Come on Eileen
Encyclopedia
"Come On Eileen" was a single released by Dexys Midnight Runners
in 1982. The song was written by Kevin Rowland
, "Big" Jim Paterson, and Billy Adams; it was produced by Clive Langer
and Alan Winstanley
. It also appeared on the album Too-Rye-Ay
. It was their first #1 hit in the United Kingdom
since 1980's "Geno
".
The song won Best British Single at the 1983 Brit Awards
.
-style fiddle played over a drum beat, with the bass guitar and piano providing accompaniment. The original single version has an additional intro of a Celtic fiddle solo, playing Thomas Moore
's Irish folk song Believe Me, if All Those Endearing Young Charms
.
The chorus was loosely inspired by the song "A Man Like Me" by the 1960s British soul group Jimmy James
and the Vagabonds.
The bridge
of "Come On Eileen" features an improvised counter-melody
which begins in a slow tempo and gets faster and faster over an accelerando
vocal backing. The chord sequence of the bridge is actually the same as the verses but transposed up by a whole tone.
Throughout the song, there are numerous tempo changes and key changes:
to accompany the single was directed by Julien Temple
. It features members of the band wearing sleeveless shirts and dungarees.
The "Eileen" as featured in the video (and on the record sleeve) is Máire Fahey, sister of Siobhan Fahey
, former singer with Bananarama
and Shakespear's Sister. The American singer Johnnie Ray
, an early rock-and-roll crooner mentioned in the opening lyrics, is also featured in the video using old film footage.
Filming took place on Brook Drive, Kennington, London. The corner store which was called "Vi's Stores" in the video is located at the corner of Brook Drive and Hayles Street. It is now called Brook Drive Mini Market and can be seen on Google Street View
.
and reached number one in April 1983 on the Billboard Hot 100
in the United States
. It also holds the distinction of preventing Michael Jackson from having back-to-back number one hits in the U.S. The number one hits "Billie Jean
" and "Beat It
" were separated by Dexys Midnight Runners' one-week stay at the top.
The song was also successful in Ireland, where it reached number one and spent a total of 11 weeks in the charts.
It is a common example of a one-hit wonder
in the U.S., as the band failed to reach similar popularity with any of their later songs, though in the UK they had already reached number one two years earlier with "Geno
", and went on to have further hits.
In a poll by Channel 4, a UK TV channel, the song was placed at number 38 in the 100 greatest number 1 singles of all time. Similar polls by the music channel VH1 placed the song at number 3 in the 100 Greatest One-hit Wonders of all time, number 18 in the Top 100 Songs of the 1980s and number 1 in the 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s.
band Save Ferris
(who replaced the strings with a horn section), folk metal band Skyclad
, French art band Nouvelle Vague
, the Japanese band nil, and Badly Drawn Boy
.
In 2004, a band called 4-4-2 covered this song as "Come On England
" with altered lyrics to support the England national football team
during their appearance in the 2004 European Championships.
Australian alternative rock band Eskimo Joe
were inspired by the song to create a 2009 track, Don't Let Me Down
from the album Inshalla.
In 2010, Street Corner Symphony
, an a cappella
group from Nashville, performed a version of the song on the NBC show The Sing-Off
.
Dexys Midnight Runners
Dexys Midnight Runners are a British pop group with soul influences, who achieved their major success in the early to mid 1980s. They are best known for their songs "Come On Eileen" and "Geno", both of which went No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart....
in 1982. The song was written by Kevin Rowland
Kevin Rowland
Kevin Rowland is an English singer-songwriter and former frontman for the pop band Dexys Midnight Runners, which had several hits in the early 1980s, the most notable being "Geno" and "Come On Eileen".-Career:...
, "Big" Jim Paterson, and Billy Adams; it was produced by Clive Langer
Clive Langer
Clive Langer is a British record producer active from the mid 1970s onwards. He usually works with Alan Winstanley. He composed the music for the films Still Crazy and Brothers of the Head. Prior to his record producing career he was a guitarist with the British cult band Deaf SchoolLanger...
and Alan Winstanley
Alan Winstanley
Alan Kenneth Winstanley is a British record producer active from the mid-1970s onwards. He usually works with Clive Langer.-Notable studio albums produced by Alan Winstanley and Clive Langer:* One Step Beyond... – Madness...
. It also appeared on the album Too-Rye-Ay
Too-Rye-Ay
Too-Rye-Ay is the second album by Dexys Midnight Runners, released in August 1982 . The album is best known for the hit single "Come On Eileen".-Track listing:#"The Celtic Soul Brothers" – 3:08...
. It was their first #1 hit in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
since 1980's "Geno
Geno (song)
"Geno" is a song by Dexys Midnight Runners which reached #1 on the UK singles chart for two weeks in May 1980. Written by Kevin 'Al' Archer and Kevin Rowland, it was band's second single and their first number one...
".
The song won Best British Single at the 1983 Brit Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
.
Composition
The song begins with CelticCeltic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
-style fiddle played over a drum beat, with the bass guitar and piano providing accompaniment. The original single version has an additional intro of a Celtic fiddle solo, playing Thomas Moore
Thomas Moore
Thomas Moore was an Irish poet, singer, songwriter, and entertainer, now best remembered for the lyrics of The Minstrel Boy and The Last Rose of Summer. He was responsible, with John Murray, for burning Lord Byron's memoirs after his death...
's Irish folk song Believe Me, if All Those Endearing Young Charms
Believe Me, if All Those Endearing Young Charms
"Believe Me, if All Those Endearing Young Charms" is a popular folk song of early 19th century Ireland and America. Irish poet Thomas Moore wrote the words to a traditional Irish air in 1808. His lyrics are as follows:**...
.
The chorus was loosely inspired by the song "A Man Like Me" by the 1960s British soul group Jimmy James
Jimmy James (Singer)
Jimmy James is a soul music singer, known for songs like Come To Me Softly, Now Is the Time and I'll Go Where the Music Takes Me.-The Vagabonds:...
and the Vagabonds.
The bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
of "Come On Eileen" features an improvised counter-melody
Counter-melody
In music, counter-melody is a sequence of notes, perceived as a melody, written to be played simultaneously with a more prominent lead melody. Typically a counter-melody performs a subordinate role, and is heard in a texture consisting of a melody plus accompaniment...
which begins in a slow tempo and gets faster and faster over an accelerando
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
vocal backing. The chord sequence of the bridge is actually the same as the verses but transposed up by a whole tone.
Throughout the song, there are numerous tempo changes and key changes:
| Section | Introduction | Verses | Chorus and bridge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key | F major F major F major is a musical major scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat . It is by far the oldest key signature with an accidental, predating the others by hundreds of years... |
C major C major C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor.... |
D major D major D major is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature consists of two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor.... |
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
to accompany the single was directed by Julien Temple
Julien Temple
Julien Temple is an English film, documentary and music video director. He began his career with short films featuring the Sex Pistols, and has continued with various off-beat projects, including The Great Rock And Roll Swindle, Absolute Beginners and a documentary film about Glastonbury.-Temple...
. It features members of the band wearing sleeveless shirts and dungarees.
The "Eileen" as featured in the video (and on the record sleeve) is Máire Fahey, sister of Siobhan Fahey
Siobhan Fahey
Siobhan Fahey is an Irish musician and founding member of the 1980s British girl group Bananarama, and later formed the BRIT Award and Ivor Novello award winning musical outfit Shakespears Sister.-Career:Fahey was born the eldest of three daughters to Helen and...
, former singer with Bananarama
Bananarama
Bananarama are an English female pop duo who have had success on the pop and dance charts since 1982. Rather than relying on a two part harmony, the duo generally sings in unison, as do their background vocalists. Although there have been line-up changes, the group enjoyed their most popular...
and Shakespear's Sister. The American singer Johnnie Ray
Johnnie Ray
Johnnie Ray was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Popular for most of the 1950s, Ray has been cited by critics as a major precursor of what would become rock and roll, for his jazz and blues-influenced music and his animated stage personality.-Early life:John Alvin Ray was born in...
, an early rock-and-roll crooner mentioned in the opening lyrics, is also featured in the video using old film footage.
Filming took place on Brook Drive, Kennington, London. The corner store which was called "Vi's Stores" in the video is located at the corner of Brook Drive and Hayles Street. It is now called Brook Drive Mini Market and can be seen on Google Street View
Google Street View
Google Street View is a technology featured in Google Maps and Google Earth that provides panoramic views from various positions along many streets in the world...
.
Chart success
In the British charts, the song spent four weeks at number one in August 1982. This success was repeated around the globe; it spent five weeks as the Kent Report's number one in AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and reached number one in April 1983 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It also holds the distinction of preventing Michael Jackson from having back-to-back number one hits in the U.S. The number one hits "Billie Jean
Billie Jean
"Billie Jean" is a dance-pop/R&B song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was written, composed, and co-produced by Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones from the singer's sixth album, Thriller . Originally disliked by Jones, the track was almost removed from the album after he and...
" and "Beat It
Beat It
"Beat It" is a song written and performed by American recording artist Michael Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones . It is the third single from the singer's sixth solo album, Thriller . Eddie Van Halen was hired to add the song's distinctive overdriven guitar solo, but was prevented by his...
" were separated by Dexys Midnight Runners' one-week stay at the top.
The song was also successful in Ireland, where it reached number one and spent a total of 11 weeks in the charts.
It is a common example of a one-hit wonder
One-hit wonder
A one-hit wonder is a person or act known mainly for only a single success. The term is most often used to describe music performers with only one hit single.-Characteristics:...
in the U.S., as the band failed to reach similar popularity with any of their later songs, though in the UK they had already reached number one two years earlier with "Geno
Geno (song)
"Geno" is a song by Dexys Midnight Runners which reached #1 on the UK singles chart for two weeks in May 1980. Written by Kevin 'Al' Archer and Kevin Rowland, it was band's second single and their first number one...
", and went on to have further hits.
In a poll by Channel 4, a UK TV channel, the song was placed at number 38 in the 100 greatest number 1 singles of all time. Similar polls by the music channel VH1 placed the song at number 3 in the 100 Greatest One-hit Wonders of all time, number 18 in the Top 100 Songs of the 1980s and number 1 in the 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s.
| Chart Performance | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 1 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
1 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
1 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
1 |
Cover versions
The song has been covered by several artists including the skaSka
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
band Save Ferris
Save Ferris
Save Ferris was a ska punk band formed circa 1995 in Orange County, California. Their name is a reference to the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off.-History:...
(who replaced the strings with a horn section), folk metal band Skyclad
Skyclad (band)
Skyclad are a British heavy metal band with heavy folk influences in their music. They are considered one of the pioneers of folk metal. The etymology behind the term "skyclad" comes from a pagan/wiccan term for ritual nudity, in which rituals are performed with the participants metaphorically clad...
, French art band Nouvelle Vague
Nouvelle Vague (band)
Nouvelle Vague is a French musical collective led by musicians Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux. Their name is a play on words, meaning "new wave" in French, and "bossa nova" in Portuguese...
, the Japanese band nil, and Badly Drawn Boy
Badly Drawn Boy
Damon Gough is an English alternative music singer/songwriter. He was born on 2 October 1969, in Dunstable, Bedfordshire. He grew up in the Breightmet area of Bolton, Lancashire, England....
.
In 2004, a band called 4-4-2 covered this song as "Come On England
Come on England
Come On England, a music single by the band 4-4-2. A football-themed song, it was released in June 2004 to coincide with the England national team's appearance at the European Championships. It entered the UK Singles Chart at number 2....
" with altered lyrics to support the England national football team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
during their appearance in the 2004 European Championships.
Australian alternative rock band Eskimo Joe
Eskimo Joe
Eskimo Joe is an Australian alternative rock band formed by Stuart MacLeod on guitars, Joel Quartermain on drums and guitar and Kavyen Temperley on bass guitar and vocals, in East Fremantle, Western Australia in 1997....
were inspired by the song to create a 2009 track, Don't Let Me Down
Don't Let Me Down (Eskimo Joe song)
"Don't Let Me Down" is the third single by Eskimo Joe, taken from their fourth studio album Inshalla. It was released on 11 September 2009 as a digital download only...
from the album Inshalla.
