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.
If This Is Love
Feargal Sharkey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I guess you could say
I would hopefully smile at the start of each day
No girl was a stranger
Who'd sit by my side
But then I found the secret
That you cannot hide
Over and over
Caught by surprise
Sent right to hell
For love is a gamble but this is no bet
The more you give the less you get
This is love
This is love
This is love
I don't want no part of it
Get to the heart of it
The more I tried to find you
The more you got lost
I knew that I must have you
No matter the cost
But all this is over
I've thrown off those chains
You're looking at a man
Who's pulled in those reins
Over and over
I tried not to ring
But each time I called
I heard just one thing
Love is a gamble but this is no bet
The more you give the less you get
In Feargal Sharkey's song "If This Is Love", the character is reflecting on past experiences in love. As a young man, he was excited and open to every girl who would sit by him. However, he learned that love is not always reciprocated and not always what it seems. He tells the story of being caught off guard and sent straight to hell by love, as if it's an uncontrollable force that has caused him pain. Through the repetition of "This is love", he seems to be questioning the validity of what society defines as love, and the negative impact it has had on him. He mentions how he tried to find love, no matter the cost, but in the end, it was futile. The chorus "I don't want no part of it / Get to the heart of it" suggests that he no longer wants to be deceived by the illusion of love and instead wants to understand its true meaning.
The song highlights the reality of love, it's not always sunshine and rainbows but comes with its own set of struggles. The singer's tone is melancholic as he approaches love as a sacrificial force. This song makes you think about how real love isn't what pop culture has made it to be but something that takes work, commitment, and devotion.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was a young man
In my younger years
I guess you could say
It's safe to say
I would hopefully smile at the start of each day
I woke up feeling optimistic each morning
No girl was a stranger
I was open to meeting any girl
Who'd sit by my side
Who might want to spend time with me
But then I found the secret
However, I then discovered the truth
That you cannot hide
That love cannot be concealed or avoided
Over and over
Time and again
This story I tell
I recount this experience
Caught by surprise
Taken aback unexpectedly
Sent right to hell
Thrown into a negative situation
For love is a gamble but this is no bet
Love is a risk, but this is a certainty
The more you give the less you get
The more effort and emotion invested, the less reciprocation received
This is love
This is what love looks like
This is love
This is what love feels like
This is love
This is what love is
I don't want no part of it
I don't want any involvement in it
Get to the heart of it
Let's focus on the core issue
The more I tried to find you
The more I searched for you
The more you got lost
The more you eluded me
I knew that I must have you
I felt that I needed you
No matter the cost
Despite any negative repercussions
But all this is over
However, that is now in the past
I've thrown off those chains
I have freed myself from those burdens
You're looking at a man
I have become a different person
Who's pulled in those reins
I have taken control of my life
Over and over
Repeatedly
I tried not to ring
I attempted to refrain from making contact
But each time I called
However, whenever I reached out
I heard just one thing
I received only one response
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: FEARGAL SEAN SHARKEY, MAGGIE LEE, TIM DALY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
frances saunders
LOVED HIM THEN AND STILL DO NOW. HE IS AWESOME.
feargal75
many thanks divoff14 - appreciate so much Feargal's so special voice - still in our ears - miss him !!!!
skintrade
FEARGAL! Get another album out please
amanda blood
He has now retired from the music scene.
Philip Hubbard
@fallslady Feargal Sharkey moved into the business side of music. In October 2008, he became head of UK Music, an umbrella organization representing the collective interests of the UK's commercial music industry. He has become prominent in criticizing the use of Form 696 by the Metropolitan Police' requiring event promoters to provide data on performers and audiences