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
The Tender
Mick Flannery Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The only spirits here man are hangin’ off the wall,
Yeah, you know well as I do, that we don’t serve up cheer,
When they come for anesthetics and it’s been this way for years,
They empty out their glasses,
Fill ‘em up with tears,
One for the road, one for the road,
That leads them right back here,
Wash ‘em down deep,
And play in the puddle,
Til they’re fast asleep.
Now Joe he lost his woman to some big-shot business man.
He said I trusted love not money and now look where I am.
You’ve had enough Joe, you gotta go now.
You’ve too much Joe, I send you home now.
And he says please Frank, please Frank.
But I am just the tender, I don’t give counsel, I don’t get close,
I’m on no rescue mission man, I’m in no rescue boat,
I’m here to make money,
Wages plus tips,
For pouring water
Into sinking ships.
The lyrics to "The Tender" by Mick Flannery paint a desolate picture of a bar, where the patrons are drowning their sorrows in spirits that do little to actually lift their spirits. The singer, presumably a bartender named Frank, tells Joe that he's had too much to drink and needs to leave. Joe laments that he trusted in love rather than money and has lost his woman to a wealthy businessman. Frank, however, is not there to offer comfort or advice; he is just there to make money by pouring drinks into "sinking ships."
The imagery of "empty(ing) out their glasses" and then "fill(ing) 'em up with tears" is particularly poignant, as it underscores the idea that alcohol is not a cure for the patrons' problems but rather a salve that only temporarily masks their pain. Similarly, the line "one for the road, one for the road, that leads them right back here" illustrates the cyclical nature of their struggles, as they come back to the bar night after night to try and forget their troubles.
Overall, "The Tender" is a bleak but powerful commentary on the human condition and how we often turn to vices in the face of suffering, despite knowing that they will ultimately do little to help us.
Line by Line Meaning
Keep their spirits up Frank, all for some so some for all,
Encourage the patrons, Frank, some will share a little joy with each other, and some may not.
The only spirits here man are hangin’ off the wall,
The only spirits here are the ones in those glasses hanging on the wall.
Yeah, you know well as I do, that we don’t serve up cheer,
We both know that the reason people come here is not for happiness or good times.
When they come for anesthetics and it’s been this way for years,
People come here seeking numbness or escape, and it has been like that for a long time.
They empty out their glasses,
The people here drink their entire glasses.
Fill ‘em up with tears,
They fill them up with sadness and tears.
One for the road, one for the road,
One last drink before they go.
That leads them right back here,
That will bring them right back here.
To rain on their troubles,
To forget about their problems.
Wash ‘em down deep,
Try to drown them.
And play in the puddle,
Stay in their sadness.
Til they’re fast asleep.
Until they pass out.
Now Joe he lost his woman to some big-shot business man.
Joe lost his woman to a wealthy and powerful man.
He said I trusted love not money and now look where I am.
Joe says he chose love over money, and now he regrets that decision.
You’ve had enough Joe, you gotta go now.
You've had enough to drink, Joe, you need to leave now.
You’ve too much Joe, I send you home now.
You've had too much to drink, Joe. I have to send you home now.
And he says please Frank, please Frank.
Joe begs Frank to let him stay.
But I am just the tender, I don’t give counsel, I don’t get close,
Frank is just the bartender, he doesn't give advice, and he doesn't get too close to the patrons.
I’m on no rescue mission man, I’m in no rescue boat,
Frank is not here to save anyone- he's just earning his paycheck.
I’m here to make money,
Frank is only here to earn a living.
Wages plus tips,
He makes money from his salary and tips from the customers.
For pouring water
He earns money merely for pouring drinks.
Into sinking ships.
He's serving people who are drowning in their problems.
Writer(s): Michael Flannery
Contributed by Evelyn T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@colmmc666
great fucking music how is he not an international superstar
@08StEfAn08
love it
@REDpurple1995
FUCKING CLASS!
@Truffle_Pup
The only spirits here man, are hangin off the wall.
@liamryan17
Some buchaill
@1doyoureadme
because real singers and artists dont make it to that level, only the fakes do