Paul Joseph Brady (born May 19, 1947 in Strabane, County Tyrone, Ireland) i… Read Full Bio ↴Paul Joseph Brady (born May 19, 1947 in Strabane, County Tyrone, Ireland) is an Irish singer/songwriter whose work straddles folk and pop. He was into a wide variety of music from an early age. During his career he has passed through several major bands (including The Johnstons, Planxty, Andy Irvine & Paul Brady) and on to a successful solo phase.

Brady began performing as a hotel piano player in Donegal at the age of sixteen and graduated to being guitarist, during the 1960s, in two rhythm and blues bands: Rockhouse and the Cult. There followed a stint with the Johnstons as a guitarist and singer that ended in 1974, and a shorter one with Planxty that saw Brady touring extensively but recording no albums. In 1976, Brady recorded an album with Andy Irvine that he now regards as his best. Welcome Here Kind Stranger, released in 1978 was the summation of his interest in Irish music and was followed in 1981 by the appropriately named Hard Station, Brady's engagement with commercial rock.

Brady went on to record several other albums and collaborated with Bonnie Raitt and Richard Thompson. In 2006 he collaborated with Cara Dillon on the track "The Streets of Derry" from her album "After the Morning". He has also worked with Fiachra Trench.

Gimme Shelter
Paul Brady Lyrics

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Oh, a storm is threat'ning
My very life today
If I don't get some shelter
Oh yeah, I'm gonna fade away

War, children, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
War, children, it's just a shot away

It's just a shot away

Ooh, see the fire is sweepin'
My very street today
Burns like a red coal carpet
Mad bull lost its way

War, children, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
War, children, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away

Rape, murder!
It's just a shot away
It's just a shot away

Rape, murder!
It's just a shot away
It's just a shot away

Rape, murder!
It's just a shot away
It's just a shot away

The floods is threat'ning
My very life today
Gimme, gimme shelter
Or I'm gonna fade away

War, children, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
I tell you love, sister, it's just a kiss away
It's just a kiss away
It's just a kiss away
It's just a kiss away

It's just a kiss away
Kiss away, kiss away

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Paul Brady's song Gimme Shelter appear to describe a person who is in a desperate situation and seeking shelter to avoid the looming danger that threatens their life. In the first stanza, he talks about a storm that is threatening his very life and if he does not find shelter, he may fade away. The second stanza talks about fire that is sweeping through his street and burning like a red coal carpet. He describes it like a mad bull that has lost its way. The third stanza talks about rape and murder that are just a shot away. He repeats this line three times to emphasize the gravity of the situation. In the final stanza, he talks about the floods that are also threatening his life and he pleads for shelter, indicating that his survival depends on it.

Overall, the lyrics seem to describe a person that is living in a warzone, where the horrors of war are very real and tangible. The storm, fire, rape, and murder are all metaphors for the different forms of danger that can befall a person during a war. The repeated line "war, children, it's just a shot away" seems to reference the idea that in a war, even the most innocent can be caught in the crosshairs and lose their lives with just one shot. But the song also ends on a hopeful note, where the singer suggests that love is just a kiss away, indicating that despite the horrors of war, it is still possible to find love and happiness.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh, a storm is threat'ning
A dangerous storm is approaching

My very life today
It puts my life in danger today

If I don't get some shelter
Unless I find shelter, the storm will kill me

Oh yeah, I'm gonna fade away
I will die if I don't get shelter

War, children, it's just a shot away
War is imminent, and death is only one shot away

It's just a shot away
The threat of death is very near

Ooh, see the fire is sweepin'
There is a fire spreading

My very street today
It's on the street where I live

Burns like a red coal carpet
The fire is intense and destructive

Mad bull lost its way
There is chaos and danger everywhere

Rape, murder!
These acts of violence are imminent