In 2010, Street Corner Symphony
Street Corner Symphony (group)
Street Corner Symphony is an a cappella group from Nashville, Tennessee and a contestant on the second season of NBC's reality show The Sing-Off. During the The Sing-Off season finale, Street Corner Symphony claimed the second place title, losing the championship to Huntsville, Alabama group...
, an a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
group from Nashville, performed a version of the song on the NBC show The Sing-Off
The Sing-Off
The Sing-Off is an American television singing competition featuring a cappella groups. It premiered on NBC on December 14, 2009, and is produced by Sony Pictures Television....
.
Other media
- The song was used as a background tune in a 2009 episode of the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
police drama Ashes to AshesAshes to Ashes-As a metaphor:* "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust", a phrase from the Anglican burial service, used sometimes to denote total finality. It is based on scriptural texts such as "Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return" , and "I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them...
(set in 1982) where a gypsy girl (played by Ellie PaskellEllie PaskellEllie Paskell is a British actress who trained at Guildford school of acting. She began acting when, aged 11, she joined the Carol Godby Theatre Workshop....
) gave birth to a baby girl who was named Eileen after a sarcastic remark by Gene HuntGene HuntDCI Gene Hunt is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama Life on Mars and its sequel, Ashes to Ashes. The character is portrayed by Philip Glenister in both Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes, whereas in the American version he is portrayed by Harvey Keitel.The...
(Philip GlenisterPhilip GlenisterPhilip Haywood Glenister is an English actor, known for his role as DCI Gene Hunt in British television series Life On Mars and its sequel Ashes To Ashes.-Television and films:...
). - On 7 August 2005 the song was used to awake the astronauts of Space Shuttle DiscoverySpace Shuttle DiscoverySpace Shuttle Discovery is one of the retired orbiters of the Space Shuttle program of NASA, the space agency of the United States, and was operational from its maiden flight, STS-41-D on August 30, 1984, until its final landing during STS-133 on March 9, 2011...
on the final day of STS-114STS-114-Original crew:This mission was to carry the Expedition 7 crew to the ISS and bring home the Expedition 6 crew. The original crew was to be:-Mission highlights:...
in reference to commander Eileen CollinsEileen CollinsEileen Marie Collins is a retired American astronaut and a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel. A former military instructor and test pilot, Collins was the first female pilot and first female commander of a Space Shuttle. She was awarded several medals for her work. Col. Collins has logged 38 days 8...
.
- A portion of the song appeared during a flashback dream from 1983 for the character Brian in the cult British sitcom SpacedSpacedSpaced is a British television sitcom written by and starring Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson, and directed by Edgar Wright. It is noted for its rapid-fire editing, frequent pop culture references and jokes, eclectic music, and occasional displays of surrealism and non-sequitur humour...
.
Musicians (band members)
- Kevin RowlandKevin RowlandKevin Rowland is an English singer-songwriter and former frontman for the pop band Dexys Midnight Runners, which had several hits in the early 1980s, the most notable being "Geno" and "Come On Eileen".-Career:...
– vocals - Billy Adams – banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
and backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Giorgio Kilkenny – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and backing vocals - Seb SheltonSeb SheltonSeb Shelton is a British musician who was a drummer for the bands The Young Bucks , Secret Affair , and Dexys Midnight Runners...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
and backing vocals - Micky Billingham – pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, accordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, and backing vocals - Helen O'HaraHelen O'HaraHelen O'Hara is a British musician, formerly a member of the band Dexys Midnight Runners between 1982 and 1987, including performing on songs such as "Come on Eileen" from the Too-Rye-Ay album....
– fiddleFiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music... - Steve Brennan – fiddle
- Jennifer Tobis – fiddle
- Roger MacDuff – fiddle
- "Big" Jim Paterson – tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
- Paul SpearePaul SpearePaul George Speare is a former member of Dexys Midnight Runners, The TKO Horns and The Expresso Bongo Orchestra.He was born to Reginald and Julia Speare, in Romford, Essex. He attended Dagenham County High School where he started playing drums, piano and viola when he was 15 years of age. At 16...
– tenor saxophoneTenor saxophoneThe tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble... - Brian Maurice – alto saxophoneAlto saxophoneThe alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions...