1) Michael McD… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name, including:
1) Michael McDermott is an American singer-songwriter from Chicago who is also a member of The Westies.
2) Michael McDermott is one half of British duo Workshy.
3) Michael McDermott is been the drummer of American band The Bouncing Souls.
1) Michael McDermott (born August 24, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter from Chicago. He has been crafting personal, evocative music for almost two decades. His first album, 620 W. Surf, recorded when he was only 20 years old, established McDermott as a young man filled with poetry and power. Since then he has documented on vinyl his battles with booze, women, substances and faith. Comparisons to Springsteen, Dylan, Van Morrison and James Joyce have followed McDermott throughout his career, but on his later albums he has broken free of these influences to make highly original, potent music.
In 2013, McDermott formed The Westies together with Heather Horton, Ian Fitchuk, Joe Pisapia and Lex Price.
In 2016, McDermott released Willow Springs, named for the small town where he now resides.
In April 2018, McDermott released Out From Under and followed it with extensive domestic and international touring.
2) Michael John McDermott is one half of British duo Workshy, the smooth jazz / sophisti-pop duo from London.
3) Michael McDermott has been the drummer of The Bouncing Souls, a punk rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, formed in 1987, since 2000.
I Know a Place
Michael McDermott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It′s up near Fort Worth, called The Thorny Crown
I was there, in the late Nineties
When I was rovin' town to town
I′m not sure if it's still there
I kinda doubt it would be
I woke up that morning, with blood on my pillow
Sometimes you need the chains to get free
Called Hal and Mal's I think its Tupelo
Or was it Jackson, or maybe Biloxi, or Tunica
Hell, I don′t know
All I remember, is the feelin′
That I wouldn't make it out of there alive
Because sometimes, you need the darkness
In order to ever see the light
So many miles I have traveled
So many a dim lit bar
Because when things, start to unravel
You′re gonna find out who you are
I know a place, on the upper west side
In New York City, The Dublin' House its name
I met a girl there, on 9-11
Her name was Jill, or Judy, or Jane
She was younger, she was wilder than me
She thought she was smarter than everyone
Over a pint, she said around midnight
"Sometimes you gotta lose, to know
When you′ve won"
I don't know why, they call it Stanley′s
It's in Chicago, and Donnie is the man
When I was stugglin' and I had no money Donnie
Kruse lended me his hand
Ten years later, I′m still working
Providing for my daughter and wife
Because sometimes, you need the darkness
In order to ever see the light
So many miles I have traveled
So many a dim lit bar
Because when things, start to unravel
You′re gonna find out who your friends really are
So many miles I have traveled
So many a dim lit bar
Because when things, start to unravel
You're gonna find out who you are
Yeah sometimes, you feed the darkness
Yeah sometimes, you heed the darkness
Yeah sometimes, you need the darkness
In order to ever see the light
The lyrics of Michael McDermott's "I Know a Place" describe the different bars and places that the singer has come across during his travels. He mentions places like The Thorny Crown in Texas, Hal and Mal's in Mississippi, The Dublin House in New York City, and Stanley's in Chicago. Each place represents a different time in his life and a different experience. Each place has a story, like the time he woke up in The Thorny Crown with blood on his pillow or the time he met a girl named Jill or Judy or Jane in The Dublin House on 9-11.
Although the lyrics seem to be about specific bars and places, they are really about the experiences that happen in between the places. The singer has traveled many miles, been in many dim-lit bars, and struggled through difficult times. He has come across people who have helped him like Donnie Kruse in Stanley's and people who have taught him lessons like the girl in The Dublin House. He has learned that sometimes you need the darkness in order to ever see the light. The bars and places are just waypoints on his journey; the real story is the one that happens in between.
Overall, "I Know a Place" is a song about the journeys we take through life and the places we stop along the way. It's about the experiences and lessons we learn in these places and how they shape us into who we are.
Line by Line Meaning
I know a place, down in Texas
I'm familiar with a location in Texas
It’s up near Fort Worth, called The Thorny Crown
It's located near Fort Worth and called The Thorny Crown
I was there, in the late Nineties
I visited in the late 1990s
When I was rovin' town to town
During the time when I was traveling from town to town
I’m not sure if it's still there
I'm uncertain if it still exists
I kinda doubt it would be
I'm skeptical that it still exists
I woke up that morning, with blood on my pillow
I woke up with blood on my pillow that morning
Sometimes you need the chains to get free
Sometimes you need to be held back in order to move forward
I know a place, in Mississippi
I know of a location in Mississippi
Called Hal and Mal's I think its Tupelo
It's called Hal and Mal's and I think it's in Tupelo
Or was it Jackson, or maybe Biloxi, or Tunica
Or it might be in Jackson, Biloxi or Tunica
Hell, I don’t know
Honestly, I'm not sure
All I remember, is the feelin'
The only thing I recall is the sensation
That I wouldn't make it out of there alive
I felt like I wouldn't survive the experience
Because sometimes, you need the darkness
Occasionally, you require the difficult moments to grow
In order to ever see the light
So that you can eventually understand the good
So many miles I have traveled
I've journeyed a great distance
So many a dim lit bar
I've spent time in numerous dark drinking establishments
Because when things, start to unravel
When life gets chaotic
You’re gonna find out who you are
You truly discover who you are
I know a place, on the upper west side
I am aware of a place on the upper west side of New York City
In New York City, The Dublin' House its name
It's called The Dublin House
I met a girl there, on 9-11
I met a girl on September 11th
Her name was Jill, or Judy, or Jane
I can't recall her name
She was younger, she was wilder than me
She was younger and more uninhibited than I was
She thought she was smarter than everyone
She believed she was more intelligent than anyone else
Over a pint, she said around midnight
Late at night over a beer, she said
Sometimes you gotta lose, to know
Sometimes you need to lose in order to truly understand
When you’ve won
What it feels like to win
I don’t know why, they call it Stanley’s
I'm unsure why it's called Stanley's
It's in Chicago, and Donnie is the man
It's located in Chicago and Donnie is the owner
When I was stugglin' and I had no money Donnie
When I was struggling and broke, Donnie helped me out
Kruse lended me his hand
Kruse offered me his assistance
Ten years later, I’m still working
A decade later, I'm still employed
Providing for my daughter and wife
Supporting my family financially
So many miles I have traveled
I have traveled a significant distance
So many a dim lit bar
I've spent lots of time in poorly lit drinking establishments
Because when things, start to unravel
When things become chaotic
You’re gonna find out who your friends really are
You learn who your true friends are
Sometimes you feed the darkness
Occasionally you contribute to the difficult circumstances
Sometimes you heed the darkness
Occasionally you pay attention to the tough times and grow from them
Sometimes you need the darkness
Sometimes it's necessary to experience difficult moments to progress
In order to ever see the light
So that you can eventually understand the good
Contributed by Henry N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.