His best-known solo material is the 1985 UK chart-topping single penned by Maria McKee, "A Good Heart", which went to number one in several countries. His solo work is significantly different from the semi-punk offerings of The Undertones. He also got a UK number 5 in 1986 with "You Little Thief".
Starting in 1992 Sharkey moved into the business side of the music industry, initially as an A&R manager for Polydor Records and then as Managing Director of EXP Ltd. He was appointed a Member of the Radio Authority for five years from December 1998 to December 2003. He then became Chairman of the UK Government task force the 'Live Music Forum' in 2004.
Bitter Man
Feargal Sharkey Lyrics
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His heart, his dreaming
She just spat it back at him
This time she's leaving
This time she's leaving
She walks out and closes the door
I wonder in the corner
This time she's leaving
Yes, this time she's leaving
Each new day he tries again
Tries to smile but oh, the pain
Wonders if he'll go insane
'Cause he's a bitter man
No one really liked him
No one really can
That's the way he likes it
That he understands
'Cause he's a bitter man
The lyrics to Feargal Sharkey's "Bitter Man" tell the story of a man who has given his all to a relationship, only to have it thrown back in his face. He has become bitter and resentful, and the pain of the experience has left him wondering if he will ever truly be able to move on. The first verse speaks to his emotional investment in the relationship, with the lines "He gave everything/His heart, his dreaming" illustrating the extent to which he was committed to making things work. Unfortunately, his efforts were in vain, as the woman he had devoted himself to "just spat it back at him". The repetition of "This time she's leaving" highlights the cyclical nature of their relationship- she has left before, and she will leave again.
The second verse describes the aftermath of their latest breakup, with the singer watching as she walks out and closes the door. The imagery of "Catches fall, stairs echo" creates a sense of foreboding and finality, as if the end of their relationship is an inevitability. The repeated refrain of "This time she's leaving" reinforces this feeling of inevitability, as if the singer has resigned himself to the fact that their relationship simply cannot work.
Overall, "Bitter Man" paints a picture of a man who has given up on love and relationships after being burnt one too many times. The bitterness he feels has alienated him from others, and he has resigned himself to being an outsider who is never truly understood.
Line by Line Meaning
He gave everything
He put his all, including his emotions and dreams, into the relationship
His heart, his dreaming
He poured his heart and aspirations into their relationship
She just spat it back at him
She treated his love and efforts with contemptuous disrespect
This time she's leaving
She has decided to leave him for good this time
This time she's leaving
She has decided to leave him for good this time
She walks out and closes the door
She leaves him alone and abandoned, closing the door on their relationship
I wonder in the corner
He sits alone in a corner, pondering what went wrong
Catches fall, stairs echo
He hears his tears hitting the floor and the sound of her footsteps fading away
This time she's leaving
She has made the ultimate decision to part ways
Yes, this time she's leaving
He is convinced that this break-up is definitive
Each new day he tries again
He makes an effort to move on every day
Tries to smile but oh, the pain
He makes attempts to be happy but cannot overcome the heartbreak and suffering
Wonders if he'll go insane
He is at risk of losing his mind due to the emotional turmoil
'Cause he's a bitter man
His negative and resentful attitude towards love and relationships has made him bitter
No one really liked him
People generally do not have any fondness for him
No one really can
He believes that nobody can like him
That's the way he likes it
He deliberately chooses to be alone because he is comfortable being disliked
That he understands
He acknowledges his own unlikable personality and that he is bitter as a result.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID ALLAN STEWART, FEARGAL SEAN SHARKEY, TIMOTHY JOHN BERNARD DALY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind