Fionn Regan is an Irish singer from Bray, Co Wicklow and has been performin… Read Full Bio ↴Fionn Regan is an Irish singer from Bray, Co Wicklow and has been performing since 2002. Receiving warm response from the media and general public alike with the release of his Hotel Room EP in 2004, he later went on to release his critically-acclaimed debut album The End of History in 2006.

His live performances saw him support the likes of American Music Club, John Prine, Turin Brakes and rising newcomers Joanna Newsom and Willy Mason. Turin Brakes' Olly Knights has said that Regan's "ability to paint weighty and sublime imagery with words is untouchable and very rare, yet it's combined with a sweet charm that renders all cynicism impotent."

Regan is known to have taken a DIY approach to recording sessions, using analogue equipment and recording in houses, a shed and a barn to try and capture a live sound. In February 2010, Regan released his sophomore effort, the more rock-influenced The Shadow Of An Empire.

Fionn's third studio album 100 Acres of Sycamore was released in August, 2011, to a generally positive response. A lot of reviewers point out a return in terms of themes and style to his debut, with many comparing the tone and use of strings to Nick Drake.

The title track of the album, can be downloaded for free at the website.

http://www.fionnregan.com

Hey Rabbit
Fionn Regan Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hey rabbit, you've had it
Your fingers are in the coin disposal
Hey, worm, you're tunneling out
You would not listen to their proposal

The springs in the mattress
Will never reveal how I entered
In a hospital ward across a billboard

The girl who collects shells
Has gone back to the coast
Hearing voices in car parks
Pull a diamond from your sleeve

Hey, badger, you're punches out
Your mouth is around an aerosol can
Well, they want you to sink
But you stood up and swam

Ideas are like sparrows
They dart down the hall, the chimney and out of the spout
Down a worm hole and back up my mouth

The girl who collects shells
Has gone back to the coast
Hearing voices in car parks
Pull a diamond from your sleeve

No one these days says thank you

When you open doors for them anymore
Well, I made you rich and you made me poor

Overall Meaning

Fionn Regan's song "Hey Rabbit" features a series of cryptic and seemingly disconnected images and metaphors that create a haunting atmosphere. The song begins with a message to a rabbit, who is no longer successful, and whose fingers are in a 'coin disposal.' This image suggests that the rabbit has been struggling and has lost everything. We then hear about a "worm" who is tunnelling out and 'would not listen to their proposal,' indicating a rejection of a plan to conform.

The second stanza brings another set of surreal images, including springs in the mattress that will never reveal how the singer entered a hospital. There's also the mention of a girl who collects shells and hearing voices in car parks. The line 'pull a diamond from your sleeve' suggests that this girl has something valuable or special, but it's unclear what it might be. The third stanza brings in a 'badger' who is being targeted to sink, but has managed to swim. This adds to the idea of rejecting conformity.

The song's chorus brings the theme of being unappreciated by society into focus, with the line 'no one these days says thank you when you open doors for them anymore.' The final line 'I made you rich and you made me poor' can be interpreted as a commentary on the idea that the powerful and wealthy benefit from the hard work of others.

Line by Line Meaning

Hey rabbit, you've had it
Addressing a rabbit, feeling sorry for it for enduring difficult times

Your fingers are in the coin disposal
The rabbit is broke and desperate. The phrase Coin Disposal represents the rabbit's poor state of financials

Hey, worm, you're tunneling out
Turning towards the worm, watching it leave

You would not listen to their proposal
Seeing the worm as stubborn for not accepting what others have to say or offer

The springs in the mattress
The source of entry, into a place not meant to be entered into- could be symbolic for the difficulty that he faced in doing so

Will never reveal how I entered
Secretly entering into places where the entry was far from expected

In a hospital ward across a billboard
The place where he entered- could be seen as an exploration

The girl who collects shells
A female character- The girl collects shells seen from a viewpoint of interest

Has gone back to the coast
Suggesting there is a permanent and sentimental connection between the girl and the coast. That may result in the girl visiting the coast often

Hearing voices in car parks
The girl is in a place surrounded by people and busy movements

Pull a diamond from your sleeve
Finding something unexpectedly rare and valuable that one didn't even know was there

Hey, badger, you're punches out
Cheering on the badger, for being courageous

Your mouth is around an aerosol can
The badger is perceived as angry and using harmful substances

Well, they want you to sink
Some characters or influential factors want him to go down, but he has not given up and persevered through it all

But you stood up and swam
Metaphorical representation of the badger's persistence and perseverance

Ideas are like sparrows
Representation of the principle that ideas come and go and pass by quickly.

They dart down the hall, the chimney and out of the spout
They move quickly and leave behind no trace of their presence

Down a worm hole and back up my mouth
Metaphorical: Ideas come and disappear or forgotten

No one these days says thank you
Feeling unappreciated

When you open doors for them anymore
The metaphorical way of saying doing something for someone and not being appreciated for it

Well, I made you rich and you made me poor
Sadness for misplaced trust, as their own circumstances are affected by someone else's actions.