* 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.
One Way Love
The Undertones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Though he can't forget her name
She's some to hold on to
But he's not whose to blame
One way love - one way love
One way love - one way love
One way love - one way love
She wishes he was older
Then she wouldn't feel so bad
She knows she has to tell him
Even though it'll make him sad
One way love ...
She know she doesn't love him
And there's nothing he can do
She knows she has to tell him
She has to say they're through
One way love
The Undertones' song "One Way Love" tells the story of a couple whose love is unrequited. The song's upbeat melody contrasts with the lyrics, which are mournful as the singer describes a love that is only going one way. The opening lines suggest that the couple's communication has broken down, with the female character becoming increasingly unapproachable, while the male character remains hopelessly devoted to her. He is aware that the love is only one way, but still holds onto her, even though he knows that it is not his fault the relationship is failing.
Throughout the song, the female character's reluctance to embrace their love grows clearer, explaining that she wishes he was older, as if magically he would become the man she would fall for, even though she knows it's never happening. In the final verse, she admits to herself that she doesn't love him and that it is over. The repetition of the phrase "one way love" further emphasizes the singer's feelings of frustration and hopelessness. Unfortunately, the male character's love is going nowhere, with no chance of success.
Line by Line Meaning
She's got so hard to talk to
She has become difficult to communicate with
Though he can't forget her name
Despite having difficulty communicating, he still remembers her name
She's some to hold on to
He finds comfort and support in her
But he's not whose to blame
He understands that no one is at fault for the current circumstances
One way love - one way love
The relationship is one-sided and unrequited
Getting so tired of - one way love
He is becoming exhausted with the one-sided nature of the relationship
She wishes he was older
She desires for him to be more mature
Then she wouldn't feel so bad
She believes that his maturity level is what is hindering their relationship
She knows she has to tell him
She is aware that she needs to have a difficult conversation with him
Even though it'll make him sad
She knows that the conversation will be emotionally difficult for both of them
She know she doesn't love him
She understands that she does not have romantic feelings towards him
And there's nothing he can do
She knows his efforts to win her affections will be fruitless
She has to say they're through
She must end the romantic relationship
One way love
The relationship is unrequited and coming to an end
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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