The band consisted of childhood friends of U2's Bono and The Edge. Lypton Village was a 'youthful gang' created by Bono, Guggi and Gavin in the early 70s, where every member got a new identity and where they could escape from dreary and predictable Dublin life and be anything they wanted to be. It was both lead singers Gavin Friday (Fionan Hanvey) and Guggi (Derek Rowan) who first gave a teenaged Paul Hewson his alter-ego and world-famous moniker... 'Bono Vox of O'Connell Street', later simply 'Bono'. Known for its outrageous and controversial stage performances led by the bands' theatrical singer/songwriter Friday, they first began playing small shows in Dublin gaining them a cult audience and ridicule from the culturally conservative community. With an audience the band were able to issue their first single in 1980, the independently-produced "Twenty Tens (I've Been Smoking All Night)," which led to a deal with the Rough Trade Records.
Gavin Friday and Guggi, along with third vocalist 'Dave-iD Busaras'(David Scott Watson), guitarist Dik Evans (brother of U2's The Edge), bassist Strongman (Trevor Rowan, brother of Guggi) and drummer Pod (Anthony Murphy), completed the original lineup. Soon after the release of their first single the bands drummer, Pod, left the group and was replaced by Haa-Lacka Binttii (aka Bintii, aka Princess Tinymeat, neé Daniel Figgis).
1981 to 1982 would see the band release many innovative and creative projects such as "A New Form of Beauty", a project that contained four chapters and was released in various formats. In 1982 the Virgin Prunes released their debut album ...If I die, I die. Heresie, a French boxset, was also released. The boxset was a performance-art piece which mixed studio and live recordings together.
A new drummer was also brought in during this period, Mary D'Nellon taking over for Binttii.
In 1984 both Guggi and Dik Evans, unhappy with the music business, left the band. This forced drummer, Mary D'Nellon to take up the guitar and allowed Pod to return as the band's drummer. The Virgin Prunes started to record the album Sons Find Devils, which has never been released.
In 1985, confusingly enough, a retrospective video titled Sons Find Devils was released; this video had nothing to do with the unreleased album of the same name. Later that same year, Over the Rainbow, a compilation of rarities, was also released.
In the summer of 1986 the band, now a four-piece recording music written for 'Sons Find Devils', finally released a new album, The Moon Looked Down and Laughed. Also that year frontman Gavin Friday left the group. His departure was confirmed in the liner notes of the band's 1987 live album The Hidden Lie which contained a short statement confirming the band's break-up.
After disbanding as The Virgin Prunes, D'Nellon, Strongman and Busaras formed an offshoot group called The Prunes, which released three albums between 1988 and 1990 (Lite Fantastik, 1988; Nada, 1989; and Blossoms & Blood, 1990). Dik Evans played on The Prunes' album Lite Fantastik.
Note: Guggi and Strongman's youngest brother Peter Rowan (nicknamed 'Radar') was the little boy whose image has appeared on countless U2 album and single sleeves over the years, most notably 'Boy', 'War' and 'Best of 1980-1990'. Peter is now an acclaimed professional photographer in Dublin, recently utilizing the new spelling 'Rowen' for his surname in order to avoid confusion with the American bluegrass musician Peter Rowan.
In 1998, Cleopatra Records re-released the Sons Find Devils video, along with a soundtrack album on CD. This was the first commercially-available Virgin Prunes material to be released since 1993 and, for a few years, the only commercially available full-length Virgin Prunes album on compact disc (though studio recordings of the songs "Baby Turns Blue," "Pagan Lovesong," and "Caucasion Walk" had cropped up on CD compilations of various Goth and other dark/avant-garde post-punk bands).
Gavin Friday has since had a reasonably successful solo career in both music and film. Guggi remains an influential artist in Dublin. Dave-id still records as a solo artist in Ireland. After 20 years of self-imposed seclusion from the rock world, Dik Evans recently gave an overview of his and brother Edge's early years in U2 for the December 2005 issue of 'Word Magazine'. Trevor, Mary and Anthony Murphy live quietly throughout Europe.
As of 2004, Daniel Figgis is currently composer in residence with Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown, Dublin. He has also released a considerable amount of solo material, both vocal and all-instrumental, since departing from The Virgin Prunes.
