Born in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, he attended Loyola High School and McGill University. Roberts formed the band William in 1993. The band's name was changed to Northstar in 1996. Although the band gained some notice in independent rock circles, they couldn't break through to a national audience, and broke up in the late 1990s. Roberts' bandmate George Donoso went on to significant success in indie rock circles with The Dears, but Roberts struggled for several years afterward.
In 2000 Roberts began his solo career by independently releasing his first studio album, Brother Down. The album was largely unsuccessful but the title track would later go on to be re-recorded and re-released on a six-song EP titled The Inhuman Condition. The EP sold slowly at first, but by the summer of 2002 Roberts was all over the Canadian airwaves: his first single "Brother Down" had become one of the biggest Canadian hits of the year, and the follow up single "Don't Walk Away Eileen" quickly followed suit.
Roberts then signed to Universal Music, releasing his full-length debut, We Were Born in a Flame, in 2003. That album's singles, "Where Have All the Good People Gone?", "Hard Road", "Brother Down" and "Don't Walk Away Eileen", became major hits, especially in Canada.
The band's album Chemical City, produced with Joseph Donovan and released on April 11, 2006, got major radio play in Canada after its release, especially the single "The Gate".
The band's latest release, the album Love at the End of the World (May 20, 2008), included the song "Them Kids", which reached #1 on the Canadian indie chart (the R3-30), and also #1 on CFNY's Thursday 30 chart.
The band released the album Collider on May 10, 2011.
Don't Walk Away Eileen
Sam Roberts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been living for you since the age of seventeen
Don't walk away, Eileen
You've been telling lies and now it's time to come clean
Hey, you come around and I
Hey, you come around and I
Hey, you come around and I can't keep time
Hey, you turn around and I
Hey, you turn around and I'm left behind
Eileen says I'm a boy, not a man
Crying on the corner with my head in my hands
I called her name and she ran
Slipping through my fingers like a fist full of sand
Hey, you come around and I
Hey, you come around and I
Hey, you come around and I lose my head
Hey, you turn around and I
Hey, you turn around and I
Hey, you turn around and I'm left for dead
And she reads my mind when I'm sleeping
And she always arrives when I'm leaving
Yeah, she's blocking out the sun it seems
You're a pacifist with a gun, Eileen
Hey, you come around and I
Hey, you come around and I
Hey, you come around and I can't keep time
Hey, you turn around and I
Hey, you turn around and I
Hey, you turn around and I'm left behind
Hey, you come around and I
Hey, you come around and I
Hey, you come around and I lose my head
Hey, you turn around and I
Hey, you turn around and I
Hey, you turn around and I'm left for dead
Don't walk away, Eileen
Don't walk away, Eileen
Don't walk away, Eileen
Don't walk away, Eileen
Don't walk away, Eileen
Don't walk away, Eileen
Don't walk away, Eileen
The lyrics of “Don’t Walk Away Eileen” by Sam Roberts portray a man's yearning for the love of his life, Eileen. The song vocalizes the singer's desperate plea to Eileen not to give up on their love, despite the lies Eileen has told him. The singer has been living for Eileen since the age of seventeen and is unable to keep time whenever Eileen comes around.
The phrase "slipping through my fingers like a fist full of sand" suggests an inability to hold onto something that is being lost. Eileen seems to have a potent presence in the singer's life and has been blocking out the sun. The lyrics also describe Eileen as being able to read the singer's mind when he is sleeping and arriving when he is leaving. The final line, "You're a pacifist with a gun, Eileen," could imply that Eileen holds the power to hurt the singer gravely, even though she may not intend to do so.
The song is about a man's desperate plea to his lover Eileen not to give up on their relationship. The lyrics's message is about love, loss, and desperation. The words' tone is that of love and longing, with a sense of urgency and a fear of losing Eileen. The catchy chorus's repetition emphasizes the singer's pleading and desperation, making it easy to relate to anyone who has experienced a loss of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't walk away, Eileen
Please don't leave me, Eileen
I've been living for you since the age of seventeen
I've been devoted to you since I was a teenager
You've been telling lies and now it's time to come clean
You've been dishonest and it's time to admit the truth
Hey, you come around and I
When you're near me, I
Hey, you turn around and I
When you leave me, I
Hey, you come around and I can't keep time
I lose track of time when you're around
Hey, you turn around and I'm left behind
When you leave, I feel abandoned
Eileen says I'm a boy, not a man
Eileen thinks I'm immature
Crying on the corner with my head in my hands
I'm upset and emotionally vulnerable
I called her name and she ran
I tried to reach out to her, but she avoided me
Slipping through my fingers like a fist full of sand
I can't seem to hold onto her or keep her close
Hey, you come around and I lose my head
When you're near me, I become confused and irrational
Hey, you turn around and I'm left for dead
When you leave me, I feel devastated and hopeless
And she reads my mind when I'm sleeping
I feel like she knows my thoughts even when I'm not speaking
And she always arrives when I'm leaving
She always shows up just as I'm about to go
Yeah, she's blocking out the sun it seems
She's so important to me that she seems to eclipse everything else
You're a pacifist with a gun, Eileen
You seem peaceful, but you have the power to hurt me
Don't walk away, Eileen
Please don't leave me, Eileen
Don't walk away, Eileen
Please don't leave me, Eileen
Don't walk away, Eileen
Please don't leave me, Eileen
Don't walk away, Eileen
Please don't leave me, Eileen
Don't walk away, Eileen
Please don't leave me, Eileen
Don't walk away, Eileen
Please don't leave me, Eileen
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Sam Lewis Roberts
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mistysky184
Don't walk away Eileen
I've been living for you since the age of seventeen
Don't walk away Eileen
You've been telling lies and now it's time to come clean
Hey! You come around and I can't keep time
Hey! You turn around and I'm left behind
Eileen says I'm a boy not a man
Cryin' on the corner with my head in my hands
I called her name and she ran
Slippin' through my fingers like a fist full of sand
Hey! You come around and I lose my hand
Hey! You turn around and I'm left for dead
And she reads my mind when I'm sleeping
And she always arrives when I'm leaving
Yeah she's blocking out the sun, it seems
You're a pacifist with a gun, Eileen
@TheSilverSeason
I saw him long too long ago in Vancouver, it was fantastic. The bus back downtown was completely full with people from the concert, and mostly quiet until one guy started singing this. The entire bus joined in. It was a great moment.
@adaptercrash
He was at the restaurant when I was there
@carloscalderon2466
I can't understand why Sam Roberts isn't huge.
@drewsheffield3834
I played hockey with him. Trust me, he’s huge.
@resireg
That song plays on canadian radio. I heard it today for example
@TheSwearingChef
Probably because his pituitary gland limits his growth to that of an average adult.
@Jake_Reid
he is
@shihyuchu6753
He doesnt eat much?
@Goatchild90
This song has officially reached classic status
@kevinheatcoat2190
I First heard this Song in 2007.