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.
Homeless
Luka Bloom Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We'd just flown in from San Francisco; we'd been flying
And driving for weeks. This day I saw a homeless man on
The street in Hollywood. I felt the usual mix of sorrow for him,
And anger at a society that makes a man live like this.
Later on I thought about it more, he affected me differently.
He really looked together, really organised. He was a survivor.
Respect for him, much more than pity. Then I asked myself,
Why did I react this way. It struck me, that here in this crazy
World, there was a man, who drives no car, who flies no plane,
Who heats no home; in a time of global warming his co2
Emissions are pretty much zero. This homeless man in
Hollywood is a model urban citizen.
I on the other hand, I live this life of good intentions,
I travel the world, I try to be aware of the earth, I sing my songs,
I look and hope for change. But out on the road, I fly everyday,
I drive everyday, I heat my home, and burn up so much fuel
That if everyone lived like me, we'd need about 4 planets
Just to keep it all going.......................... S**t!
Funny how a homeless man in Hollywood got me thinking....
Men like him just walk the walk, and men like me...........
Well, we talk a good talk....
It was a homeless man in Hollywood...
Homeless...
The lyrics to Luka Bloom's song "Homeless" describes a personal encounter he had with a homeless man in Hollywood. He begins by explaining that he had just arrived in Hollywood from San Francisco, after having been flying and driving for weeks. He then goes on to describe the moment he saw the homeless man and the mixed emotions that he felt. He felt sorrow for him and anger towards a society that allows this to happen. However, as he begins to reflect on the encounter, he realizes that he feels a deep sense of respect for the man, rather than pity. He talks about how this homeless man is a model urban citizen and a survivor, despite the struggles and hardships he faces on a daily basis.
Bloom then contrasts his own lifestyle with that of the homeless man. He admits that although he lives a life of good intentions and tries to be environmentally conscious, he still frequently flies, drives, and burns a lot of fuel. He acknowledges that if everyone lived like him, we would need four planets to sustain the way we live. Through this realization, Bloom has an epiphany and admits that "men like him just walk the walk, and men like me...well, we talk a good talk."
This song is a poignant reflection on modern society, the cause and effect of homelessness, and the impact our choices have on the world. It shines a light on the reality of those who are homeless, and their struggle to survive in a world that often overlooks them.
Line by Line Meaning
It was a homeless man in Hollywood who got me thinking.
I saw a homeless man on the street in Hollywood after a long period of traveling. I felt sorry and angry for him but thought about it more later. He looked organized and like a survivor, which made me respect him.
We'd just flown in from San Francisco; we'd been flying
I had just arrived in Hollywood after flying from San Francisco and being in planes and cars for weeks.
And driving for weeks. This day I saw a homeless man on
I had also been driving for weeks before arriving in Hollywood where I saw the homeless man.
The street in Hollywood. I felt the usual mix of sorrow for him,
When I saw the homeless man on the street in Hollywood, I felt sad for him.
And anger at a society that makes a man live like this.
Along with feeling sorry for him, I also felt angry at society for allowing a man to live in such a manner.
Later on I thought about it more, he affected me differently.
After thinking more about the homeless man, he impacted me in a different way.
He really looked together, really organised. He was a survivor.
Despite being homeless, the man looked like he had it together and was organized, which made me see him as a survivor.
I'm sure his life is really tough, but I felt a deep sense of
I knew that the homeless man's life was tough, but I had a deep sense of something else when I saw him.
Respect for him, much more than pity. Then I asked myself,
Instead of feeling pity for the man, I held respect for him. I then questioned why I felt this way.
Why did I react this way. It struck me, that here in this crazy
I wondered why I reacted differently to the homeless man compared to others. It then hit me that he lived a life with little environmental impact.
World, there was a man, who drives no car, who flies no plane,
In a world that has so much environmental harm, this man stood out because he did not contribute to it. He did not drive a car nor fly in a plane.
Who heats no home; in a time of global warming his co2
He also did not use heating in his home which is important during a time of global warming since it reduces his CO2 emissions considerably.
Emissions are pretty much zero. This homeless man in
Overall, this homeless man in Hollywood has very minimal CO2 emissions which makes him an excellent urban citizen.
Hollywood is a model urban citizen.
He sets an example for others who live in urban areas on how to live a life with a minimal environmental impact.
I on the other hand, I live this life of good intentions,
In comparison to the homeless man, I live with a conscience to do good in the world.
I travel the world, I try to be aware of the earth, I sing my songs,
To achieve my good intentions, I travel and see the world. I also try to make an effort to be mindful of the environment and sing songs to spark change.
I look and hope for change. But out on the road, I fly everyday,
I look and hope for change, but I fly daily, contributing to CO2 emissions and environmental harm.
I drive everyday, I heat my home, and burn up so much fuel
I also drive frequently, use heat, all of which contribute to burning up so much fuel.
That if everyone lived like me, we'd need about 4 planets
If everyone in the world lived like me, we would require about 4 planet earths to keep up with the environmental damage.
Just to keep it all going.......................... S**t!
I swear and exclaim out of frustration over how much damage we're collectively causing to the environment.
Funny how a homeless man in Hollywood got me thinking....
It's amusing how a homeless man has made me reflect so much and changed my perspectives for the better.
Men like him just walk the walk, and men like me...........
Men like the homeless man live their message and do not just talk about it. Unlike him, I talk more about environmentalism and do not necessarily walk the walk.
Well, we talk a good talk....
I acknowledge that I do speak well about the importance of the environment, but I need to take necessary steps to amplify my message.
Homeless...
This one-word line highlights the main topic of the song as the lyrics cover the contrast between the homeless man's environmental impact compared to the singer's.
Contributed by Lucas H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.