After singing at weddings for a few years, he joined with several other choristers to form a group named The Mistletones in 1980. He also sang the national anthems at Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Maple Leafs games since 1988 and continues to do so. From 1984 through 1992 he worked as a circulation representative for the Toronto Sun, Conrad Black heard him singing at company parties. Black, along with other executives, financed McDermott's independent recording of "Danny Boy" in 1992, which was picked up and released in North America by EMI Music Canada. Following this unexpected success, McDermott decided to pursue a professional singing career.
John has annual concerts world wide, and can be seen from Toronto, to Boston, to New York, to Glasgow.
McDermott performed his first concert at the Rebecca Cohn Theatre on October 5, 1993 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. From there he continued to tour the rest of Canada, performing as an opening act for The Chieftains. Throughout 1994 he went on a tour of Australia and New Zealand, following the great success of Danny Boy, which had been ranked Number 1 on the charts there and achieved triple platinum in New Zealand. Next, in 1995 he went on a tour of the United Kingdom with The Seekers.
At this point in his career he was becoming recognized internationally, so he started to tour regularly as a solo act rather than an opening act. He also appeared at several special events including the D-Day ceremonies in France in 1995, and the US Democratic National Convention in 1996. He has also appeared on TV several times, both as a host of CBC Television concert specials in 1997, and in his own television special titled John McDermott: A Time to Remember which aired on PBS in 2002.
McDermott formed The Irish Tenors and after performing a large concert in Dublin, Ireland in 1998, they spent some time touring the US, appearing on TV, and releasing a gold record.
Since leaving The Irish Tenors, McDermott continues to tour extensively throughout the World, performing with his own group and with the great symphonies of the world. He continues to work to support the veteran community in the United States and in Canada. In 2000 McDermott dedicated McDermott House in Washington DC, a transitional home for homeless veterans. His latest release Journeys-Bringing Buddy Home was recorded to help support fundraising for Fisher House Boston and launch the Canadian initiative for an outreach centre for Canadian Veterans.
How Insensitive
John McDermott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When she told me that she loved me
How unmoved and cold, I must have seemed
When she told me so sincerely
Why she must have asked?
Did I just turn and stare in icy silence?
What was I to say? What can you say
How insensitive, he must have seemed
When she told me that she loved him
How unmoved and cold, he must have seemed
When she told him so sincerely
Why she must have asked?
Did he just turn and stare in icy silence?
What was she to say? What can he say
When a love affair is over?
Now she's gone away
And I'm alone with a memory of her last look
Vague and drawn and sad, I see it still
All her heartbreak in that last look
How she must have asked
Could I just turn and stare in icy silence?
What was I to do? What can one do
When a love affair is over?
The lyrics to John McDermott's song How Insensitive are an exploration of the aftermath of a failed love affair. The song tells the story of two people who have ended a relationship and are left to deal with the emotional fallout. The lyrics communicate the sense of disconnection and detachment that often follows a romantic break-up. The singer reflects on the insensitivity and coldness that he displayed towards his former partner when she confessed her feelings for him. He realizes that he was unable to reciprocate her love, and that his reaction may have contributed to the end of their relationship.
The song highlights the importance of communication and emotional openness in sustaining a relationship. When the singer asks, "What was I to say? What can you say when a love affair is over?" he is expressing the difficulty of expressing oneself in times of heartbreak. This sentiment is mirrored in the second half of the song, where the singer imagines the perspective of his former partner. He recognizes that he may have hurt her by not being able to reciprocate her love, and wonders how she must have felt when he rejected her.
Line by Line Meaning
How insensitive, I must have seemed
I was not sensitive to her feelings
When she told me that she loved me
When she expressed her love for me
How unmoved and cold, I must have seemed
I appeared to be unfeeling and impassive
When she told me so sincerely
When she spoke honestly and with conviction
Why she must have asked?
She must have wondered
Did I just turn and stare in icy silence?
Did I simply look at her with a cold, unresponsive expression?
What was I to say? What can you say
What words could I possibly offer in response
When a love affair is over?
When the relationship has come to an end?
Now she's gone away
Now that she has left
And I'm alone with a memory of her last look
And I am left with the recollection of her final expression
Vague and drawn and sad, I see it still
Faint and melancholy, I can still picture it
All her heartbreak in that last look
All of her pain and sorrow in that final gaze
How she must have asked
How she must have wondered
Could I just turn and stare in icy silence?
Was I only able to look at her with cold detachment?
What was I to do? What can one do
What action could I possibly take? What options are available
When a love affair is over?
When the romance has ended?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Antonio Carlos Jobim, Norman Gimbel, Vinicius De Moraes
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind