Logan was born in Frankston near Melbourne, Australia. His father was an Irish tenor, Patrick O'Hagan, who performed three times at The White House, for John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon. The family moved back to Ireland when Johnny was aged three. He learned the guitar and began composing his own songs by the age of thirteen. On leaving school he apprenticed as an electrician, while performing in folk and blues clubs. His earliest claim to fame was starring as Adam in the 1977 Irish musical "Adam and Eve".
Having adopted the stage name Johnny Logan, he released his first single in 1978 and took part in the Irish national final for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1979, but did not win. The following year, Logan entered the contest again with the Shay Healy song "What's Another Year" and won. Representing Ireland in the Netherlands, Logan won the Eurovision Song Contest on April 19. The song became a hit all over Europe and reached No.1 in the UK.
Due to a mix-up, two follow up singles were released almost simultaneously; "Save Me" and "In London". With confusion by radio stations over which to play, both singles flopped. Another single released in late 1980, a cover of a recent [arist]Cliff Richard song, "Give A Little Bit More" was a more concerted effort and although it narrowly missed the chart, the momentum from Eurovision was now lost. Logan blames his lack of success in the UK on poor management and his inexperience.
In early 1983, Logan attempted a comeback in the UK with the song "Becoming Electric" with a new sound and image and promotional push, but was unsuccessful and again in 1986 when he rebranded himself Logan with the song "Stab In The Back".
In 1987, he decided to make another attempt at Eurovision and with his self-penned song "Hold Me Now", he represented Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest in Belgium. The song won the contest and again, Logan had a major European hit with the song and reached No.2 in the UK (although it outsold "What's Another Year"). Keen to continue this success, Logan released a cover of the 10cc song "I'm Not In Love", produced by Paul Hardcastle as a follow-up, and an album. Both single and album made the UK charts but were not significant enough to sustain a continued chart career. The following year, Logan released his next single, "Heartland" which became a hit in the Irish charts and from then on, concentrated on his career in Ireland and Europe.
Having composed the Irish 1984 Eurovision Song Contest entry for Linda Martin, "Terminal 3" (which came 2nd), Logan repeated the collaboration in 1992 when he gave Martin another of his songs, "Why Me". The song became the Irish entry at the finals in Sweden. The song took the title and cemented Logan as the most successful artist in Eurovision history with three wins.
Author and historian John Kennedy O'Connor notes in his book The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official History that Logan is the only lead singer to have sung two winning entries and one of only five authors/composers (all men) to have written/composed two winning songs.
He is sometimes referred to as "Mister Eurovision" by fans of the contest and the media at large. "Hold Me Now" has been adopted by fans of Bohemian FC as their anthem and it is sung primarily at away games. He mentioned on "TTV" on RTÉ that he was considering writing a song for Ireland in the 2010 Eurovision.
"Hold Me Now" was voted as the 3rd most popular song in Eurovision history at the 50th anniversary concert in Copenhagen, Denmark in October 2005. "What's Another Year?" was also nominated amongst the 14 finalists. It has sold over 3 million copies worldwide. "Hold Me Now" is also a global million-seller.
Throughout his career, which spans four decades, Logan has issued no less than 40 singles and 19 albums. He has continued his love of participating in musical theatre, having toured Norway with Which Witch, an opera-musical originating in that country. In 2002 Logan took part in the UK TV Quiz show Never Mind The Buzzcocks as a team panelist in a Eurovision-special.
Logan continues to perform and write songs. In 2007 he advertised McDonald's Eurosaver menu in Ireland. In 2007 he sang "A State of Happiness", advertising the Dutch Center Parcs. In 2009 he performed in the Celtic rock opera Excalibur.
Logan lives in Ashbourne, County Meath, Ireland.
The Fields Of Athenry
Johnny Logan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I heard a young girl calling
Michael are they taking you away?
For you stole Trevelyn's corn
So the young might see the morn.
Now a prison ship is waiting in the bay
Low lie the Fields of Athenry
(Come on baby let the free birds fly)
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.
By a lonely prison wall
I heard a young man calling
Nothing matters Mary if you're free,
Against the Famine and the Crown
I rebelled they put me down
Now you must raise our child with dignity.
Low lie the Fields of Athenry
Where once we watched the small free birds fly.
(Come on baby let the free birds fly)
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.
By a lonely harbor wall
She watched the last star falling
As the prison ship sailed out against the sky
But she'll wait, she'll hope and she'll pray
For her love in Botany Bay
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.
Low lie the Fields of Athenry
Where once we watched the small free birds fly.
(Come on baby let the free birds fly)
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.
Low lie the Fields of Athenry
Where once we watched the small free birds fly.
(Come on baby let the free birds fly)
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.
It's lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.
"The Fields of Athenry" was written by Pete St. John and has become a beloved Irish folk song, famously performed by Johnny Logan. The song tells the story of a young couple, Michael and Mary, who are torn apart by the harsh realities of Irish history. Michael is sent to prison for stealing corn to feed his family during the Great Famine, while Mary is left to raise their child alone. The chorus laments the loneliness of the fields around Athenry, a town in County Galway, as the couple's dreams and hopes are dashed.
The song is a powerful reflection of the struggles and resilience of the Irish people throughout their history. The mention of the famine, rebellion, and transportation to Botany Bay allude to the many hardships that they have faced. The lyrics capture the heartbreak of those left behind, waiting and hoping for their loved ones to return. The inclusion of the small free birds flying further emphasizes the feeling of confinement and restriction. The song serves as a poignant reminder of the strength of the Irish people and their enduring spirit.
Line by Line Meaning
By a lonely prison wall
The singer is describing a desolate prison wall.
I heard a young girl calling
The singer could hear a young girl's voice.
Michael are they taking you away?
The young girl is concerned that Michael is being taken away.
For you stole Trevelyn's corn
Michael is being taken to prison for stealing corn from Trevelyn.
So the young might see the morn.
Michael stole the corn so that the young might survive to see another day.
Now a prison ship is waiting in the bay
Michael is being sent to a prison ship waiting in the bay.
Low lie the Fields of Athenry
The Fields of Athenry are located in a low area.
Where once we watched the small free birds fly.
The singer and others used to watch small birds fly in the Fields of Athenry.
(Come on baby let the free birds fly)
A reminder of the freedom that used to exist in the Fields of Athenry and a call to restore it.
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing
The community in the Fields of Athenry had aspirations and a shared love.
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.
Since the community is no longer there, the area is desolate.
I heard a young man calling
The singer heard a young man's voice.
Nothing matters Mary if you're free,
The young man says that freedom is more important than material possessions.
Against the Famine and the Crown
The young man rebelled against struggles during the Great Potato Famine and the rule of the Crown.
I rebelled they put me down
As a result of his rebellion, the young man was put down, or suppressed.
Now you must raise our child with dignity.
The young man implores Mary to raise their child with honor.
By a lonely harbor wall
The singer describes a solitary harbor wall.
She watched the last star falling
A woman watches the last star fall in the sky.
As the prison ship sailed out against the sky
The woman sees the prison ship sail out past the horizon.
But she'll wait, she'll hope and she'll pray
In spite of her lover being taken away, the woman remains hopeful that they will be reunited.
For her love in Botany Bay
The woman's lover has been sent to Botany Bay.
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.
The desolation of the Fields of Athenry remains despite the hopeful tone of the previous lines.
Low lie the Fields of Athenry
The Fields of Athenry are still in a low area.
(Come on baby let the free birds fly)
A repeat of the earlier call for freedom and restoration of the community in the Fields of Athenry.
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing
Despite the oppression and separation, the community in the Fields of Athenry continues to hold on to love and aspiration.
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.
A final reminder of the desolation that remains in the absence of the community.
Contributed by Vivian B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.