Come On Eileen
Kevin Rowland & Dexys Midnight Runners Lyrics


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Come on Eileen
Come on Eileen

Poor old Johnny Ray
Sounded sad upon the radio
But he moved a million hearts in mono
Our mothers cried, sang along, who'd blame them
You're grown (so grown up)
So grown (so grown up) now I must say more than ever
Come on Eileen
Too ra loo ra too ra loo rye aye
And we can sing just like our fathers

Come on Eileen, oh I swear (what he means)
At this moment, you mean everything
You in that dress, my thoughts I confess
Verge on dirty
Ah, come on Eileen

Come on Eileen

These people 'round here
Wear beat down eyes sunk in smoke dried faces
They're resigned to what their fate is
But not us, (no never) no not us (no never)
We are far to young and clever
Remember
Too ra loo ra too ra loo rye aye
And you'l hum this tune forever

Come on Eileen oh I swear (what he means)
Ah come on lets, take off everything
That pretty red dress, Eileen (tell him yes)
Ah come on lets, ah come on Eileen
That pretty red dress, Eileen (tell him yes)
Ah come on lets, ah come on Eileen, please

Come on Eileen too rye aye
Come on Eileen too rye aye
Now you're full grown
Now you have shown
Oh, Eileen

Said, come on Eileen
These things they are real and I know
How you feel
Now I must say more than ever
Things round here have changed
I say, too ra loo ra, too ra-loo rye aye

Come on Eileen
Oh, I swear (what he means)
At this moment, you mean everything
You in that dress, my thoughts I confess
Verge on dirty
Aah, come on Eileen

Oh, come on Eileen
Oh, I swear (what he means)
At this moment, you mean everything
In that dress, oh my thoughts I confess
Well, they're dirty
Come on Eileen





Come on Eileen

Overall Meaning

"Come on Eileen" is a song by Kevin Rowland & Dexys Midnight Runners that was released in 1982. The song is about a young man's passionate appeal to a girl named Eileen to take the next step in their relationship. The singer tells Eileen that he has strong feelings for her and that she means everything to him. He expresses a desire to see her in a different light by taking off her "pretty red dress" and embracing the moment. The song is an upbeat celebration of youth and love that encourages people to take chances and make the most of their time.


The opening lines of the song pay tribute to Johnny Ray, an American singer who made a huge impact on the British charts in the early 1950s. Ray's style of music was seen as melancholic but also electrifying, and his songs were able to connect with people of all ages. The use of the phrase "moved a million hearts in mono" highlights the impact that Ray had on the entertainment industry during his heyday.


The song also makes reference to the generational divide between parents and their children. The singer acknowledges that he and his generation, unlike their elders, are not resigned to their fate and are determined to make the most of their youth. They are "far too young and clever" to be held back by the conventions of the past, and are determined to live life to the fullest.


Line by Line Meaning

Come on Eileen
Kevin is urging Eileen to join him, probably to dance or just spend time together


Come on Eileen
Reiteration of the first line


Poor old Johnny Ray
Johnny Ray's sad song on the radio made everyone emotional, but his music was still heart-touching, moving millions. The mothers listening to the radio couldn't resist joining in the song


Sounded sad upon the radio
Johnny Ray's song had a melancholic tune to it


But he moved a million hearts in mono
Even though the song was in monophonic sound, it struck people's hearts, generating a lot of emotions among the listeners


Our mothers cried, sang along, who'd blame them
The emotional singing made the mothers join in and weep, which is understandable


You're grown (so grown up)
Eileen has grown up


So grown (so grown up) now I must say more than ever
Now that Eileen is grown up, Kevin feels he should express his emotions more honestly than before


Come on Eileen
Reiteration of the first line


Too ra loo ra too ra loo rye aye
A nonsensical phrase that is just meant to rhyme and give a happy, upbeat tone to the song


And we can sing just like our fathers
The generation can sing just as well as their fathers, enjoying the same kind of music, and feeling happy and free


Oh I swear (what he means)
Kevin swears on what he is feeling


At this moment, you mean everything
At that moment, Eileen is everything to him. He probably has a crush on her


