* 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.
I Know A Girl
The Undertones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know that she knows about me
She not just a girl
I think she knows how I feel
I know a girl
I know a girl
I know that see her all the time in the street
She makes me feel
I'm in love every time that we meet
I know a girl
I know a girl
I know a girl
See her everyday of the week
She makes me feel
I'm in love every time that we meet
I know a girl
I know a girl
The Undertones's song "I Know A Girl" is a track that speaks of infatuation, a common theme in love songs. The singer knows a girl who is aware of his existence, and he believes that she picks up on the fact that he feels something for her. The girl is not just any girl to the singer, as he notes how she makes him feel every time they meet. He seems to observe her regularly, which suggests that his feelings for her are deepening. The repetition of the chorus "I know a girl" reinforces the singer's fixation with this girl.
The song's lyrics capture the initial stage of a romantic relationship, where one person is attracted to another but not yet sure if their feelings are reciprocated. The singer's anxiety about his feelings being exposed is captured in lines like "I think she knows how I feel." These lyrics are relatable to anyone who has ever felt the pangs of unrequited love or the uncertainty of not knowing another person's true feelings.
In conclusion, The Undertones's song "I Know A Girl" is an ode to unrequited love and the hope that the singer's feelings will one day be reciprocated. The song captures the emotions that come with the initial stages of a romantic relationship - the uncertainty, the infatuation, and the longing for the other person.
Line by Line Meaning
I know a girl
The singer is familiar with a particular girl.
I know that she knows about me
The singer is aware that the girl is aware of their presence/relationship.
She's not just a girl
The girl is more than just a casual acquaintance – perhaps the singer has feelings for her.
I think she knows how I feel
The artist suspects that the girl is aware of their romantic feelings for her.
I see her all the time in the street
The artist encounters the girl frequently in public places.
She makes me feel I'm in love every time that we meet
The girl has such an effect on the singer that they feel as though they are falling in love with her each time they see her.
See her everyday of the week
The singer sees the girl every day.
I know a girl
The artist is emphasizing their familiarity with the girl.
I know a girl
Repeating the previous line for emphasis.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ishockeyfrilla
Sick! Had this song on a 'best of' CD but I lost it years ago. Thanks for the upload!
Kathy Richards
My favourite, "middle bit", ever.
Debtwarrior
This classic would be greatly enhanced by the Ivor Cutler pronunciation of 'Girrul'
Dino Ramone
Love the Irish Ramones
shep751
sounds like Waterfall ..
VIN Magill
You're right! I never noticed that before. The Stone Roses nicked the riff.
Christine Glynn
It really does. Stone roses have stolen from The Undertones.