Flogging Molly has released six major studio albums, Swagger, Drunken Lullabies, Within a Mile of Home, Float, Speed of Darkness, and Life is Good as well as an independent live album entitled Alive Behind the Green Door. Also, they released a CD/DVD combo entitled Whiskey On A Sunday, which included a CD with acoustic tracks of many of the band's songs and a brand new studio track, "Laura". They have toured with the Warped Tour and Larry Kirwan's American Fléadh Festival. They also contributed to the Rock Against Bush project. Also, as of late they have done extensive touring with the self proclaimed Gypsy punk band, Gogol Bordello, which is also signed under SideOneDummy Records.
Their music is heavily influenced by such bands as The Pogues,The Dubliners, Johnny Cash and ranges from boisterous punk rock like the pirate-themed "Salty Dog" and "Seven Deadly Sins," or the defiant "What's Left of the Flag" and "Rebels of the Sacred Heart" to more somber songs like "Far Away Boys", "The Sun Never Shines (On Closed Doors)", or "Death Valley Queen". In the Whiskey On A Sunday DVD King describes the band's music as a '21st century version of The Dubliners.'
The driving forces behind the music tend to be Dave King's gravelly voice and Bridget's manic fiddling. Prior to forming Flogging Molly, Dave King was the vocalist for Fastway, a late 80s-early 90s heavy metal band, featuring guitarist Eddie Clarke of Motörhead.
The band released a DVD and a full-length album entitled "Whiskey on a Sunday" on July 25th 2006.
The DVD "Whiskey on a Sunday" contains a two hour documentary that gives viewers insight into how the band members found each other and also talks about the members' attitude towards life, events that have shaped their lives and their motivation for making music.
The band released "Float" on March 4, 2008. It includes the band's first two chart hits: "Requiem for a Dying Song" (#35 Billboard Modern Rock) and "Float" (#40 on the same chart). During the tour for the album, vocalist Dave King married the band's fiddle player Bridget Regan in Tokyo, Japan.
The Speed of Darkness Songfacts says the band's fifth album, Speed of Darkness was released on May 31, 2011 by the band's own record label, Borstal Beat Records.The set was recorded at Echo Mountain, an old church building turned recording studio in Asheville, North Carolina. It was produced by Ryan Hewitt, who has also worked with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Avett Brothers.
Life Is Good is the name of the sixth studio album by Flogging Molly that was released on 2 June 2017. Their first studio album in 6 years (following 2011's Speed of Darkness), it is also their first album to feature drummer Mike Alonso.
http://www.floggingmolly.com
The Son Never Shines
Flogging Molly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Her hair gray charcoal takes a drag from her tar
I kissed her a smile but her blood red shot eye
Said the son never shines on closed doors
It's been eight long years since I saw
The woman who's labored since the day I was born
These wrinkles now face to that cold dark damp place
She said, the son never shines on closed doors
I open to find only hurricanes blow
Take me away to the green fields of May
Because the son never shines on closed doors
Death comes like a thief in the night
To steal while you sleep the soul's flickering light
Well, maybe it's then, she said, I'll see you again
'Cause the son never shines on closed doors
She said, the son never shines on closed doors
I open to find only hurricanes blow
Take me away to the green fields of May
Because the son never shines on closed doors
And we all go the same way home
Yeah, we all go the same way home
(Yeah, we all go the same way home)
The song "The Son Never Shines" by Flogging Molly is a poignant and emotional tribute to a mother who has faced countless challenges and hardships throughout her life. The singer of the song reflects on his mother's struggles and their relationship over the years, culminating in a powerful and bittersweet realization that they will both eventually face death and return home together. The song explores themes of loss, regret, and the fleeting nature of life, all set against a backdrop of traditional Irish folk music.
The opening lines of the song vividly describe the singer's mother, who appears as a distant figure with gray hair and bloodshot eyes. Despite initially offering a smile, the mother's words reveal her weariness and resignation: "the son never shines on closed doors." This line serves as a powerful metaphor for the mother's struggles and the barriers that have limited her opportunities and happiness. The subsequent verses explore the singer's memories of his mother's life and the various stages of her aging. The chorus echoes the mother's refrain that "the son never shines on closed doors," suggesting that even in old age, there are still unfulfilled dreams and desires that may never be realized.
As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the mother is nearing the end of her life. The singer reflects on the inevitability of death, describing it as a thief that comes in the night to steal the soul's light. However, there is also a sense of hope and comfort in the idea that death may bring them together again: "Maybe it's then, she said, I'll see you again. 'Cause the son never shines on closed doors." The final lines of the song emphasize the universal nature of death and the fact that we will all eventually return home, regardless of our individual struggles and hardships.
Overall, "The Son Never Shines" is a powerful and deeply emotive song that explores the complex relationship between a mother and her son, while also touching on broader themes of mortality and the human condition.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw her there fade from afar
I noticed her disappear in the distance.
Her hair gray charcoal takes a drag from her tar
Her gray hair takes a puff from her cigarette.
I kissed her a smile but her blood red shot eye
I gave her a smile, but her eye looked bloodshot.
Said the son never shines on closed doors
She said that the sun doesn't shine on closed doors.
It's been eight long years since I saw
It's been a long time since I saw her.
The woman who's labored since the day I was born
The woman who has worked hard since the day I was born.
These wrinkles now face to that cold dark damp place
Her wrinkles now lead to a cold, dark, damp place.
Where the son never shines on closed doors
Where the sun never shines on closed doors.
She said, the son never shines on closed doors
She repeated that the sun doesn't shine on closed doors.
I open to find only hurricanes blow
When I open my door, only hurricanes blow.
Take me away to the green fields of May
Take me away to the lush fields of May.
Death comes like a thief in the night
Death often comes unexpectedly.
To steal while you sleep the soul's flickering light
To take the soul's light while you sleep.
Well, maybe it's then, she said, I'll see you again
Perhaps then, she said, we'll see each other again.
'Cause the son never shines on closed doors
Because, as she said before, the sun doesn't shine on closed doors.
And we all go the same way home
We all die someday.
Yeah, we all go the same way home
Yes, we all die the same way.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: George Edward Schwindt, David R King, Matthew A Hensley, Nathen Maxwell, Bridget A Regan, Robert Anthony Schmidt, Dennis Casey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@matthewpagenhardt5084
Rest in peace my grandmother. Thank you for raising me and the life you gave me and the hards you went through in Ireland and how hard you fought to get to America and give your family the life you gave us. I love you
@Cryogenius333
Hearing his wife harmonize with him really kicks up the hurt factor of this song...but it's also kind of heartwarming...nobody should suffer alone.
@MattLantian
I spent last Christmas in Ireland and was drinking Christmas night away with my brother-in-law's family, listening to them regale me with traditional Irish songs. When they asked if I wanted to sing anything, this song is all that popped into my head. Not the most fitting Christmas carol, but it fit the tone of the hauntingly beautiful songs they were singing, and they loved it.
After losing my own father to a stroke and seeing his memory go firsthand, I've always cherished this song, but it was good to also attach some good memories to an otherwise very sad song.
@maxpower4896
❤👍👍👍❤
@user-cl1me8hb9l
Depression really sucks as well as ptsd but as an Irish American, things could be a lot worse. Always love who you have when you have them.. you never know when it’s going to be the last conversation…
@devinhannickel641
All this time, I thought it was The Sun Never Shines on Closed Doors. Took this as a somber song that reminds me to be positive. But Son gives it a new meaning
@helix2236
Got me sobbing like I lost my own mom. Heavy heavy song man.
@danielfriedrich231
My Heart is German but my blood is Irish! Love this Band and his music.
@connersullivan8676
Flogging Molly has been the most influential band in my life and always will be. The only music to listen to when either on top of the world or laying face down in a pass stained ol gutter!!
@lizbutler7551
This song takes me back 6 yrs ago right after my Dad passed away. Miss him everyday!