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)
The 13th Floor
Paul Tiernan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's going to be more unhappiness in this world for me an you
There's going to be more tears, there's going to be more blood
There's going to be more bodies full of bullet holes lying in the river mud
There's always going to be a house up on the hill for the criminally insane
There's going to be more war, there's going to be more greed
There's going to be more dog eat dog eat dog in this world for you and me
There's going to be more lust, there's going to be more hate
There's always going to be a little bit too little, a little bit much too late
There's going to be more hunger, there's going to be more rain
There's always going to be a house up on the hill for the hopelessly insane
There's never going to be a heaven so here's a picture of hell
A burnt out building with some junkie in the corner ringing on his tiny bell
Are you going to be there with me to keep me warm
I'll be walking on the rooftops living on the 13th floor
I'll be walking on the rooftops
Living on the 13th floor
The lyrics of Paul Tiernan's song The 13th Floor are a bleak reflection of the harsh realities of life. The repeated phrase 'there's going to be more' sets up an atmosphere of inevitability and hopelessness. The song speaks of pain, unhappiness, tears, bloodshed, hunger, rain, war, greed, lust, and hate as constants that will continue to plague humanity. The singer paints a vivid picture of a world that is ridden with violence, poverty, and mental illness. He talks of houses on hills that are reserved for the hopelessly insane and criminally insane, which one interprets as a metaphor for a society that is unwilling to help the vulnerable.
In the midst of all the despair, the singer appeals to a loved one. He asks if they will be there to keep him warm, as he walks on the rooftop, living on the 13th floor. The final line of the song is a haunting and cynical one, 'There's never going to be a heaven, so here's a picture of hell.' This suggests that the world is devoid of any hope or possibility of redemption.
Overall, Paul Tiernan's The 13th Floor is a powerful and unsettling song that forces us to confront the unvarnished reality of the world we live in. The lyrics do not provide any easy answers or solutions to the problems that the song highlights. Instead, they leave us with a sense of unease and discomfort, which is perhaps the intended effect.
Line by Line Meaning
There's going to be more pain, there's going to be more blue
The world we live in will continue to bring us more difficult times and sorrow.
There's going to be more unhappiness in this world for me an you
We will experience more sadness in our lives and it will affect both of us.
There's going to be more tears, there's going to be more blood
We will shed more tears and there will be more violence in the world.
There's going to be more bodies full of bullet holes lying in the river mud
The violence in this world will continue to result in death, and some bodies will be left to decay in the river.
There's going to be more hunger, there's going to be more rain
There will be more people suffering from hunger and poverty, and there will be more rainy and gloomy days.
There's always going to be a house up on the hill for the criminally insane
There will always be a place for those who have committed crimes and are deemed insane to be locked away in isolation.
There's going to be more war, there's going to be more greed
There will be more conflict and selfishness in the world.
There's going to be more dog eat dog eat dog in this world for you and me
The world will become more competitive and ruthless.
There's going to be more lust, there's going to be more hate
There will be more indulgence in physical desires and hate in this world.
There's always going to be a little bit too little, a little bit much too late
We will always be a little short of what we need, and sometimes the help we receive will come too late.
There's always going to be a house up on the hill for the hopelessly insane
There will always be a place for those who have lost touch with reality to be confined for their own safety.
There's never going to be a heaven so here's a picture of hell
We will never experience a perfect and joyful afterlife, instead we will only have a bleak and unhappy life on earth.
A burnt out building with some junkie in the corner ringing on his tiny bell
This is my image of the awful and bleak place that we inhabit, where those who suffer from addiction are living in isolated desperation.
Are you going to be there with me to keep me warm
Will you stay by my side in the difficult times and keep me comforted?
I'll be walking on the rooftops living on the 13th floor
Despite the difficult times, I will continue to persevere and find my own happiness, living in my own unique way.
I'll be walking on the rooftops
I will rise above the difficulties I face in this world.
Living on the 13th floor
Living in a way that is unconventional and unique to me, despite being different from others around me.
Contributed by Kaelyn I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.