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.
water
Hothouse Flowers Lyrics
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Aah, aah, aah, aah, aah
Aah, aah, aah, aah, aah
Aah, aah, aah, aah, aah
I'm sitting, looking at this road
Looks like it's getting longer
I've been carrying a heavy load now
I'm looking down this road
And my heart is getting weaker
I'm down on my sore knees
And I'm praying for some water
Aah, aah, aah, aah, aah
Aah, aah, aah, aah, aah
Aah, aah, aah, aah, aah
Aah, aah, aah, aah, aah
There are storm clouds overhead
Colored thundery blue like lead
And their battering against the hill
Till the water starts to swell
I see storm clouds ahead
And what will we do then?
Build shelters from the rain
Heavy, heavy, heavy, heavy, heavy rain
Aah, aah, aah, aah, aah
Aah, aah, aah, aah, aah
Aah, aah, aah, aah, aah
Aah, aah, aah, aah, aah
Aah, aah, aah, aah, aah, aah, aah, aah
And it is real and it is old
And it's been flowing through my bones
They've been poisoning our streams
They're polluting all our oceans
And I hope we get to learn before
The Heaven's Gates pour open
Aah, aah, aah, aah, aah
Aah, aah, aah, aah, aah
Aah, aah, aah, aah, aah
Aah, aah, aah, aah, aah
Aah, aah, aah, aah, aah
Aah, aah, aah, aah, aah
Aah, aah, aah, aah, aah
Aah, aah, aah, aah, aah, aah, aah, aah
One, two, three, four
The Hothouse Flowers’ song “Water” is a folk-rock tune with lyrics that revolve around the themes of searching for hope amidst hard times and the importance of appreciating and protecting natural resources. The opening lines repeat “Aah” several times, creating a haunting, atmospheric introduction to the song. The first verse describes the singer’s weariness and desperation as they trudge down a long, difficult road. They are tired of carrying their “heavy load” and are seeking relief in the form of water.
In the chorus, the singer repeats the phrase “praying for some water” over and over again, imparting a sense of urgency and longing. They see storm clouds approaching on the horizon, bringing the possibility of rain, but also the potential for destructive floods. Against the violence of the storm, the singer shifts their attention to the sanctity of water as a natural resource. They lament the ways in which humans have polluted streams and oceans, and express a hope that we will learn to treat these resources more responsibly before it’s too late.
Overall, the lyrics of “Water” offer a poignant commentary on the human experience, urging listeners to look for hope in difficult times and to recognize the importance of taking care of the planet. The song’s use of repetition and vivid imagery helps to create a sense of immediacy and urgency.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm sitting, looking at this road
I am here, looking down a path
Looks like it's getting longer
The path seems to be stretching out further ahead
I've been carrying a heavy load now
I have been burdened with weight for some time now
And I'm praying for some water
I am desperately hoping for some relief
I'm looking down this road
I am searching ahead
And my heart is getting weaker
My spirit is gradually losing strength
I'm down on my sore knees
I am on my knees in pain
And I'm praying for some water
Hoping for some form of salvation
There are storm clouds overhead
Dark oppressive clouds loom above
Colored thundery blue like lead
Their hue is like a heavy grey metal
And their battering against the hill
They strike and pound at the elevated ground
Till the water starts to swell
Until the rain gathers force, and the water rises
I see storm clouds ahead
I see the impending ramping up of the storm
And what will we do then?
What is in store for us in those moments?
Build shelters from the rain
We can create safe spaces in the midst of the downpour
Heavy, heavy, heavy, heavy, heavy rain
The onslaught will be strong and persistent
And it is real and it is old
This problem is tangible and has been around for ages
And it's been flowing through my bones
It is ingrained in me, a part of who I am
They've been poisoning our streams
Elements in society have polluted our water sources
They're polluting all our oceans
They are making our waters unfit for sea life
And I hope we get to learn before
My expectation is that we will develop awareness in time
The Heaven's Gates pour open
Before it reaches the point of no return
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: FIACHNA SEOSAMH O'BRAONAIN, JEREMIAH MICHAEL AUGUST FEHILY, LEO BARNES, LIAM TADG O'MAONLAI, PETER MARY O'TOOLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sophie -Grace
Inexplicable that this isn't really well known.
aba cussin
Irish Radio station rte.ie play this group quite a bit.have a listen to Arena and the John Creedon show in the evenings.hardly ever hear then on UK radio anymore although Jo Good played some of their stuff earlier this year and was amazed she'd never heard of them.