In March 1988 their second independent single, “Be Still” was released on Harbour Sound Records, once again to critical acclaim. By this time, following various shifts in personnel, the band’s classic line-up was firmly established, with Nick and Robert now joined by Dermot Lynch (bass) and guitar player and multi-instrumentalist Tim Bradshaw.
In October 1989, The Fat Lady Sings released their third single “Arclight” on their own Fourth Base Record label. The critical and public interest in this song, and for the band’s follow-up single “Dronning Maud Land” (released January 1990), together with the enormous live following that they’d build up in both Ireland and the UK (they sold out both the National Stadium in Dublin and the Town & Country Club in London, an unprecedented feat for an unsigned band) attracted major label interest.
In 1990 the band signed to East West Records in London (Atlantic in America). Their first major label single “Man Scared” was released in October 1990. In May 1991, the band’s first album, “Twist” was released. This album spawned 3 more singles: a re-release of “Arclight” (April 1991), “Twist” (May 1991) and “Deborah” (August 1991).
Following a year of touring and promotional activity, taking in Ireland, the UK, Europe and the US, the band began preparations for their second album without drummer Robert Hamilton, who’d decided to leave and subsequently set up the “Peace Together” charity with another TFLS old boy Ali McMordie. (The charity went on to record and release a charity single version of the TFLS tune “Be Still” featuring Peter Gabriel, Nanci Griffith, Feragal Sharkey, Jah Wobble and Sinead O’Connor.)
The band’s second album “Johnson”, produced by Steve Osborne (and with Nic France on drums), was released in June 1993, preceded by the single “Show Of Myself”. The second single from the album, “Drunkard Logic” gave the band their highest ever chart placing in the UK, just falling short of the Top 40. The band once more threw themselves into a punishing 6 months of touring, culminating in a 3 month US stint that ended with a storming pre-Christmas show in New York punk mecca CBGBs.
In January 1994, the band split with Nick Kelly’s surprise announcement that he was quitting.
Following a self-imposed exile from the music industry, Nick subsequently achieved great critical acclaim for his first independently-released solo album, “Between Trapezes” (1997), which won him the accolade of “Best Solo Male Artist” at the 1998-99 Irish Music Critics Awards. Nick’s long-awaited follow-up album, “Running Dog”, released in January 2005, also on his own Self Possessed Records label, is already garnering similar plaudits.
Tim and Dermot both enjoyed Top 10 Chart success in America as members of the band Dog’s Eye View in 1995. Tim’s multi-instrumental and production / arrangement talents have been subsequently availed of by artists as diverse as Tanita Tikarem, Fatima Mansions and, most notably, David Gray, with whom he both tours and records on a full-time basis. Dermot’s recent playing career also includes stints with David Gray; in addition, in recent years he has also become established as one of the most sought-after tour and production managers in the UK, working with the likes of Keane, Fun Loving Criminals and Supergrass.
To celebrate the release of The Fat Lady Sings’ forthcoming double compilation album “The Fat Lady Singles (& Opera Obscura)”, the band have decided to reform for a one-off show in Dublin’s Vicar Street on Friday April 8th – the first time they will have appeared together onstage since the show in CBGB’s back in December 2003.
Deborah
The Fat Lady Sings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't know why
So here goes wow for broken hearts
This one is mine
Because love ain't about promises
Love ain't about being nice
Love is a pain in your stomach
That keeps you awake at night
Deborah, it's me again
Deborah, it's me again
Deborah, it's me again
Couldn't take the loneliness
I'd rather have the pain
There you stand, you laugh
You laugh at me
I opened up again
This is how I know our love
Was not love that happens between friends
Because love don't grow on trees no more
Love don't fall from the sky
Love is a twinkle
The twinkle I can't understand in your eye
Deborah, it's me again
Deborah, it's me again
Deborah, it's me again
Couldn't take the loneliness
I'd rather have the pain
And when you turn to someone else
You know you turn the knife in me
Oh Deborah please turn again
Oh Deborah please turn
Turn back to me
The Fat Lady Sings's song "Deborah" is a romantic ballad that tells a story of unrequited love. The singer is standing outside his love interest's door, not sure why he's there but feeling the pain of love nonetheless. The lyrics are a confession of his feelings, admitting that despite the agony, he'd rather have the pain of loving someone who doesn't feel the same way than be alone. He speaks directly to Deborah, asking her to turn back to him, because the thought of her being with someone else only intensifies his suffering.
The lyrics reveal a lot about the complexities of love, and how it's not always about promises or niceties. Instead, it's often a visceral and physical experience that can cause great distress. The singer describes love as a pain in his stomach that keeps him awake at night, hinting at the physical symptoms of heartbreak. He also contrasts the idea that love is something that grows on trees or falls from the sky, instead likening it to a "twinkle" in Deborah's eye that he can't understand.
Overall, "Deborah" is a poignant and relatable portrayal of the agony of unrequited love. The singer's vulnerability and honesty in admitting his feelings make the song a moving tribute to the power of love and its emotional impact.
Line by Line Meaning
Here I stand outside your door
I am standing outside your door and I don't know why I am here.
So here goes wow for broken hearts
I am about to sing a song for those with broken hearts.
This one is mine
This song is mine, as I have a broken heart too.
Because love ain't about promises
Love is not just about making promises.
Love ain't about being nice
Love isn't always about being nice to each other.
Love is a pain in your stomach
Love comes with a pain in your stomach that can keep you awake at night.
That keeps you awake at night
The pain of love can keep you awake at night.
Deborah, it's me again
I am calling out to Deborah once again.
Couldn't take the loneliness
I am unable to bear the loneliness without Deborah.
I'd rather have the pain
I would rather have the pain of love than be alone.
There you stand, you laugh
I see you standing there, laughing at me.
You laugh at me
You are making fun of me.
I opened up again
I revealed my feelings to you once again.
This is how I know our love
This is how I realize that what we had was not just a friendship.
Was not love that happens between friends
What we had was not just a platonic relationship between friends.
Love don't grow on trees no more
It's hard to find true love these days.
Love don't fall from the sky
True love isn't just going to magically appear from nowhere.
Love is a twinkle
Love is that subtle sparkle that you see in someone's eyes.
The twinkle I can't understand in your eye
I cannot figure out the reason behind the twinkle in your eyes.
And when you turn to someone else
When you look to another person for companionship,
You know you turn the knife in me
It hurts me deeply.
Oh Deborah please turn again
I am begging you to turn towards me once again.
Turn back to me
Please come back to me.
Contributed by Avery H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.