You in that dress, my thoughts I confess
Eileen looks beautiful in that dress and Kevin admits that his thoughts are verging on dirty


Verge on dirty
His thoughts border on being impure or sexually suggestive


Ah, come on Eileen
Reiteration of the first line


These people 'round here
The people around them, probably in a rural area or small town, seem to be tired, despondent, and just going through the motions of life


Wear beat down eyes sunk in smoke dried faces
The people around them have faces that look like they have seen a lot of troubles and hardships


They're resigned to what their fate is
The people around them have accepted their fate and stopped hoping for better things to happen to them


But not us, (no never) no not us (no never)
However, Kevin and Eileen belong to the next generation and are not shying away from possibilities. They are still hopeful about their lives ahead


We are far to young and clever
Kevin and Eileen could do something better with their lives, they don't want to be resigned to their current fate


Remember
An appeal to Eileen to recall things they had talked about before


Now you're full grown
A reference to how Eileen has grown


Now you have shown
Eileen has shown that she is mature and Kevin can express his true emotions to her


Oh, Eileen
Addressing Eileen in emotional and reverential terms, implying that he has feelings of love or admiration for her


Said, come on Eileen
Reiteration of the first line


These things they are real and I know
Life and its consequences are real and Kevin is aware of them


How you feel
Kevin knows how Eileen feels and he is empathizing with her emotions


Things round here have changed
The place (rural area or small town) where they live has changed and life is not the same anymore


I say, too ra loo ra, too ra-loo rye aye
A reference to the nonsensical phrase used before, indicating that things are still happy and light-hearted


Oh, I swear (what he means)
Reiteration of an earlier line


At this moment, you mean everything
Reiteration of an earlier line


In that dress, oh my thoughts I confess
Eileen looks beautiful in that dress and Kevin admits that he thinks about her in a sexual way


Well, they're dirty
His thoughts are inappropriate or impure


Come on Eileen
Reiteration of the first line




Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: James Paterson, Kevin Adams, Kevin Rowland

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@Anita1210.

Lyrics

Come on, Eileen
Poor old Johnnie Ray
Sounded sad upon the radio
Moved a million hearts in mono
Our mothers cried
Sang along, who'd blame them?
You've grown (you're grown up)
So grown (so grown up)
Now I must say more than ever
(Come on, Eileen)
Too-ra-loo-ra
Too-ra-loo-rye-ay
And we can sing just like our fathers
Come on, Eileen
Oh, I swear (what he means)
At this moment
You mean everything
You in that dress
My thoughts, I confess
Verge on dirty
Ah, come on, Eileen
Come on, Eileen
These people 'round here
Were beaten down, eyes sunk in smoke-dried face
They're so resigned to what their fate is
But not us (no never)
But not us (not ever)
We are far too young and clever
(Remember)
Too-ra-loo-ra
Too-ra-loo-rye-ay
And you'll hum this tune forever
Come on, Eileen
Oh, I swear (what he means)
Ah, come on, let's
Take off everything
That pretty red dress
Eileen (tell him yes)
Ah, come on, let's
Ah, come on, Eileen, please
That pretty red dress
Eileen (tell him yes)
Ah, come on, let's
Ah, come on, Eileen, please
Now you're full grown (too-ra)
And now you have shown (too-ra, ta-loo-ra)
Oh, Eileen
Said, come on, Eileen (come on, Eileen) (you've grown)
These things they are real and I know (ta-loo-rye-ay) (so grown)
How you feel (come on, Eileen, ta-loo-rye-ay)
Now I must say more than ever (too-ra, ta-loo-ra)
Things 'round here have changed
I said, too-ra-loo-ra (come on, Eileen, ta-loo-rye-ay)
Too-ra-loo-rye-ay (come on, Eileen, ta-loo-rye-ay)
(Too-ra, ta-loo-ra)
Come on, Eileen
Oh, I swear (what he means)
At this moment
You mean everything
You in that dress
My thoughts, I confess
Verge on dirty
Ah, come on, Eileen
Come on, Eileen
Oh, I swear (what he means)
At this moment
You mean everything
In that dress
Oh, my thoughts I confess
Well, they're dirty
Come on, Eileen
Come on, Eileen
Whoa (what he means)
Whoa



