Come On Eileen
The Cure Lyrics


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Come on, Eileen
Come on, Eileen

Poor old Johnnie Ray
Sounded sad upon the radio
Moved a million hearts in mono
Made our mothers cry
Sang along, who'd blame them?

You're grown (You're grown up)
So grown (So grown up)
Now I must say, more than ever (Come on, Eileen)
Toora-loora-toora-loo-rye-ay
And we can sing just like our fathers

Come on, Eileen, oh, I swear (Well he means)
At this moment, you mean everything
With you in that dress, my thoughts (I confess)
Verge on dirty
Ah, come on, Eileen

Come on, Eileen

These people 'round here
Were beaten down, eyes sunk in smoke, dried faces
So resigned to what their fate is

But not us (No, never)
No, not us (No, never)
We are far too young and clever (Remember)
Go toora-loora-toora-loo-rye-ay
Eileen, I'll hum this tune forever

Come on, Eileen, oh, I swear (Well he means)
Ah, come on, let's take off everything
That pretty red dress, Eileen (Tell him yes)
Ah, come on, let's
Ah, come on, Eileen
That pretty red dress, Eileen (Tell him yes)
Ah, come on, let's
Ah, come on, Eileen, please

(Come on, Eileen, too-loo-rye-ay
Come on, Eileen, too-loo-rye-ay, toora-toora-too-loora)

Now you are grown, and now you have shown, oh, Eileen
(Come on, Eileen, too-loo-rye-ay
Come on, Eileen, too-loo-rye-ay, toora-toora-too-loora)


You're grown (Said, come on, Eileen, these things they are real)
So grown (And I know how you feel)
Now I must say more than ever
Things 'round here will change

(Come on, Eileen, too-loo-rye-ay
Come on, Eileen, too-loo-rye-ay, toora-toora-too-loora)

I said toora-loora-toora-loo-rye-ay
(Come on, Eileen, too-loo-rye-ay
Come on, Eileen, too-loo-rye-ay, toora-toora-too-loora)


Come on, Eileen, oh, I swear (Well he means)
At this moment, you mean everything
With you in that dress, my thoughts (I confess)
Verge on dirty
Ah, come on, Eileen

Come on, Eileen, oh, I swear (Well he means)
At this moment, you mean everything
(In that dress) Whoa, my thoughts (I confess)
Well, they're dirty
Come on, Eileen

Come on, Eileen, whoa-oh-oh (Well he means)




Oh-ho-ho-ho (Everything)
Ah come on, Ah come on

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Come On Eileen by The Cure describe a scene where the singer is urging a woman named Eileen to let loose and embrace her youth. They reference Johnnie Ray, an American singer from the 1950s who was known for his emotional performances that often left audiences in tears. The line "Moved a million hearts in mono" refers to the fact that Ray's songs were mostly recorded in monophonic sound, a technology that was common at the time. The singer acknowledges the passage of time, saying, "You're grown, so grown," but also encourages Eileen to stay young at heart by singing "we can sing just like our fathers."


The chorus of the song features the lyrics "Come on, Eileen, oh, I swear / At this moment, you mean everything / With you in that dress, my thoughts / Verge on dirty / Ah, come on, Eileen." The dress is a focal point of the song, and the singer seems to be both attracted to Eileen and reminding her of her youth. The use of the word "dirty" suggests that there may be a sexual subtext to the lyrics.


Overall, Come On Eileen is a nostalgic song that celebrates the joys of youth and encourages the listener to hold onto those moments forever.


Line by Line Meaning

Come on, Eileen
An invitation to Eileen to come along


Come on, Eileen
Repetition of the invitation


Poor old Johnnie Ray
Johnnie Ray sounded sad upon the radio


Sounded sad upon the radio
Johnnie Ray's songs were sad


Moved a million hearts in mono
Johnnie Ray's songs moved many hearts


Made our mothers cry
Johnnie Ray's songs made people emotional


Sang along, who'd blame them?
People sang along to Johnnie Ray's songs because they were relatable


You're grown (You're grown up)
Eileen has become an adult


So grown (So grown up)
Eileen is very mature


Now I must say, more than ever (Come on, Eileen)
Now more than ever, Eileen needs to come along


Toora-loora-toora-loo-rye-ay
Nonsense syllables used as a cheer


And we can sing just like our fathers
We can sing the same songs our fathers did


Come on, Eileen, oh, I swear (Well he means)
The singer is sincere when he asks Eileen to come along


At this moment, you mean everything
Eileen is very important right now


With you in that dress, my thoughts (I confess)
The singer's thoughts become impure when he sees Eileen in a pretty dress


Verge on dirty
The singer's thoughts become sexual


Ah, come on, Eileen
Encouragement for Eileen to come with them


These people 'round here
The locals in the area


Were beaten down, eyes sunk in smoke, dried faces
The locals are downtrodden and unhappy


So resigned to what their fate is
The locals have accepted their sad fate


But not us (No, never)
The singers don't want to be like the locals


No, not us (No, never)
Repetition of the previous statement


We are far too young and clever (Remember)
The singers are young and smart and will change their fate


Come on, Eileen, oh, I swear (Well he means)
Repetition of previous line


Ah, come on, let's take off everything
The singer is suggesting they remove clothing


That pretty red dress, Eileen (Tell him yes)
The singer wants Eileen to remove her dress


Ah, come on, let's
More encouragement to get undressed


That pretty red dress, Eileen (Tell him yes)
Repetition of the previous line


Ah, come on, let's
Repetition of previous line


Ah, come on, Eileen, please
Final plea for Eileen to come with them


(Come on, Eileen, too-loo-rye-ay
Repetition of previous nonsense line


Now you are grown, and now you have shown, oh, Eileen
Acknowledgement of Eileen's maturity


(Come on, Eileen, too-loo-rye-ay
Repetition of previous nonsense line


Said, come on, Eileen, these things they are real
The singer is serious about what he is saying to Eileen


And I know how you feel
The singer understands Eileen's emotions


Things 'round here will change
The singers will change their fate and the area around them


(Come on, Eileen, too-loo-rye-ay
Repetition of previous nonsense line


I said toora-loora-toora-loo-rye-ay
Repetition of previous nonsense line


In that dress)
Commentary on Eileen's dress


Whoa, my thoughts (I confess)
The singer's thoughts are impure


Well, they're dirty
The singer's thoughts are sexual


Come on, Eileen, whoa-oh-oh
Repetition of previous line


(Well he means)
Commentary on the sincerity of the singer


Oh-ho-ho-ho
Exclamation of something humorous or ironic


(Everything)
Commentary on Eileen's importance to the singer


Ah come on
Encouragement to come along




Contributed by Ian F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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