One of fifteen children, Kieran Goss was born and raised in County Down, Northern Ireland. He was just nine years old when he got his first guitar. Growing up in a big family with diverse musical tastes meant that early on he was hearing his brothers’ Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson records, his mother’s Frank Sinatra records and his sisters’ records featuring The Rolling Stones. These varied influences fermented into some brew that gives Kieran Goss his own unique sound.
Kieran supported himself while a law student in Belfast by playing club gigs and the University Students’ Union, earning himself support slots for Elvis Costello, Christy Moore and Joe Jackson along the way. After qualifying as a lawyer in the mid-eighties, Kieran left home for France and Germany in order to avoid being drafted into the legal profession! He came back home to Ireland in 1989 to record his first album, Brand New Star. It contained the songs Brand New Star and Just Around The Corner, which came to the attention of Mary Black as she was preparing the album Babes In The Wood. She recorded both songs.
Kieran followed up Brand New Star with New Day in 1994 and in 1998 he released the album Worse Than Pride, which contained the Top 10 single Out Of My Head. It was the second most played song on Irish radio that year. Worse Than Pride achieved double platinum status nine months after it was released. Not bad for an album recorded in a bedroom! Red-Letter Day followed this in 2000, and contained the gem, Reasons To Leave.
In the winter of 2002, Kieran released the compilation, Out Of My Head... The Best Of Kieran Goss, which was intended to act as a resumé of his work up to that point and to give him a breather while he holed up to write. His sixth studio album, Blue Sky Sunrise, was recorded in Tennessee in the Spring of 2005 and was produced by Rodney Crowell and Peter Coleman. It was released in Ireland on September 16th, 2005.
[source: www.kierangoss.com]
Tell Me Why
Kieran Goss Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Without these tears in my eyes
I cannot picture your face
There's only empty space
No more you and I
Sometimes I think I hear you call
And hear your footsteps in the night
There's only empty space
And nowhere I can hide
So tell me why
You said goodbye
Don't tell me lies
Just tell me why
I sit and watch the children play
I see them run until they fall
And in their eyes you've left your trace
There's only empty space
And I can feel it all
The lyrics of Kieran Goss's "Tell Me Why" explore the aftermath of a heartbreaking breakup. The singer is consumed with grief and cannot escape the memory of their former lover. The first verse captures the singer’s inability to forget their ex-partner: "I cannot think of your skin / Without these tears in my eyes / I cannot picture your face / There's only empty space / No more you and I." The second verse reveals that the singer is haunted by the past and feels alone: "Sometimes I think I hear you call / And hear your footsteps in the night / I cannot stay in this place / There's only empty space / And nowhere I can hide." The chorus of the song repeats the emotional plea for closure: "So tell me why / You said goodbye / Don't tell me lies / Just tell me why."
The bridge of the song describes the singer’s attempt to move on by watching children play. However, even in the innocent scene of children playing, the singer sees the memory of their ex-partner: "I sit and watch the children play / I see them run until they fall / And in their eyes you've left your trace / There's only empty space / And I can feel it all." This vivid imagery depicts the lingering pain of lost love and the inability to escape memories of the past.
Overall, "Tell Me Why" is a raw and emotional exploration of heartbreak and the lingering pain of lost love. The lyrics describe the singer's inability to move on and find closure, even in the midst of everyday life. The chorus's powerful plea for truth and understanding echoes the desire for closure and resolution needed to move beyond the pain of a broken relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I cannot think of your skin
I cannot remember or imagine the texture and feel of your skin
Without these tears in my eyes
It brings me to tears just trying to think about your skin
I cannot picture your face
I cannot form a mental image of your face
There's only empty space
My memory of you has faded to the point where there is nothing left
No more you and I
Our relationship has ended and we are no longer a couple
Sometimes I think I hear you call
I occasionally hear what sounds like your voice calling out to me
And hear your footsteps in the night
I can imagine hearing the sound of your footsteps moving around in the darkness
I cannot stay in this place
I cannot remain in the same location where we spent time together
There's only empty space
The feeling of your absence is palpable in this place
And nowhere I can hide
There is no escape from the pain and loneliness I feel in this place
So tell me why
I need an explanation from you
You said goodbye
You ended our relationship with a farewell
Don't tell me lies
I don't want to hear false or misleading information
Just tell me why
I only want to know the true reason for our separation
I sit and watch the children play
I observe children engaged in playful activity
I see them run until they fall
I see the children exert themselves until they collapse
And in their eyes you've left your trace
The children remind me of you, as if you left an imprint on them
There's only empty space
The void where you used to be is now even more apparent
And I can feel it all
I am acutely aware of the physical and emotional absence you have left behind
Contributed by Arianna L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.