English was acclaimed for his starring role in the 1978 Australian TV series Against the Wind - he won the TV Week Logie Award for 'Best New Talent in Australia'. He also co-wrote and performed the score with Mario Millo (ex-Sebastian Hardie). The series had international release, known as Mot alla vindar (1980) in Scandinavia,[7] where both "Six Ribbons" and "Against the Wind" were released as singles, both singles and the soundtrack album peaked at #1 on the Norwegian charts; the first single, "Six Ribbons" and the album, peaked at #4 on the Swedish charts.
During 1983-1985, English won four Mo Awards with three consecutive 'Entertainer of the Year' awards and a further 'Male Vocal Performer' in 1985. English has performed in Gilbert and Sullivan's operettas Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado and HMS Pinafore from 1984. Performances of Essgee Entertainment's productions of the Gilbert and Sullivan trilogy from 1994 to 1997 were broadcast on Australian TV, they were all released on VHS and subsequently on DVD.
Oh Paris
Jon English Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So when he met her and he fell in love, he just stole her away-ay
He crept ho-ome in the dead of night and the people say-ay
(You should have known better)
If you love a man, put up a fight, don't run away-ay
(He should have known better)
Oh Paris, open your eye-eyes, I ain't tellin' you lie-ies
I said it's just a disguise and look out Paris
Oh Paris, you should have known better
Oh-oh Paris, you should have known better
Well her people wanted Helen back, with Paris' head in a sack
(They should have known better)
They were lean and sleek and mean and Greek and they want her back
(They should have known better)
Oh Paris, open your eye-eyes, I ain't tellin' you lie-ies
I said it's just a disguise, and look out Paris
You should have known better, oh-oh
Oh Paris, you should have known better, oh-oh
Oh Paris, you should have known better
They didn't mess around, they want to burn it down
They wanna tear up the town, raise the joint to the ground
They had a thousand longboats and over ten thousand me-en
And they were all stormin' the walls, again and again and again
Guess they should have known better
Oh Paris, they should have known better
Oh Paris, they should have known better
Troy's too high, too strong to die-ie, to useless force
(They should have known better)
When your spears and swords and your arrows fail, use a wooden horse
(They should have played fairer)
Oh-oh Paris
Oh Paris, open your eye-eyes (for God's sake)
I ain't tellin' you lie-ies (for God's sake), I said it's just a disguise
Look out Paris, you should have known better
Oh Paris, open your eye-eyes (for God's sake)
I ain't tellin' you lie-ies (for God's sake), it's just a disguise
Look out Paris, you should have known better, oh-oh
Oh Paris, you should have known better, oh-oh
Oh Paris, you should have known better
Oh... oh Paris, you shold have known better
Oh Paris, Oh-oh Paris, you should have known better
Oh-oh Paris, you should have known better
The lyrics of Jon English's song "Oh Paris" talk about the story of Paris and Helen of Troy. The song talks about how Paris and Helen fall in love, and how he takes her away even though it causes conflict between their people. The song suggests that Paris should have known better than to involve himself in this situation, and that the conflict could have been avoided had he been more cautious.
The lyrics also mention the siege of Troy, with the Greeks attacking and trying to burn down the city. The song mentions the Greeks using a wooden horse to gain entry to the city, suggesting that this was an unexpected and deceitful move.
Overall, the song tells a cautionary tale about love and conflict and suggests that sometimes personal desires must be weighed against potential consequences. It also explores themes of betrayal and deceit and how they can lead to disastrous outcomes.
Line by Line Meaning
He learned early if you want somebody, go all the way-ay
The singer believes that when someone wants another person romantically, they should be completely committed to the relationship from the start.
So when he met her and he fell in love, he just stole her away-ay
When the singer fell in love with someone, he did everything he could to make them his.
He crept ho-ome in the dead of night and the people say-ay
Others might view the singer's behavior as sneaky or inappropriate.
(You should have known better) If you love a man, put up a fight, don't run away-ay
The singer tells women they should stand up for themselves if they love someone.
(He should have known better) Oh Paris, open your eye-eyes, I ain't tellin' you lie-ies
The singer thinks that Paris was foolish to believe he could take someone else's lover and get away with it.
I said it's just a disguise and look out Paris You should have known better, oh-oh
The singer thinks that Paris was naive to believe that he could deceive his enemies.
Well her people wanted Helen back, with Paris' head in a sack
The other woman's people were very angry with Paris for stealing their loved one.
(They should have known better) They were lean and sleek and mean and Greek and they want her back
The Greeks who were pursuing Paris's lover were determined to bring her home.
They didn't mess around, they want to burn it down They wanna tear up the town, raise the joint to the ground
The Greeks were willing to destroy the city completely to get their loved one back.
They had a thousand longboats and over ten thousand me-en And they were all stormin' the walls, again and again and again
The Greeks had a huge army and were making multiple attempts to capture the city.
Guess they should have known better Oh Paris, they should have known better
The singer believes that the Greeks could have predicted the outcome of their war.
Troy's too high, too strong to die-ie, to useless force (They should have known better)
The singer thinks that the Greeks were not strong enough to defeat the city of Troy.
When your spears and swords and your arrows fail, use a wooden horse (They should have played fairer)
The singer thinks that the Greeks' decision to use a wooden horse to sneak into Troy was dishonest.
Oh-oh Paris Oh Paris, open your eye-eyes (for God's sake) I ain't tellin' you lie-ies (for God's sake), I said it's just a disguise Look out Paris, you should have known better
The singer believes that Paris made a big mistake by underestimating the power of his enemies.
Oh Paris, you should have known better, oh-oh
The singer emphasizes that Paris's mistake was a significant one.
Oh Paris, you should have known better
The singer repeats his opinion that Paris acted recklessly.
Oh... oh Paris, you shold have known better
The singer again stresses that Paris's mistake was a major one.
Oh Paris, Oh-oh Paris, you should have known better Oh-oh Paris, you should have known better
The singer repeats his belief that Paris was foolish and made a big mistake.
Contributed by Layla K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.