@vernonroche1351

Come on, Eileen
Come on, Eileen
Poor old Johnnie Ray
Sounded sad upon the radio
Moved a million hearts in mono
Our mothers cried
Sang along, who'd blame them?
You've grown (you're grown up)
So grown (so grown up)
Now I must say more than ever
(Come on, Eileen)
Too-ra-loo-ra
Too-ra-loo-rye-ay
And we can sing just like our fathers
Come on, Eileen
Oh, I swear (what he means)
At this moment
You mean everything
You in that dress
My thoughts, I confess
Verge on dirty
Ah, come on, Eileen
Come on, Eileen
These people 'round here
Were beaten down, eyes sunk in smoke-dried face
They're so resigned to what their fate is
But not us (no never)
But not us (not ever)
We are far too young and clever
(Remember)
Too-ra-loo-ra
Too-ra-loo-rye-ay
And you'll hum this tune forever
Come on, Eileen
Oh, I swear (what he means)
Ah, come on, let's
Take off everything
That pretty red dress
Eileen (tell him yes)
Ah, come on, let's
Ah, come on, Eileen, please
That pretty red dress
Eileen (tell him yes)
Ah, come on, let's
Ah, come on, Eileen, please
Now you're full grown (too-ra)
And now you have shown (too-ra, ta-loo-ra)
Oh, Eileen
Said, come on, Eileen (come on, Eileen) (you've grown)
These things they are real and I know (ta-loo-rye-ay) (so grown)
How you feel (come on, Eileen, ta-loo-rye-ay)
Now I must say more than ever (too-ra, ta-loo-ra)
Things 'round here have changed
I said, too-ra-loo-ra (come on, Eileen, ta-loo-rye-ay)
Too-ra-loo-rye-ay (come on, Eileen, ta-loo-rye-ay)
(Too-ra, ta-loo-ra)
Come on, Eileen
Oh, I swear (what he means)
At this moment
You mean everything
You in that dress
My thoughts, I confess
Verge on dirty
Ah, come on, Eileen
Come on, Eileen
Oh, I swear (what he means)
At this moment
You mean everything
In that dress
Oh, my thoughts I confess
Well, they're dirty
Come on, Eileen
Come on, Eileen
Whoa (what he means)
Whoa
Ah, come on, Eileen
Oh, believe me
If all those endearing young chums
That I gaze on so fondly today
Were to suddenly leave you, oh fly in the night
Just like fairy gifts gone in the sky



All comments from YouTube:

@donhardy9248

This was my little sister's favorite song. I was in college when my dad called me late at night and told me to come home immediately. As I drove, I prayed harder than I've ever prayed, begging God that it not be her, but ... she was already gone, killed by a drunk driver at just 15 years of age. Susan was the sweetest, friendliest, most fun-loving girl on the planet, and she was robbed of a beautiful long life. They say that time heals all wounds, but 40+ years later it just isn't true. For years this song brought horribly sad memories, but now at age 63, I find strange comfort in the tune.

@karumrum

So sorry for you. That's awful. You made me tear up ๐Ÿ’”

@bigtastyforlife9367

You learn to live with it but deep down you always feel cheated.

@janddreyes33

I'm so sorry to hear about your little sister's tragic death. I pray God continues healing and comforting your heart.

@jackbaynes3959

So so sorry to hear that

@nuclearsake3887

She had great taste in music, and sounded like a delightful person. Sorry for your loss.

159 More Replies...

@eileenthiery6881

โคmy name is Eileen and I will have this song played at my funeral when my casket is being taken out. I always ran late when my husband and I were going somewhere. He called "come on Eileen " before this song ever came out. At 80 years old, this song still makes me smile. Love it!!

@user-rg8nz7pe5m

Love It !!

@nancygreen8186

God bless you Eileen๐Ÿ˜Š โค

@jeskvell3254

โค๏ธ

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