* Feargal Sharkey (lead vocals),
* John O'Neill (guitar),
* Damian O'Neill (guitar, keyboards and vocals),
* Michael Bradley (bass and vocals), and
* Billy Doherty (drums).
John O'Neill was the original main song writer, with his brother Damian and Mickey Bradley writing in various solo & combined variations for most of the remainder.
Sharkey's power pop tenor was distinctive, and the band regarded a tight ensemble. By 1977 they were performing their own three-chord pop punk material influenced by Nuggets-type material and Ramones, and in 1978 released their debut four-song EP Teenage Kicks on Good Vibrations. It became a hit with support from DJ John Peel, who considered that EP's title song (Teenage Kicks) his all-time favourite. The song has been covered by many including boyband Busted (at the 2003 Brit Awards), American group The Raconteurs, Swedish band [aritst]Sahara Hotnights and French band Nouvelle Vague.
The original band released four studio albums:
* The Undertones (1979)
* Hypnotised (1980)
* Positive Touch (1981)
* The Sin Of Pride (1983).
Falling sales linked to their changing musical direction and tensions within the band, leading to their split in 1983. A compilation album titled All Wrapped Up featured a woman dressed in lunch meats wrapped in clear plastic on the (non band approved) cover. Several other compilations including the superb BBC sessions CD Listening In (named after a song on their first album) (2004) exist.
The O'Neill brothers went on to form That Petrol Emotion. The Undertones reconvened in 1999, initially to play a few shows in their hometown of Londonderry, replacing singer Feargal Sharkey with a similarly warbling new recruit, Paul McLoone. Since this time, the band has continued to play a small number of gigs each year in various places around the world.
The band have also released two further studio albums:
* Get What You Need (2003)
* Dig Yourself Deep (2007)
NOTE: There is another band with this name - The Undertones, a subset of the University of Notre Dame Glee Club who sing a capella arrangements of popular songs. For more information on these guys, check out www.nd.edu/~utones.
Runaround
The Undertones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She'll never get what she's never had
She wants to leave home but she can't get away
Always on her own every single day
Cos she's a run-around - what a total disaster
She's a run-around - she's got nothing to do
She's a run-around - doesn't know what she's after
She wishes she could live in a world of her own
Go someplace where she's not known
There's no more her to do any good
Can't get the satisfaction she wishes she could
Cos she's a run-around ...
She doesn't know what she's feeling inside ...
Cos she's a run-around
The Undertones' song, "Runaround" is a lament on the life of a youth who is struggling to find meaning and purpose. The lyrics talk about a girl who doesn't know what she's feeling inside, implying her confusion and the emotional turmoil that she is going through, while expressing her desire to escape her situation. She appears to be searching for something but is unable to find it, leading to an unfulfilling existence.
The song portrays a sense of hopelessness and despair, reflecting the disconnection and isolation that the girl is feeling in her life. She is always on her own, which means she has no one to turn to for guidance, and this further exacerbates her confusion. The lyrics paint a picture of a girl who is lost, disillusioned, and disconnected from society.
Overall, the song portrays the emotional struggles we experience as teenagers, a time in life where we are trying to discover ourselves and define our place in the world. The theme resonates with many people, and the lyrics hold a timeless appeal that continues to be relatable across generations.
Line by Line Meaning
She doesn't know what she's feeling inside
She is confused and cannot identify her emotions or thoughts.
She'll never get what she's never had
She cannot attain what she lacks or has never experienced before.
She wants to leave home but she can't get away
She desires to depart from her residence, but she is unable to escape it.
Always on her own every single day
She is consistently alone, day after day.
Cos she's a run-around - what a total disaster
She constantly wanders aimlessly and recklessly; it is chaotic and troubling.
She's a run-around - she's got nothing to do
She is idle and has no activities to occupy her time.
She's a run-around - doesn't know what she's after
She lacks direction and purpose in life, resulting in confusion.
She's a run-around - she hasn't a clue
She is completely unaware and has no idea what to do or what is happening around her.
She wishes she could live in a world of her own
She desires to reside in a separate universe where she can be alone and not disturbed by the external world.
Go someplace where she's not known
She wants to visit a location where she is not recognised or identified.
There's no more her to do any good
There is no constructive effort or benefit that she can create or provide.
Can't get the satisfaction she wishes she could
She is unable to attain the contentment she desires.
Cos she's a run-around ...
Reiterating that she is erratic and bewildered.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN JOSEPH O'NEILL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind