Paul Tiernan, once singer with "Flex and the Fastweather", a band who in th… Read Full Bio ↴Paul Tiernan, once singer with "Flex and the Fastweather", a band who in their heyday had a string of hit singles in Ireland, a publishing contract with Paul McGuiness of U2 and a top ten hit in Sweden, has for the past ten years embarked on a solo career starting with the release of his debut album titled "Who's fooling who?" in 1995 in Ireland.

As well as performing solo, Paul has also toured internationally as a guitarist with the famous '60s legend Donovan, Welsh Breton songstress Katell Keineg, Kieran Halpin and platinum selling Irish singer Sinead Lohan whilst also guesting with the HotHouse Flowers, Mary Black, Christy Moore and Beth Orton.

Following on the success of his first album, he formed a trio with Kevin Murphy on cello and Colm McCaughey on fiddle bringing to the music an unusual sense of melody crossing over the rock-traditional-folk divide.

This distinctive combination has so far resulted in a successful tour of America and Scandinavia in 1994, a stunning performance at the international South by Southwest music seminar in Texas in 1995, tours and festivals in Switzerland and in Germany throughout the last ten years and a string of vibrant performances to wildly enthusiastic crowds all over Ireland.

The debut album was followed by a more "electric" album called "Virgoville" in 1998. Paul released his third album "God knows i love a happy ending" in 2002, an enthralling, swirling mixture of strings and voices and is at the moment working on his fourth album.

Recently Paul appeared on the Irish television series 'Other voices' featuring the best of Irish singer songwriters. One of Paul's songs 'Belle' has been included in the top ten Irish album of the same name.

Paul has also recently joined Irish cult band Interference who have been described as being one of the seminal influences on the likes of well known Irish artists, The Frames and Mundy.
Paul has a song (the title track) covered by one of Ireland's most popular singers, Kieran Goss, on his last album 'Red Letter Day'.

One of Paul’s songs ‘how to say goodbye’ is in an American film ‘Nick and Norah’s Infinite playlist’….recently a top 10 box office hit in the USA and to be released worldwide in 2009.

Paul Tiernan released his fourth CD entitled ‘Belle’ in 2005 which CDbaby (the worlds biggest online distributor of independent cds) wrote: ‘this is, without a doubt, one of the most memorable male folk albums to come through our doors in years.’

‘Earthquakes start with little cracks’ , Paul’s latest CD was released in Ireland on March 2nd, 2009. The opening song ‘Breakfast in bed’ has already been voted on of the best songs of 2008 by ‘Rock n’ Folk’ , one of France’s most popular music magazines.
For tour info, audio samples & CD purchases see Paul's homepage.

Paul Tiernan - discography:

Who's Fooling Who? (1995)
Virgoville (1998)
God Knows I Love a Happy Ending (2000)
Belle (2004)
Earthquakes start with little cracks (2008)

Lemon
Paul Tiernan Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Her heart was a lemon

A lemon she said

She nearly died twice

From not having a spare

1, 2, 3

Came knocking on her door

Mr death and his pony

Still keeping the score

Then all the kings horses

And all the kings men

Tried to put my baby

Back together again

But 1, 2, 3,

Third time lucky

He cried

Mr death on his pony

Took her out for a ride

Overall Meaning

In the song "Lemon" by Paul Tiernan, the singer sings about a woman who describes her heart as a lemon, implying that she is bitter or damaged. She reveals that she has nearly died on two occasions due to not having a "spare," suggesting that her heart is fragile and possibly plagued by health problems.

Next, the lyrics introduce Mr. Death and his pony who come knocking on her door as if to collect her. The image of a grim reaper-like figure on horseback is both ominous and surreal. It seems that the woman has been living on borrowed time, and Death knows it. Despite this, all the king's horses and all the king's men make an effort to "put my baby back together again." It remains unclear what exactly they are doing, but it seems likely that they are attempting to heal her heart in some way.

Despite their efforts, though, it seems that Death prevails. In the final verse, we hear that the third time is the charm when Death finally takes the woman out for a ride. The song leaves much to the imagination, but we are left with the sense that the woman's lemon heart was ultimately her undoing, and that Death was inevitable despite the efforts of those around her.

Line by Line Meaning

Her heart was a lemon
She felt like her heart was sour and unfulfilling

A lemon she said
She described her own heart as a lemon

She nearly died twice
She had two close brushes with death

From not having a spare
Because she did not have a backup or extra heart

1, 2, 3
Representing the count of knocking on the door

Came knocking on her door
Death came to visit her

Mr death and his pony
Death personified and his horse

Still keeping the score
Death never forgets or forgives, and keeps track of all his victories

Then all the kings horses
Everyone and everything tried to help her

And all the kings men
Friends and family tried to put her back together

Tried to put my baby
Tried to fix her, as if she were a child