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.
You Little Thief
Feargal Sharkey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You let me love you
You saw me stumbling
You watched me fall
You left me broken
Shattered and bleeding
But there's no hard feelings
There no feelings at all
You little thief
You little savage
You little beauty
You little whore
You've taken everything
I had to believe in
Now there's nothing
To believe in at all
So tell me how does it feel
To make a grown man wanna die
Does it make you uneasy
Does it every cross your mind
You little dream
You little nightmare
You little nothing
You little girl
You left me broken
There's no hard feelings
Cos when I needed you
You watched me fall
The lyrics of Feargal Sharkey's song "You Little Thief" describe a relationship that has gone awry. The singer expresses his feelings of betrayal towards his lover who he believes has stolen his heart and left him feeling broken and shattered. He blames her for leading him on and leading him to fall, but interestingly, he does not express any hard feelings towards her. Instead, he just feels empty inside with nothing left to believe in. The lyrics convey a sense of hopelessness, as the singer seems to feel like he will never be able to love again after being hurt so badly.
The song explores the power dynamics of a relationship, and how one person can hold all the cards while the other is left vulnerable and alone. The use of the word "thief" is significant, as it suggests that the singer's lover has not only taken his heart but also stolen something from him, whether it be his trust or his sense of self-worth. The way he describes his lover as a "little savage" and a "little whore" also suggests that he feels like she has betrayed his trust and taken everything from him.
Line by Line Meaning
You little thief
Addressing the subject of the song, a deceiving person
You let me love you
The person let the singer fall in love with them
You saw me stumbling
The person saw the singer struggling and vulnerable
You watched me fall
The person watched the singer fail and struggle
You left me broken
The person left the singer hurt and damaged
Shattered and bleeding
The singer was emotionally broken and hurt
But there's no hard feelings
Although hurt, the singer doesn't harbor resentment towards the person
There no feelings at all
There are no emotions left between the person and the singer
You little savage
The person is animalistic in their actions
You little beauty
The person is physically attractive
You little whore
The person is promiscuous and immoral
You've taken everything
The person has taken everything the singer believed in
I had to believe in
The singer had faith and trust in something, possibly the person or their relationship
Now there's nothing
The singer has lost all belief and trust in the person or anything else
To believe in at all
There is nothing left for the singer to hold on to
So tell me how does it feel
The singer is addressing the person and asking them to reflect on their actions
To make a grown man wanna die
The person's actions have caused severe emotional pain to the singer
Does it make you uneasy
The singer wonders if the person feels any remorse or guilt for their actions
Does it every cross your mind
The singer questions if the person ever thinks about the impact of their actions on others
You little dream
The person was once a dream, something the singer wished for
You little nightmare
The person became a nightmare, something causing the singer immense pain
You little nothing
The person is now insignificant and unimportant to the singer
You little girl
The person is seen as immature and childish
When I needed you
The singer was vulnerable and relied on the person
You watched me fall
The person didn't help the singer and watched them struggle
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Benmont M. Tench
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tim C
This guy had more going on in 1 song than most artists today in an entire album!
S T
Nothing in this whole package couldn't be made better. So rare to find such masterpieces. I salute you fans of this song!
C B
@RighteousBrother I think he meant "could" be made better, not "couldn't". Amazing how many people struggle with basic English.
RighteousBrother
Saluting you right back!
David Denyer
This screams the 80s.While we knew at the time the music was good it’s only after it ended we realised how great it was!
So many great memories,so lucky to have been there
Terry Monahani
I had forgotten how amazing this song is. Mr Sharkey giving it everything! Goosebumps
Rebecca Adamski
It is brilliant
Charlie Two Teas
One of the harshest pop songs ever written. I struggle to think of anything more scathing than this. Its so full of vitriol and genuine hurt but I still love it
David Eaton
Absolutely brilliant song. The video is fantastic. Double drummers , Dancing brass sections and hundreds of people walking up and down stairs for no obvious reason. It doesn`t get any better than that.
Bravo Sierra
This song has been radiating positive energy since the 80s