After much talk, years of anticipation from fans, and with much input from the band, The Virgin Prunes' discography was remastered and reissued on Mute Records, which included ...If I Die, I Die, the Moon Looked Down and Laughed, Over the Rainbow, Heresie and an album of selections from the A New Form of Beauty series.
As of 2006, Bono, Gavin and Guggi continue to be the figurative 'Three Musketeers' of Baile Átha Claith, having remained best friends for nearly 35 years while sustaining positive influence in Dublin culture, politics and re-development.
Betrayal
The Virgin Prunes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now what are we supposed to be
Were so afraid of something new
You know its true
You turn around and then its gone
You cant be sure if its the same old song
Were so afraid of everyone
Please let this be love
A love that is so true
Its all up to me
Its all up to you
Time will let you know
Whatever will be
Whatever you do
Time will let you know
You see your folks and all their friends
Aint it funny how the story ends
You wonder why youre hanging on
When its gone
Please let this be love
A love that is so true
Its all up to me
Its all up to you
Time will let you know
Whatever will be
Whatever you do
Time will let you know
Repeat chorus
Look at you and look at me
Now what are we supposed to be
Were so afraid of something new
You know its true
The lyrics to The Virgin Prunes's song "Betrayal" seem to speak to the fear and uncertainty that can come with new or changing relationships. The opening lines, "Look at you and look at me / Now what are we supposed to be" suggest a feeling of confusion about what role the two people are supposed to play in each other's lives. The next line, "We're so afraid of something new / You know it's true" reinforces this idea of fear and uncertainty around the newness of a relationship, which can leave both parties feeling unsure about where things will go.
The second verse continues to explore this theme of uncertainty, with lines like "You can't be sure if it's the same old song / We're so afraid of everyone / Afraid of the sun." Here, the use of "the same old song" suggests a fear of falling into familiar patterns or routines that may not be healthy for the relationship. The fear of "everyone" and "the sun" implies a fear of what others may think or say about the relationship, which can cause tension and ultimately lead to its downfall.
The chorus of the song shifts the focus to the idea of love and the hope that it can bring. The repeated plea for "a love that is so true" suggests a desire for something real and meaningful, possibly in contrast to the fear and uncertainty expressed in the verses. The lines "It's all up to me / It's all up to you / Time will let you know" further reinforce the idea that the future of the relationship is ultimately in the hands of those involved, and that time will reveal what its true nature is.
Overall, "Betrayal" seems to be a reflection on the complicated nature of relationships, particularly those that are new or changing. While there is a sense of fear and uncertainty in the lyrics, there is also a underlying hope that love will ultimately prevail.
Line by Line Meaning
Look at you and look at me
We are looking at each other and wondering what we are supposed to be.
Now what are we supposed to be
We are uncertain about our identities and roles in this relationship.
Were so afraid of something new
We are scared of trying new things in this relationship.
You know its true
We both acknowledge that we are afraid of something new.
You turn around and then its gone
Something disappears as soon as we seem to find it or get comfortable with it.
You cant be sure if its the same old song
We are uncertain if we are just repeating the same routine or if something is genuinely changing.
Were so afraid of everyone
We are scared of what others might think or say about our relationship.
Afraid of the sun
We are scared of any potential exposure or vulnerability that might come with this relationship.
Please let this be love
We hope and pray that this is true, genuine love.
A love that is so true
We desire a love that is authentic and sincere.
Its all up to me
I have some personal responsibility in making this relationship work.
Its all up to you
You have some personal responsibility in making this relationship work.
Time will let you know
Time will reveal the true nature of this relationship.
Whatever will be
The outcome of this relationship is uncertain and not predetermined.
Whatever you do
Your actions and decisions in this relationship will have consequences.
Time will let you know
Time is the ultimate revealer of truths in relationships.
Repeat chorus
Repeating the same yearning for a true and authentic love.
Look at you and look at me
Repeating the initial uncertainty of our roles and identities in this relationship.
Now what are we supposed to be
Repeating the question of our purpose in this relationship.
Were so afraid of something new
Repeating the fear of trying and embracing new things in this relationship.
Contributed by Mia O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sekkiano Rin
So good!