything or be anyone I don't want to be.
that were friends here is all we ask of you
All we ask is that we treat each other like friends while we are here at the Half Moon.
Everybody sing hey! hey! hey!
The crowd is having fun and is enthusiastic about what is happening.
And I guess, everybody wants to play
The music is engaging everyone to the point where they want to participate in it themselves.
For there's a little more of yours here
The music being played has a strong personal connection and likely speaks to people's individual experiences.
and a little more of mine
Likewise, the musicians playing the songs are putting something of themselves into the performance.
High up above me hangs a halfmoon
Everyone is taking in the serene sight of a half moon shining high in the sky.
Here we love you.
The Half Moon is a place where love and camaraderie is abundant among everyone who is there.
Contributed by Sarah I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
JVH
With my late great friend Martin Murphy on Drums...miss ya Martin