Rory Gallagher (1948-1995) was a legendary Irish blues/rock guitarist, born… Read Full Bio ↴Rory Gallagher (1948-1995) was a legendary Irish blues/rock guitarist, born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, and raised in County Cork. He is regularly credited as one of the most influential Irish rock and blues musicians of all time.
Before finding solo fame he was a member of blues-rock band Taste.

In 1972 he was voted Melody Maker's Top Musician of the Year, dethroning Eric Clapton.

Rory died of complications following a liver transplant in 1995. As the funeral cortege moved through the streets of Cork, his life and music was celebrated by the city's citizens. He is buried in St. Oliver's Cemetery just outside the city.

Generally regarded as one of the top ten guitarists ever, many of today's top musicians, including The Edge from U2, Slash of Guns N' Roses, Johnny Marr of the Smiths and Brian May of Queen cite Rory as an inspiration in their formative musical years. It is also well documented that the Rolling Stones auditioned Rory for the band as their permanent guitarist in the '70s but he refused on the basis that it was against all he believed in terms of his own name and style. Though Rory Gallagher never released a single, Rory Gallagher's albums have sold in excess of 30 million copies worldwide.

A square in Cork City was named after him in 1997 and signature edition of his Fender Stratocaster guitar was released as well.

In 2002 he appeared on a Republic of Ireland postage stamp.

There is a Rory Gallagher Corner at Meeting House Square in Temple Bar, Dublin.
On the 19th May 2006, a life-size bronze statue in the shape of his Stratocaster has been installed at this very corner. Some of those who attended the unveiling include The Edge of U2 and the Lord Mayor of Dublin.

There’s another artist with the same name:

(2) Rory Gallagher is a 21 year old Cardiff based Trance Producer/DJ hailing from London, U.K. He is also known as Rozza.
Whilst living in Ireland, Rory found himself instantly hooked to trance music after hearing Paul van Dyk's 'For an Angel' and the classic Ireland 'Euphoria' album back in 2003. After many years of absorbing to electronic music and developing a fine taste for it, he decided to try his hand at creating the music. In 2005, whilst learning the basics of production, Rozza decided that trance music was what he wanted to do and was constantly in his home studio, experimenting with fresh sounds and ideas.
Looking at the bigger picture, he decided to focus on production & sound engineering and as a result is now studying for a Music Technology degree.

In early 2007, after catching the attention of Adam White, Rozza was signed up to Emalodic (Adam White's label) and saw his debut single released. His first record, titled 'Discover', gained excellent reviews in the dance press and support from the biggest DJs the world-over.
Since then Rozza has had a number of successful releases on Alter Ego, Deepblue, Infrasonic & Emalodic amongst others, which have all had big support from key players in the scene.
Rozza has also been working with the likes of Adam White, which led to the massive ‘Love Angles’ and was heavily supported on Radio 1 and by Armin Van Burren. Recently he has worked with Danish producer Daniel Kandi on a remix of ‘The Path’.

On the DJ circuit Rozza has held a residency in Newport Wales, and has played at various nights in Thailand, Europe and around the UK.

Hands Up
Rory Gallagher Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hands up reach for the sky
And I will tell you why
This is just a game I'm playing
You won't feel the same I'm betting now
Get up you know this time
That you made up your mind
Think of all the dreams you're chasing
Think of all the time you're wasting now

My world is upside down
My inside is inside out
I'm hanging to a leaf that's shaking
that's hanging to a branch that's breaking off now

Go out into the night
Left to the sky

you'll walk out the shoes you're wearing
Might even lose your blues, no telling now

Overall Meaning

In the opening lines of "Hands Up" by Rory Gallagher, the singer encourages the listener to raise their hands and reach for the sky, promising to explain the reason for this game that he's playing. The singer implies that the listener won't feel the same at the end of the game as they do at the beginning. The second verse of the song talks about making up one's mind and chasing after one's dreams. The lyrics suggest that time is being wasted if one doesn't take action and pursue their aspirations.

The chorus of the song takes a turn and describes the singer's own internal struggle of feeling like their world is upside down and inside out, holding onto a shaking leaf that's about to break. The third verse of "Hands Up" then urges the listener to go out into the night, gaze up to the sky and take off the shoes on their feet, with the possibility of shedding their sorrows.

Overall, "Hands Up" seems to be a motivational song that encourages listeners to pursue their dreams and take action in their lives. The song suggests that while taking risks can be scary and the outcome may not be certain, it's important to step out of one's comfort zone in order to grow and achieve what one desires.

Line by Line Meaning

Hands up reach for the sky
Raise your hands high as if reaching for the sky

And I will tell you why
I will give you reasons for what I'm about to say next

This is just a game I'm playing
I'm not being serious or sincere about what I'm doing

You won't feel the same I'm betting now
I'm confident that you won't have the same reaction/feeling as me

Get up you know this time
Stand up, it's clear what you need to do

That you made up your mind
You've decided and are firm in your decision

Think of all the dreams you're chasing
Consider all the aspirations you're trying to achieve

Think of all the time you're wasting now
Reflect on how you're using your time fruitlessly

My world is upside down
I'm feeling disoriented, overwhelmed, and confused

My inside is inside out
My emotions and thoughts are in turmoil, I'm feeling vulnerable and exposed

I'm hanging to a leaf that's shaking
I'm holding onto something fragile that could easily fall apart