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.
Superman
An Emotional Fish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
had enough pockets
To put all the good things you said
I wish I had you to talk to
Now I'm alone in my head
I wish I had no secrets
I wonder how I would survive
I wish I had the fleet of guardian angels
I want to be
More than I am
I want to be
Your Superman
I wish I flew a big blue aeroplane
In it I would fly to the moon
I wish I could make it all come together
Did it make it sound so confused
I wish I could control my anger
Find the real in me
I wish I could empty my pockets
Of all I've caged, to be free
I want to be
More than I am
I want to be
Your Superman
I want to be
More than I am
I want to be
Your Superman
I wish I had enough pockets
To put all the good things you said
I wish I had you to talk to
Now I'm alone in my head
I want to be
More than I am
I want to be
Your Superman
I want to be
More than I am
I want to be
Your Superman
Superman
In An Emotional Fish's song "Superman," the singer expresses his yearning for personal growth and improvement in order to become the ideal partner for his loved one. The opening verse expresses regret for the inability to fully embrace the positive affirmations his partner has given him, wishing he had more pockets to hold onto the good things she said. He also expresses a longing for her companionship and conversation, feeling alone in his own mind. The second verse speaks to the desire to take control of his life and make sense of the confusion. He desires to overcome negative traits like anger and find his true self. The chorus is a repetition of the want to transcend above the current state and become the superhero his partner envisions him to be.
Throughout the song, the lyrics are complemented by a lively and upbeat instrumentation using percussion, guitar, and synthesizers. While the lyrics themselves primarily focus on the vocals, the instrumentation enhances the tone of each verse, intensifying the want to break out of the current state and reach something greater. The song's powerful premise of growth and transformation has garnered a strong following among listeners, inspiring them to self-improvement.
Line by Line Meaning
I wish I had
Expressing a desire for something to come true but acknowledging the lack of that thing in reality
had enough pockets
Capacity or opportunity to carry all the good things someone has said
To put all the good things you said
Collecting praise, positive feedback, and kind words from a person
I wish I had you to talk to
Expressing a desire for someone to share feelings and emotions with, but feeling isolated without them
Now I'm alone in my head
Feeling lonely inside one's mind, with no one to share thoughts and emotions with
I wish I had no secrets
Feeling that secrets are a burden and wishing they could be disclosed to ease the mind
I wonder how I would survive
Contemplating the possibility of struggling if inner secrets were exposed
I wish I had the fleet of guardian angels
Symbolic wish for protection and guidance through difficult times
And a house in the sky
Symbolic wish for a safe haven, free of worry and fear
I want to be
Expressing a desire to change, improve, and move forward from the present
More than I am
Expressing a desire to exceed one's current state of being and achieve greatness
Your Superman
Symbolic representation of wanting to be a protector, savior, and hero for someone else
I wish I flew a big blue aeroplane
Symbolic wish for escapism and freedom from difficult situations
In it I would fly to the moon
Describing a desire to explore new territories and discover new possibilities
I wish I could make it all come together
Describing the struggle to bring together different aspects of life that seem to be in conflict
Did it make it sound so confused
Feeling uncertain and lost when trying to make sense of things
I wish I could control my anger
Acknowledging the difficulty in controlling negative emotions and wishing to be in better control
Find the real in me
Describing the journey to find one's true self and be authentic
I wish I could empty my pockets
Describing the burden of carrying emotional weight and looking for ways to feel free
Of all I've caged, to be free
Describing emotional baggage and feeling trapped, searching for a way to feel liberated
More than I am
Expressing a desire to change, improve, and move forward from the present
Your Superman
Symbolic representation of wanting to be a protector, savior, and hero for someone else
I wish I had enough pockets
Expression of the desire to have enough space or capacity to carry positive feedback
To put all the good things you said
Collecting praise, positive feedback, and kind words from a person
I wish I had you to talk to
Expressing a desire for someone to share feelings and emotions with, but feeling isolated without them
Now I'm alone in my head
Feeling lonely inside one's mind, with no one to share thoughts and emotions with
More than I am
Expressing a desire to change, improve, and move forward from the present
Your Superman
Symbolic representation of wanting to be a protector, savior, and hero for someone else
More than I am
Expressing a desire to change, improve, and move forward from the present
Your Superman
Symbolic representation of wanting to be a protector, savior, and hero for someone else
Superman
Symbolic representation of wanting to be a protector, savior, and hero for someone else
Contributed by Grayson O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.