Irish
The Cats Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Irish, a name I heard of
She is a girl I heard of
She knows that I will love her

If she will stay
If she will stay
I was out of my mind
When she was passing by

I had pain, terrible pain
I wish that I could say
I love you, I need you
Winter come, summer came

The end is far away
Now I`m waiting all alone
For a girl who`ll never come
For a girl who`ll never come

Irish, a name I heard of
She is a girl I heard of
She knows that I will love her




If she will stay
If she will stay

Overall Meaning

The Cats' song "Irish" is a powerful portrayal of unrequited love. The song speaks of a girl named Irish who the singer has heard of and fallen deeply in love with. He wishes that she will stay and reciprocate his love, but the reality is that she will never come. The song starts with the singer admitting that he heard of Irish's name and that he desires her deeply. He knows that he will love her but is uncertain of how she feels about him. He hopes that she will reciprocate his feelings, but it remains uncertain.


As the song progresses, he ponders about the fleeting moments when Irish passed by him. The moments when she passes cause him immense pain, and he wishes he could tell her that he loves and needs her. The seasons change from winter to summer, but his love for Irish remains steadfast. The song concludes with his realization that the end is far away, and he waits all alone for the girl that will never come.


The lyrics of the song convey a sense of unfulfilled longing and unrequited love. The singer's love for Irish remains eternal, but his hopes for a reciprocation are dashed. The melody of the song is soothing and melancholic, complementing the lyrics perfectly.


Line by Line Meaning

Irish, a name I heard of
The song is about a girl named Irish who the singer has heard of.


She is a girl I heard of
The singer knows of Irish and she is a girl.


She knows that I will love her
The singer thinks that Irish knows that he loves her.


If she will stay
The singer wishes that Irish will stay with him.


If she will stay
The singer repeats his wish that Irish would stay with him.


I was out of my mind
The singer was not thinking clearly when he saw Irish.


When she was passing by
The singer saw Irish when she was passing by.


I had pain, terrible pain
The singer felt pain when he saw Irish.


I wish that I could say
The singer wishes he could tell Irish that he loves her.


I love you, I need you
The singer wishes he could tell Irish that he loves and needs her.


Winter come, summer came
Time passed from winter to summer.


The end is far away
The singer feels like the end of his wait for Irish is far away.


Now I`m waiting all alone
The singer is waiting for Irish, but he is alone.


For a girl who`ll never come
The singer feels that Irish will never come to him.


For a girl who`ll never come
The singer repeats the thought that Irish will never come to him.




Contributed by Amelia A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions