* 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.
Family Entertainment
The Undertones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I've seen you two together fooling about
Don't get me wrong now I've seen what you are
Mummy wouldn't like it - its gone too far
Got to - keep it in the family
Learn to - keep it in the family
Have to - keep it in the family
Playing with each other its your favourite game
You never try to hide it there's no shame
You'll soon be discovered what will you do then
Family entertainment will come to an end
Got to
- keep it in the family means keeping the family secrets within the family and not exposing them in public. The Undertones's song "Family Entertainment" talks about a boy who knows the dark secrets of a brother and sister who are romantically involved. The boy pleads with them to keep their relationship a secret or else their family will be up in arms. He warns them that they will soon be discovered, and when the secret comes out, their family entertainment will come to an end. The song seems to highlight the taboo nature of incestuous relationships and the need to keep such relationships hidden from the public eye.
The lyrics of the song take a confrontational tone, with the singer warning the brother and sister to keep their relationship in check. The line "Mummy wouldn't like it - it's gone too far" echoes the societal taboo attached to incest. The family entertainment referred to in the song seems to point to the darker side of family life - the skeletons hidden in the family closet that everyone wishes to keep hidden.
Line by Line Meaning
So you think you're so clever never in doubt
You overestimate your intellect and believe you can get away with anything
But I've seen you two together fooling about
I have observed you engaging in frivolous and unserious behavior with each other
Don't get me wrong now I've seen what you are
I am not misinterpreting the situation; I know precisely what's going on
Mummy wouldn't like it - its gone too far
The family matriarch won't approve of such misconduct as it has crossed the line
Got to - keep it in the family
It's essential to maintain the secrecy within the family
Learn to - keep it in the family
One should acquire the skill of keeping things under wraps to save the family's reputation
Have to - keep it in the family
There's an obligation to maintain the family's dignity by covering up unpleasant events
Want to - keep it in the family
It's a collective desire to safeguard the family image
Playing with each other its your favourite game
Engaging in illicit behavior together is a habit that you enjoy
You never try to hide it there's no shame
You haven't attempted to conceal your activities and aren't ashamed of what you're doing
You'll soon be discovered what will you do then
It's only a matter of time before your deeds will be exposed, and then what will you do?
Family entertainment will come to an end
The family's dubious, immoral entertainment will be terminated once the truth is revealed.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAMIAN STEPHEN O'NEILL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind