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
Put A Penny In The Slot
Fionn Regan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seem to have arrived,
On what items in my bag from your house.
There's cutlery,
A tablecloth, some Hennessy,
And a book on Presidents deceased.
I'll have them fed-exed to you,
It was a strange thing to do,
Ah, it was not me,
But someone else, you see,
Twisting the steering reins.
Put a penny in the slot and make an
Artificial li-ii-iight shine,
Leave go-ooo. Mark old and line.
I don't give advise,
But be wise and think twice,
Before getting involved in a game.
Where the minority
Face the majority,
Who are faceless and born without names.
Was it knock synch when
We came across three men,
They had church candles wrapped in newspaper.
I bought two from them,
And I'll lit one for you,
I hope the message made it's way down the wire.
Put a penny in the slot and make an
Artificial li-ii-iight shine,
Leave go-ooo. Mark old and line.
The soul of a dog,
He's alive and not gone
To the farm like the others said.
A Rhodesian richback,
Off the beaten track,
In a furniture shop down on the quays.
For the loneliness you foster,
I suggest Paul Auster,
A book called Timbuktu.
Put a penny in the slot and watch the
Drunken sailor boy dance.
She will not let you be
Her lov-ver.
She goes out looking for
The taxi.
Her phone is ringing straight to
Message-minder.
Send out a battalion to
Find her.
Put a penny in the slot and count the
Swans through a te-elescope.
I can't help from cryin'
I wish you were mine.
When I was seventeen,
I followed my dream,
Up into a high-rise block.
The adventures of Augie March,
By Saul Bel-low,
Was all I had for company.
At night time I'd lie
In Beckingham pike,
With tears like flashbulbs.
And recall my treasure-
Searching days,
In the rock pools as a kid.
To the remains of
The cherub plains,
Or around the bonfire in Nailors? cove.
Good company and grief
Sit like a doc leaf,
Sits beside a singing nett-le.
Put a penny in the slot and make an
Artificial li-ii-iight shi-iine,
Leave go-ooo. My golden arm
The lyrics to Fionn Regan's song "Put A Penny In The Slot" contain several different themes, images, and references that come together to create a vivid and thought-provoking story. The singer seems to be reflecting on a past relationship, apologizing for accidentally taking some of their belongings and hoping they can still be friends. The first few lines reveal that the singer has some unusual items in their bag, including cutlery, a tablecloth, Hennessy, and a book about deceased presidents. The singer promises to send these things back to their owner, but more than that, the items seem to represent memories and emotions that the singer is trying to let go of.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Put a penny in the slot" and references an artificial light that shines when the penny is inserted. This could be interpreted in several different ways, but it seems to suggest that the singer is trying to create some kind of connection or illumination in their life. They are searching for meaning, but they know that it won't come easily.
The rest of the song contains a series of seemingly disconnected images and references, from the soul of a dog to church candles wrapped in newspaper to a book by Paul Auster. These images may be metaphors for different emotions or experiences that the singer is struggling with. Overall, the song seems to be about searching for connection and meaning in the midst of loneliness and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
I apologize,
I'm sorry for taking items from your house without asking.
Seem to have arrived,
I unexpectedly stumbled upon these items.
On what items in my bag from your house.
I have cutlery, a tablecloth, Hennessy, and a book on dead Presidents that belong to you.
There's cutlery,
I took some utensils from your house.
A tablecloth, some Hennessy,
I also took a tablecloth and a bottle of Hennessy from your house.
And a book on Presidents deceased.
Lastly, I took a book about dead Presidents that belongs to you.
I'll have them fed-exed to you,
I will send these items back to you with FedEx.
It was a strange thing to do,
I realize that taking your belongings without permission was odd.
I hope we can still be friends.
I hope our relationship is not damaged by my mistake.
Ah, it was not me,
I am not to blame for something that happened.
But someone else, you see,
Somebody else did what I am being accused of.
Twisting the steering reins.
This other person was driving the car when something went wrong.
Put a penny in the slot and make an Artificial li-ii-iight shine,
Insert a penny into the machine and watch the light turn on.
Leave go-ooo. Mark old and line.
Let go of your worries and troubles and mark the path you've taken.
I don't give advise,
I do not offer advice to people.
But be wise and think twice,
But it's important to make wise decisions after careful consideration.
Before getting involved in a game.
Before participating in something that may be risky.
Where the minority
Where the few number of people.
Face the majority,
Are confronted by the larger group of people.
Who are faceless and born without names.
Who are anonymous and lack individual identity.
Was it knock synch when
Was it a coincidence when we met.
We came across three men,
We encountered three men.
They had church candles wrapped in newspaper.
They were carrying religious candles wrapped in newspaper.
I bought two from them,
I purchased two candles from them.
And I'll lit one for you,
I will light one of the candles for you.
I hope the message made it's way down the wire.
I hope that my gesture of lighting the candle communicates a message to you.
Put a penny in the slot and watch the Drunken sailor boy dance.
Insert a penny into the machine and watch the toy sailor dance.
She will not let you be Her lov-ver.
She is not interested in being your romantic partner.
She goes out looking for the taxi.
She is searching for a taxi.
Her phone is ringing straight to Message-minder.
When people call her phone, they are directed to voicemail.
Send out a battalion to Find her.
Dispatch a large number of people to search for her.
Put a penny in the slot and count the Swans through a te-elescope.
Insert a penny into the machine and look through the telescope to count the swans.
I can't help from cryin'.
I can't stop myself from crying.
I wish you were mine.
I wish I was in a relationship with you.
When I was seventeen,
When I was a teenager.
I followed my dream,
I pursued my passion.
Up into a high-rise block.
I went to a tall building.
The adventures of Augie March,
The novel 'The Adventures of Augie March'.
By Saul Bel-low,
Written by the author Saul Bellow.
Was all I had for company.
The only thing I had to keep me company.
At night time I'd lie In Beckingham pike, With tears like flashbulbs.
At night I would be in a certain location and crying heavily.
And recall my treasure-Searching days,
Remembering the days when I searched for hidden treasures.
In the rock pools as a kid.
While exploring the shallow water areas as a child.
To the remains of The cherub plains,
To the leftovers of a region with a lot of trees.
Or around the bonfire in Nailors' cove.
Or to an area in the rocks where a fire pit is located.
Good company and grief Sit like a doc leaf,
The combination of good company and grief has a calming effect.
Sits beside a singing nett-le.
A stinging plant is located near them.
Put a penny in the slot and make an Artificial li-ii-iight shi-iine,
Insert a penny into the machine and turn on an artificial light.
Leave go-ooo. My golden arm
Let go and treasure your memories.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: FIONN REGAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
seanr521
👍 nice. Nice picking/strumming!
Christian Wethered
Can’t believe this was 10 years ago!
Casey Dominguez
Not really missing the high vocal for the chorus like from the recording. Song matures without it.