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.
Dancing Queen
Luka Bloom Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can jive
Having the time of your life
See that girl
Watch that scene
Dig in the dancing queen
Friday night and the lights are low
Where they play the right music
Getting in the swing
You come to look for a king
Anybody could be that guy
Night is young and the music's high
With a bit of rock music
Everything is fine
You're in the mood for a dance
And when you get the chance
You are the dancing queen
Young and sweet
Only seventeen
Dancing queen
Feel the beat from the tambourine
You can dance
You can jive
Having the time of your life
See that girl
Watch that scene
Dig in the dancing queen
You're a teaser, you turn 'em on
Leave 'em burning and then you're gone
Looking out for another
Anyone will do
You're in the mood for a dance
And when you get the chance
You are the dancing queen
Young and sweet
Only seventeen
Dancing queen
Feel the beat from the tambourine
You can dance
You can jive
Having the time of your life
See that girl
Watch that scene
Dig in the dancing queen
The lyrics of "Dancing Queen" by Luka Bloom tell a story of a young girl who is out on a Friday night, seeking to have the time of her life. The song sets an upbeat, lively tone with its playful opening lines – "You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life". The main character is on a mission to find a place with the right music to get her in the mood for dancing, and maybe even to find her king for the night.
Bloom's lyrics describe the excitement of the dance floor, with a bit of rock music making everything fine, and the atmosphere of the night being young and the music's high. The girl takes over the dance floor, owning it with her moves, and she becomes the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen. The tambourine beat sets the stage for the audience to join in on the fun and dance along with the queen.
The lyrics also suggest that the main character is not interested in having any long-term relationships, as she is a teaser who turns them on, leaves them burning, and then moves on to the next partner. The song ends with a reminder that the dancing queen is still there, still dancing and having the time of her life.
Line by Line Meaning
You can dance
You have the ability to move your body rhythmically to music
You can jive
You can perform a lively dance characterized by a bouncing step
Having the time of your life
Having an incredibly enjoyable experience
See that girl
Notice the female person over there
Watch that scene
Observe the situation or event that is occurring
Dig in the dancing queen
Enjoy and be absorbed in the experience of watching the girl dance
Friday night and the lights are low
It is a Friday evening and the lighting is dim or muted
Looking out for a place to go
Searching for a location to visit
Where they play the right music
In a venue where the appropriate variety of music is being played
Getting in the swing
Beginning to participate and enjoy oneself in the atmosphere
You come to look for a king
The purpose of your visit is to find a suitable partner
Anybody could be that guy
Anyone who meets your standards could fulfill the role
Night is young and the music's high
The evening is just beginning, and the volume of music is loud and exciting
With a bit of rock music
Listening to some music of the rock genre
Everything is fine
Everything is excellent or satisfactory
You're in the mood for a dance
You feel a strong desire to dance
And when you get the chance
At the moment when the opportunity arises
You are the dancing queen
You are the person who is captivating everyone with your dancing ability
Young and sweet
You are youthful and attractive
Only seventeen
You are currently in the seventeenth year of your life
Feel the beat from the tambourine
Sensing the rhythm of the music from the percussion instrument called a tambourine
You're a teaser, you turn 'em on
You provoke and excite people with your flirtatious behavior
Leave 'em burning and then you're gone
You cause them to desire you intensely, then you depart
Looking out for another
Searching for a new person to engage in a brief relationship with
Anyone will do
Anyone who meets your basic requirements is satisfactory
Lyrics © DistroKid, CONSALAD CO., Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Benny Goran Bror Andersson, Bjoern K. Ulvaeus, Stig Erik Leopold Anderson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Michael Finder
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