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.
Here and Now
Luka Bloom Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This beach is never the same
I don't find the rocky place
That was yesterday's revelation
So much yellow, silken hair
Left behind to bathe in
Here and now
I have to dream again
When the stars go in
At the break of morning
I get shaky under blue skies
It's just the way it is, sometimes
I lean against the harbour wall
Watch men working on the water
Here and now
I have to dream again
When the wind comes to my door
I'm all alone as I can be
And the ocean's mighty roar
Is all around me
They're playing horn pipes, jigs and reels
Just outside my window
Here and now
I have to dream again
Every morning's new dawn
A canvas I can dream on
Dream on
The song "Here and Now" by Luka Bloom is an ode to the present moment and the constant changes that occur around us. The opening verse about the tide going out and the beach never being the same is a metaphor for the impermanence of life. The rocky place that was yesterday's revelation is now gone, but there is still so much beauty to be found in the present moment. The mention of yellow, silken hair left behind to bathe in could be a reference to memories that remain with us even as time passes.
The second verse shifts focus to the morning and the experience of feeling shaky under blue skies. This could be interpreted as a feeling of vulnerability or uncertainty, but the singer finds solace in leaning against the harbour wall and watching men working on the water. This moment of quiet observation is a reminder to appreciate the beauty in the world around us and find peace in the present moment.
The final verse describes the power of nature, with the wind and ocean's mighty roar surrounding the singer. The music being played outside the window adds to the sensory experience of being fully immersed in the present. The last line of the song, "Every morning's new dawn, a canvas I can dream on", ties back into the theme of impermanence and the importance of embracing the present moment as a new opportunity for growth and discovery.
Line by Line Meaning
When the tide goes out
The changing of the tides has caused the beach to look different every day.
This beach is never the same
The beach always changes, and it can never be the same.
I don't find the rocky place
The place where rocks were found yesterday is not the same today.
That was yesterday's revelation
Yesterday's discovery of the rocky place was significant and surprising.
So much yellow, silken hair
The beach is covered with yellow seaweed, which looks silky.
Left behind to bathe in
The seaweed was left behind by the retreating tide.
Here and now
The present moment.
I have to dream again
The artist must once again imagine new possibilities.
When the stars go in
When the night sky turns into a bright blue morning.
At the break of morning
The beginning of a new day.
I get shaky under blue skies
The singer feels a nervous energy under the clear, blue skies.
It's just the way it is, sometimes
Sometimes things can be uncertain or uneasy.
I lean against the harbour wall
The singer stands against the wall next to the boats.
Watch men working on the water
The singer observes the men working on the boats.
When the wind comes to my door
When the wind blows against the door of the singer's house.
I'm all alone as I can be
The artist is alone in their house with the wind blowing outside.
And the ocean's mighty roar
The sound of the ocean waves crashing ashore is loud and forceful.
Is all around me
The sound of the waves is surrounding the singer's house.
They're playing horn pipes, jigs and reels
Musicians are playing traditional Irish songs outside the singer's house.
Just outside my window
The musicians are playing directly outside the artist's house.
Every morning's new dawn
Every day brings a new beginning.
A canvas I can dream on
The world is full of new possibilities and ideas that the artist can imagine.
Dream on
Keep dreaming and imagining new things.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Luka Bloom
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind