After a short period of playing in local bars and clubs, The Prayer Boat had attracted a cult following in Dublin. Their two albums, Oceanic Feeling and Polichinelle received high praise and commendation from music journals but unfortunately sales were meagre.
Despite not having performed for several years, The Prayer Boat still have a website which is visited by afficionados of the band. The band's achingly beautiful music has found devotees around the world and frontman Emmett Tinley regularly receives emails from passionate lovers of his voice and The Prayer Boat's unique music. Emmett is a truly gifted singer and songwriter, and Melody Maker summed this up when they said of him, 'the man can make a cat's cradle of your heart strings.'
As Emmett has now embarked upon a solo career, releasing his first album, Attic Faith in 2005, and only occasionally sees the other members of The Prayer Boat (with the exception of his brother Patrick) it remains doubtful whether the band will play together in the near future. However, this has never been ruled out, and fans of The Prayer Boat continue to remain steadfast in their loyalty to this highly talented Irish band.
Band members are:-
Emmett Tinley (vocals, guitar, piano, hammond organ)
Patrick Tinley (guitar, charango)
Tony Byrne (bass guitar)
Tim Houlihan (drums)
Was This Love
The Prayer Boat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm weak but I'm still poised for a new beginning
You wanted my heart, my tears and honesty
Now you want me to bleed
You don't know your enemy
Close enough to see
And all the time your name
Was tripping from my tongue
Holding to the lie for somewhere to belong
Love is not to win or to lose
You're waving your hand
You ride down the street from me
How bad did I feel
The morning you melted away
Like ice in my hands
Your tears flowing over me
I'm caught where I stand
I know where you want to be
I know who you want to be
Here I am crying out
Won't you stay, won't you stay
Won't you stay
The lyrics to The Prayer Boat's song Was This Love showcases a relationship that has taken a turn for the worse. The singer, who is weak and in need of help, has been waiting for their partner to save them. The partner, who initially wanted the singer's heart, tears, and honesty, now wants them to bleed. The singer realizes that their partner is their enemy, even though they are close enough to see. Throughout the relationship, the singer's partner's name was "tripping from [their] tongue", indicating their strong feelings towards them. The singer questions if their love for their partner was true, if it was worth holding onto, and if their partner reciprocated their feelings. The lyrics also suggest that the singer was holding onto a lie in the relationship, searching for somewhere to belong. The song concludes with the singer begging their partner to stay and not leave them in their broken state.
Overall, the lyrics of Was This Love convey the difficulties and heartbreak that can occur in a romantic relationship. The singer's vulnerability and dependence on their partner are contrasted with their growing awareness of their partner's true intentions. The questioning of the realness of their love and the struggle for belonging in the relationship add depth and complexity to the narrative of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I waited for you to help me out of here
I was hoping that you would come and save me from this situation
I'm weak but I'm still poised for a new beginning
Despite everything that has happened, I am still hopeful for a fresh start
You wanted my heart, my tears and honesty
You demanded my emotional vulnerability and honesty from me
Now you want me to bleed
You are now asking me to sacrifice more than I am able to give
You don't know your enemy
You are unaware of the harm that you are causing
Close enough to see
Despite your ignorance, you are still in close proximity to the situation
And all the time your name
Your name is constantly on my mind
Was tripping from my tongue
I found myself saying your name frequently
Was this love for you
I question whether my actions towards you were driven by love or something else entirely
Holding to the lie for somewhere to belong
I clung to false hopes and beliefs because I wanted to feel like I belonged somewhere
Love is not to win or to lose
Love is not a competition with winners or losers, but an emotion that should be freely given and received
You're waving your hand
You are dismissive and don't take my feelings seriously
You ride down the street from me
You are distancing yourself from me
How bad did I feel
I felt terrible and hurt by your actions
The morning you melted away
You disappeared suddenly and unexpectedly, leaving me feeling lost and confused
Like ice in my hands
You slipped away from me as easily as melting ice
Your tears flowing over me
You are emotional and your tears are affecting me deeply
I'm caught where I stand
I am trapped and unable to move on from the situation
I know where you want to be
I understand what you want, but it's not something I can give you
Here I am crying out
I am asking for help and reaching out to you
Won't you stay, won't you stay
I am begging for you to not leave me and to stay by my side
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EMMETT TINLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind