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)
Paddy's Heaven
The Prodigals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And lash the laggard while he strains
And then when no one else remains
For the road to heaven
No one else to scream and shout
And kick the bloody windows out
Off to Paddy's heaven
Paddy must be going now
On the road and God knows how
Off to Paddy's Heaven
Here's a nice one from the start
Kick the bugger's life apart
And then I'll add with all my heart
On the road to heaven
And believe me when I say
Come again another day
You'll see me duck and weave and pray
All for Paddy's Heaven
And whatever is my name
Surrogates will take the blame
And others still will feel the pain
On the road to heaven
And while they wander in the night
I'll sit and watch the pale moonlight
And in my bed all tucked up tight
I'll dream of Paddy's heaven
And if should come as comes to all
That someday others hear the call
They may rise and I may fall
And burn in Paddy's heaven.
The Prodigals’ song Paddy’s Heaven is a dark and intense song that seems to depict a dangerous and violent world devoid of any morality or empathy. The lyrics paint a picture of a society where people take pleasure in inflicting pain upon others and where there are no consequences for their actions. The opening lines, “Crack the whip and smash the panes, and lash the laggard while he strains, and then when no one else remains, for the road to heaven” suggests a culture of abuse and domination.
The chorus, “Lock the doors and strip the plough, Paddy must be going now, on the road and God knows how, off to Paddy’s Heaven,” further reinforces this notion of escape into a world devoid of law and order. People are desensitized to violence and have no qualms about inflicting pain on others. The line, “Here’s a nice one from the start, kick the bugger’s life apart, and then I’ll add with all my heart, on the road to heaven,” is particularly striking as it shows how people take pleasure in causing harm.
The song seems to be a commentary on the darker side of society where people are brutalized and oppressed, and where they are left with no choice but to escape into their version of Heaven. The lyrics, while intense and harrowing, provide a stark reminder of the realities of life for many people.
Line by Line Meaning
Crack the whip and smash the panes
Violently break the glass windows with a whip
And lash the laggard while he strains
Punish the slow-moving person by whipping him
And then when no one else remains
After everyone else has left
For the road to heaven
On the journey to heaven
No one else to scream and shout
Nobody to make noise anymore
And kick the bloody windows out
Break the windows forcefully
Off to Paddy's heaven
Going towards Paddy's heaven
Lock the doors and strip the plough
Close the doors and leave the farm
Paddy must be going now
Paddy is leaving
On the road and God knows how
Not sure how the road will be
Off to Paddy's Heaven
Going towards Paddy's heaven
Here's a nice one from the start
A good thing to do from the beginning
Kick the bugger's life apart
Ruin the person's life by kicking him
And then I'll add with all my heart
And I will do it with complete dedication
On the road to heaven
On the journey to heaven
And believe me when I say
Trust me when I tell you
Come again another day
Try again some other day
You'll see me duck and weave and pray
You will see me dodge and pray
All for Paddy's Heaven
All for going to Paddy's heaven
And whatever is my name
No matter what my name is
Surrogates will take the blame
Other people will be blamed in my place
And others still will feel the pain
Someone else will suffer
On the road to heaven
On the journey to heaven
And while they wander in the night
While they wander in the dark
I'll sit and watch the pale moonlight
I will sit and observe the moonlight
And in my bed all tucked up tight
Comfortably sleeping in bed
I'll dream of Paddy's heaven
Having a dream about going to Paddy's heaven
And if should come as comes to all
If it happens as it always does
That someday others hear the call
That someday others also hear the call to go to heaven
They may rise and I may fall
Others may succeed, but I may not
And burn in Paddy's heaven.
Suffer in Paddy's heaven
Contributed by Colton K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.