The group first formed in 1985 when Liam Ó Maonlaí and Fiachna ó Braonáin (who had known each other as children in an Irish-speaking school) began performing as street musicians, or buskers, on the streets of Dublin, Ireland as "The Incomparable Benzini Brothers." They were soon joined by Peter O'Toole, and had won a street-entertainer award within a year. They renamed the group "Hothouse Flowers" and began writing songs and performing throughout Ireland. Rolling Stone magazine called them "the best unsigned band in Europe."
In 1986 Bono from the band U2, saw the Flowers performing on television and offered his support. They released their first single, "Love Don't Work This Way", on U2's Mother Records label, which quickly led to a deal with the PolyGram subsidiary London Records.
Their first album, People was released in early 1988 and was the most successful debut album in Irish history. It reached the number one slot in Ireland within a week and eventually reached number 2 in the UK Albums Chart. The international success of the album received a great boost when a music video for the first single, "Don't Go", was played in the interval between contestants and the scoring in the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest.
The second album, Home was released in June of 1990. It was recorded sporadically whilst in the midst of extensive touring; with sessions in Dublin, London, a rented house with a mobile recording set-up in Carlow, Ireland, and one day of work with Daniel Lanois in New Orleans, whilst Bob Dylan was taking a break from his sessions with Lanois. The album did not have the overwhelming success of the first record, but it reached number 2 in Australia. The two singles from the album, "Give It Up" and "I Can See Clearly Now" (a cover of the Johnny Nash song performed by both Jimmy Cliff and Bill Withers) reached numbers 30 and 23 respectively in the UK Singles Chart.
Songs From the Rain was released in March 1993. Whilst it received excellent reviews and achieved some chart success in Australia and Ireland, worldwide sales were disappointing. In an attempt to boost record sales (and especially to break in to the American charts), the record label and the band's management kept the group on the road almost continuously for the entire year. By early 1994, Ó Maonlaí had decided that the group was suffering from physical, mental and creative exhaustion, and he called for a year-long sabbatical.
The year-long break turned into several years, as the band members recouped their energy and experienced changes in their personal lives, including divorces, marriages, the birth of children and the death of Ó Maonlaí's father. The group also split from their long-time manager, and Leo Barnes (saxophone) and Jerry Fehily (drums) left the group. O'Toole and ó Braonáin spent some of their time off from the Hothouse Flowers, recording and touring with Michelle Shocked and Ó Maonlaí worked with Tim Finn and Andy White, whilst also studying traditional Irish music.
In 1998 they released Born. Joined by Wayne Sheehy on drums and Rob Malone on bass, this album contained extensive songwriting contributions from O'Toole, who (freed from his bass responsibilities) played mostly guitar, bouzouki and keyboards on the recording. The music also incorporated more elements of electronic loops, synthesizers and studio effects.
By 1999 they had reached the end of their contract with London Records, and both the label and the band decided not to renew. The label head allowed the group the rights to record songs from their past London releases and produce a live record. Live' was self-released by the group later that year, taken mostly from an October 1998 show in Dublin Stadium (with one track from a November show in Tokyo). Sheehy and Malone left the group shortly after the release of the record. Dave Clarke, formerly of Blue in Heaven, joined on drums and O'Toole returned to the bass.
In 2000 London Records released a compilation of songs from their four previous albums titled Best of.
During the band's official hiatus between Songs From the Rain and Born, band memebers had both written songs individually, and sporadically got together to write collaboratively. Some of these songs were never released, while others altered significantly to become some of the tracks on Born. In 2003 the Flowers collected these unreleased recordings and issued them as Vaults:Volume 1.
In February 2004 the band released their latest album, Into Your Heart, produced by the band and John Reynolds. The first single, "Tell Me", reached the top 20 on the Irish charts. The record was released on the RubyMusic label in Europe and distributed by Redeye in the United States. They have toured extensively in support of the record, including a performance at the Glastonbury Festival in 2004.
Ó Maonlaí has done several tours as a solo acoustic performer, and released an album in 2005 called Rian.
Born
Hothouse Flowers Lyrics
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Is it a secret that nobody knows
Is it a poison or is it a cure
Contaminated when you think that it's pure
Born live on the air
At a tv station with the whole world there
Born holding your hand
Spinning the big wheel with the studio band
Is it an omen or is it a curse
Will it be early or will it be late
Is it a dead end or is there a gate
Born live on the air...
Will you be here or some place else
Will you be tired or will I have to dance
Will you be sexy will you lie on the floor
Or will you forget completely what I came here for
Born live on the air...
Have you been drinking or is it your scent
There's so many bottles is your money all spent
Is there a corner to put all this mess
You'd think you were lazy, please undress
Born live on the air...
The lyrics of Hothouse Flowers's song "Born" seem to question the uncertainty and unpredictability of life. It starts by asking if life is like a garden that is waiting to grow or a secret that nobody knows. This line establishes the vague and unknown nature of the future, like a garden that can grow in any direction or a secret that is yet to be revealed. Then, it asks whether life is a poison or cure, indicating that something we perceive as pure or good can also turn out to be contaminated or bad.
The next verse seems to describe the experience of being born live on air, perhaps as a television personality or a guest on a show. The lyrics mention the world being there, spinning the big wheel with the studio band, and holding someone's hand, indicating a sense of public display and performance. The song then goes on to ask whether the person will be true or false, questioning the authenticity of their personality and whether it is an omen or curse. The following lines interrogate whether the time will be early or late, indicating a sense of urgency or delay, and whether there is a gate or dead-end. Here, the songwriter seems to be addressing the vagueness and unpredictability of the future.
The final verse seems to describe the encounter with another person, possibly a lover. The lyrics ask if they will be present or somewhere else, tired or active, sexy or indifferent. The lines about forgetting what the song's narrator came for seem to indicate that there is a sense of confusion or lack of clarity in the encounter. Ultimately, the song captures the idea of the complexities of life and how we cannot control everything. It also explores the idea that life is unpredictable, and we have to navigate its twists and turns with what little we can control.
Line by Line Meaning
Is it a garden waiting to grow
Is there potential for something great to develop?
Is it a secret that nobody knows
Is this something hidden from view or yet to be discovered?
Is it a poison or is it a cure
Is this thing helpful or harmful?
Contaminated when you think that it's pure
Even good things can be tainted or corrupted
Born live on the air
Introduced to the world with cameras rolling
At a tv station with the whole world there
Broadcast to a wide audience
Born holding your hand
Starting this journey with someone by your side
Spinning the big wheel with the studio band
Navigating through life together with the help of others
Will you be true or will you be false
Will you be honest and faithful, or deceitful?
Is it an omen or is it a curse
Is this a sign of good or bad things to come?
Will it be early or will it be late
Will this happen soon or not for a while?
Is it a dead end or is there a gate
Is this a hopeless situation or is there a way out?
Will you be here or some place else
Will you stick around or leave?
Will you be tired or will I have to dance
Will you be cooperative or unhelpful?
Will you be sexy will you lie on the floor
Will you be alluring or unattractive?
Or will you forget completely what I came here for
Will you be forgetful or attentive?
Have you been drinking or is it your scent
Are you under the influence or is this just your natural smell?
There's so many bottles is your money all spent
Are you broke or just wasteful?
Is there a corner to put all this mess
Is there a way to clean up this situation?
You'd think you were lazy, please undress
You seem like you don't care, now take off your clothes
Born live on the air...
Starting life in the public eye
Lyrics © BARDIS MUSIC, USA ATTN: PETER BARDON
Written by: FIACHNA SEOSAMH O'BRAONAIN, LIAM TADG O'MAONLAI, PETER MARY O'TOOLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Marcel Versteeg
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