Luka Bloom (born 23 May 1955 as Barry Moore) is an accomplished Irish folk-… Read Full Bio ↴Luka Bloom (born 23 May 1955 as Barry Moore) is an accomplished Irish folk-rock singer-songwriter. He is also the younger brother of Irish folk singer Christy Moore.

In order to avoid the pressure of being related to Christy Moore, Bloom adopted his pseudonym. "Luka" is taken from the title of Suzanne Vega's song "Luka" about child abuse and "Bloom" refers to the main character in James Joyce's Ulysses. Bloom is, however, very forthcoming about being Moore's brother and does not hide behind his stage name.

Luka Bloom's style of guitar playing is very distinctive and is generally referred to as "electro-acoustic". In his early career as Barry Moore, Bloom used a fingerpicking style. However, tendonitis in his hands forced him to adopt a strumming style which is the one he still uses and is often credited with his success.

He began his career in the United States playing small clubs in Washington DC and later in New York City. He was a frequent performer in New York's Greenwich Village--at the Lion's Den (a center for American folk music in the early Sixties), and at the Red Lion, where he played with Eileen Ivers backing him on fiddle, during his "Irishman in Chinatown" tour. (Ivers would also appear on the Riverside album.)

He toured America frequently through the Nineties, although his contemporary touring schedules take him mostly to Europe. He remarked during his 2006 US tour that he has grown fond of playing in Eastern Europe, "now that I don't need a work visa."

His early albums showcased his frenetic strumming style, including "Delirious" the debut track on Riverside, and his penchant for thoughtful cover songs, an affinity that he maintains even in more recent work. Released in 2000, Keeper of the Flame was an album of cover versions, featuring renditions of ABBA's Dancing Queen, Bob Marley's Natural Mystic and the Hunters and Collectors' Throw Your Arms Around Me among others. Bloom had previously covered LL Cool J's I Need Love and Elvis Presley's Can't Help Falling In Love on the album The Acoustic Motorbike. Bloom is often heard to remark in concert about Natural Mystic that "...there are considerable similarities between Jamaicans and Irishmen".

Bloom's 2004 acoustic mini-album, Before Sleep Comes, was recorded while Bloom was recovering from tendonitis. Bloom stated the purpose of the album was "to help bring you closer to sleep, our sometimes elusive night-friend."

Bloom released his most recent album Innocence in 2005. Many of the songs feature a new found interest in Eastern European gypsy music and othe World music. In his previous work, he relied on steel-stringed guitars that created his distinctive style. His aubergine and yellow guitars were often introduced by name at gigs. The most recent album features a more classical guitar and the resonant plucking associated with that style of instrument.

Can't Help Falling In Love
Luka Bloom Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Wise men say
Only fools rush in
But I can't help
Falling in love with you

Shall I stay
Would it be a sin
When I can't help

Falling in love with you

Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling so it goes
Some things are meant to be

Take my hand
Take my whole life too
For I can't help
Falling in love with you

For I can't help
Falling in love with you

Overall Meaning

In Luka Bloom's song Can't Help Falling in Love, the lyrics talk about a feeling of falling in love that cannot be controlled. The wise men say "Only fools rush in," but the singer cannot help but fall in love with the person in question. The lyrics show a struggle between reason and emotions, asking: "Shall I stay / Would it be a sin / When I can't help / Falling in love with you?" The singer knows that it would be foolish to rush in, but their heart is already in too deep.

The second verse talks about the inevitability of love. It compares falling in love to a river flowing "surely to the sea." It implies that it is a natural and predestined thing that cannot be stopped. The chorus repeats that the only thing left to do is to take the person's hand and life and admit, "For I can't help / Falling in love with you."

Overall, the song conveys the feelings of being powerless and vulnerable in the face of love, and the conflict between what we think is logical and our emotions.

Line by Line Meaning

Wise men say
There is a common saying among the wise

Only fools rush in
People who act recklessly are the ones who jump into things quickly

But I can't help
However, I cannot control

Falling in love with you
My feelings of falling in love with you

Shall I stay
Should I continue to be with you

Would it be a sin
Is it morally wrong

When I can't help
Even though I cannot control

Falling in love with you
My feelings of falling in love with you

Like a river flows
Similar to how a river moves

Surely to the sea
Toward its destination in the sea

Darling so it goes
My love for you is similar