Coming from a family with a keen musical interest, Flannery was introduced to folk and blues music at a young age. He says that he wrote his first song at the age of fifteen. When he was in school he got together with a few local guys and formed a rock band called Black Orange but their gigging history was sporadic and they went their separate ways a few years after. Later, while undergoing a music and management course at Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa in Cork, Flannery commenced writing the album that would become "Evening Train", an eleven-track concept album about the exploits of two brothers. Released in 2007, the album was received positively by critics in Ireland and the United States.
Flannery's second studio album "White Lies" was released on 12 September 2008, achieving a top ten position on the Irish Albums Chart. It later went platinum and was nominated for the Choice Music Prize.
Flannery released his third studio album, Red to Blue, on 30 March 2012.
Official site: www.mickflannery.com
Near Or Far
Mick Flannery Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A trophy wife on his arm to boast
Their love was dashed on the diamond coast.
And born was a single heir
To the ideal pair, to the careless two
Who choked the child on the silver spoon.
Trying to outdo each other.
The more riches the better
The father or mother.
Love at sweet sixteen
King and queen, the wedding bells
Could well have warned what time would tell.
And the cut above her eye
She could not hide from the little boy
Who knew it wise to not make noise.
Now he's gone more often
And she found ways to forget,
And the little boy's hatred
Is not showing yet.
The wife of a working man
Pills in hand 'neath a teary sleeve
Their love was pure but could not conceive.
(Near of far from your mind)
And years and years go by
The things they tried, but Fate had wrote
To not give life would kill them both.
(All this happens all the time)
Now he goes to houses
Where kissing is banned,
And she has a daughter
But she's missing her man.
Near or far from your mind,
All this happens all the time.
Near or far from your mind,
All this happens all the time.
The song Near Or Far by Mick Flannery tells the story of three different couples and their struggles with love, wealth, and family. The first couple is "a man of the moneyed mind" and his trophy wife, who had their love "dashed on the diamond coast." They had a single child, born to be the "ideal pair" but were careless with their child and "choked the child on the silver spoon." This led to their constant competition to outdo each other in riches, all while their love for each other and their child fades away.
The second couple is a young king and queen who got married at sweet sixteen, but the cut above the queen's eye showed signs of domestic violence that they tried to hide from their little boy. The father goes away more often, and the mother found ways to forget, while the little boy's hatred is not visible yet.
The third couple is the wife of a working man who couldn't conceive, and they took pills without success. Years go by, and they continually try different things to have a baby, but "Fate had wrote" that they would not give life, which would eventually lead to killing them both.
The song's message is that these problems are not unique to these three couples and "all this happens all the time." Many couples struggle with love, wealth, and family, and at times, it leads to unwanted consequences like domestic violence, lack of children or even secret affairs.
Line by Line Meaning
Man of the moneyed mind
The man is focused on wealth and status above all else.
A trophy wife on his arm to boast
He has a partner who is often used to show off his status to others.
Their love was dashed on the diamond coast.
Their love was destroyed in a place of privilege and wealth.
And born was a single heir
The couple had one child.
To the ideal pair, to the careless two
They were seen as the perfect couple, but they were neglectful parents.
Who choked the child on the silver spoon.
Their child was spoiled and given everything they wanted, to their detriment.
Now the couple take turns
The couple competes with each other for status and wealth.
Trying to outdo each other.
They are trying to prove that they are the one with the most success and power.
The more riches the better
They believe that wealth is the key to happiness and success.
The father or mother.
Either parent is willing to compete for success.
Love at sweet sixteen
Young love that started at a young age.
King and queen, the wedding bells
They were seen as the perfect couple, with a fairytale wedding.
Could well have warned what time would tell.
The signs of their eventual downfall may have been there from the beginning.
And the cut above her eye
She had a visible injury.
She could not hide from the little boy
Her injury was noticed by someone close to her.
Who knew it wise to not make noise.
They didn't want to cause any trouble or make things worse for anyone.
Now he's gone more often
The father is not around as much anymore.
And she found ways to forget,
The mother copes with her loneliness in her own way.
And the little boy's hatred
The child has resentment and anger building within him.
Is not showing yet.
The child is keeping their feelings hidden for now.
The wife of a working man
The woman is married to a man who works for a living.
Pills in hand 'neath a teary sleeve
She is sad and taking medication to cope.
Their love was pure but could not conceive.
They had a strong connection, but they were unable to have children.
(Near of far from your mind)
The idea of love and infertility affects many people, regardless of their circumstances.
And years and years go by
Time passes and life goes on.
The things they tried, but Fate had wrote
They attempted many things, but their situation was out of their control.
To not give life would kill them both.
The inability to have children was a source of great pain and sadness for them.
Now he goes to houses
The man seeks comfort or companionship in other places.
Where kissing is banned,
These houses are known for their illicit activities and rules.
And she has a daughter
The woman has a child.
But she's missing her man.
Despite having a child, the woman is still missing her partner.
(Near or far from your mind,
The situations described in this song could happen to anyone, anywhere.
All this happens all the time.)
These stories are not unique and occur frequently in many different ways.
Contributed by Vivian V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
IrishPlaneSpotter
Great song. Have seen him live once. Brilliant.
terri purcell
Well did you ever succeed in catching him live? As a Dubliner I only caught twice both marvelous. But I saw him in Dingle a year ago in a pub with only about 100 people jammed in and that was to die for I recon it was where he felt at his ease. Great song writer even if he from Cork
cawcheen
Words cannot describe how much I love this man, can't wait to see him live!