Callin… Read Full Bio ↴The Prodigals are a New York Irish band that started in 1997.
Calling their genre of music "jig punk", the Prodigals fall within a tradition epitomized by the Pogues and Black 47, merging traditional Irish melodic roots with rock rhythms. As of 2007, the band members are Gregory Grene (button accordion and lead vocals), Ed Kollar (bass and backup vocals), Dave Fahy (guitar and lead vocals), Darren Maloney (banjo), and Chris Higginbottom (drums). The Prodigals call Paddy Reilly's (the world's only all-draft Guinness bar) their home when in New York City. The band has its own distinctive sound, particularly distinguished by the lead melodic roles being filled by button-key accordion and bass along with the vocals, and has received substantial critical notice through the years.
Albums
* The Prodigals (1997)
* Go On (1999), effectively the band's breakout album
* Dreaming in Hell's Kitchen (2001, produced by Scottish fiddler and record producer Johnny Cunningham)
* Needs Must When the Devil Drives (2003, produced by Howie Beno, who notably also produced the Red Hot Chili Peppers single Give It Away Now)
* a live album/DVD, Beachland Bootleg (2005) recorded at the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland, Ohio.
* Momentum (2006)
Leaving
The Prodigals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To Shannon and onto the US of A
I'll never forget the look in your eyes
When I hugged you and kissed you and told you goodbye
When I looked at you knowing that I had to go
It's a pain that I prayed that you never would know
But you were too young still to understand why
chorus: Wherever I wander, wherever I stray
It's a piece of me now that forever will stay
It's part of me heart that is locked away
And stays with you forever.
It seemed for a moment the moment stood still
If hold it I could by the force of my will
But I turned and I left then and all I could see
Was the sight of you there and you looking at me
What once was a household was long torn apart
Now like the ocean's the rift in my heart
And I long for the day when with all of its charms
We'll be back together with you in my arms.
In The Prodigals' song "Leaving", the singer is reflecting on the day he left Ireland to move to the United States. He describes the pain of saying goodbye to his loved ones, particularly the look in his lover's eyes as he hugged and kissed her goodbye. The singer acknowledges that his lover was too young to understand the reason for his departure and the pain that he felt.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the theme of the singer carrying a piece of Ireland with him wherever he goes. He feels that a part of his heart is locked away in Ireland and will stay with his loved ones forever. In the second verse, the singer expresses his longing for the day when he can be reunited with his loved ones and hold them in his arms again. He compares the feeling of being separated from his loved ones to a deep rift in his heart.
Overall, the song is a poignant reflection on the pain of leaving one's homeland and loved ones behind. The singer's words convey a sense of nostalgia and longing for home, as well as the difficulty of starting a new life in a foreign country.
Line by Line Meaning
That cold autumn day when I went away
The specific day when I left home during autumn
To Shannon and onto the US of A
Traveling from Shannon to the United States of America
I'll never forget the look in your eyes
The facial expression you had is permanently etched in my memory
When I hugged you and kissed you and told you goodbye
Parting ways with an embrace and a smooch is how we said farewell
When I looked at you knowing that I had to go
I glanced at you, knowing that departure was inevitable
It's a pain that I prayed that you never would know
I hoped you would never have to experience this type of hurt
But you were too young still to understand why
You were too immature to comprehend the reasoning behind this separation
Someone who loved you could bid you goodbye.
A person who cared for you had to leave, which seems contradictory
Wherever I wander, wherever I stray
No matter where I go, I will always bear a piece of you with me
It's a piece of me now that forever will stay
That part of you is now a permanent aspect of me
It's part of my heart that is locked away
It is a component of my heart that remains inaccessible
And stays with you forever.
It will be with you for an unspecified amount of time
It seemed for a moment the moment stood still
During the last interaction, time appears to momentarily pause
If hold it I could by the force of my will
If only my willpower alone could maintain that moment
But I turned and I left then and all I could see
I left and all that was left behind was the image of you
Was the sight of you there and you looking at me
All I recall is seeing you there, locked in a gaze with me
What once was a household was long torn apart
The family unit, which was once united, is now permanently disconnected
Now like the ocean's the rift in my heart
The emotional space between us is vast, like an oceanic abyss
And I long for the day when with all of its charms
I yearn for a day, where all the circumstances are favorable
We'll be back together with you in my arms.
We will reunite, and I will hold you tightly.
Contributed by Sarah I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.