Bitterzoete herinneringen van Kevin Rowland aan zijn jeugd in Wednesfield, een arbeiderswijk in Wolverhampton. De verteller probeert Eileen over te halen samen met hem de wijk te verlaten: These people ‘round here/Were beaten down, eyes sunk in smoke-dried face/They’re resigned to what their fate is. Qua thematiek doet Come On Eileen sterk denken aan Springsteen’s Born To Run: Oh, baby this town rips the bones from your back/It’s a death trap, it’s a suicide rap/We gotta get out while we’re young. Het gevoel opgesloten te zijn in een benauwende, bekrompen omgeving is natuurlijk herkenbaar voor iedereen die is opgegroeid in een arbeiderswijk, of dat nou in New Jersey, Wolverhampton, Amsterdam of Friesland was. De weemoed komt later.
Volgens Rowland is het verhaal geen fictie: “It’s about somebody I grew up with. It’s absolutely true all the way. I was about 14 or 15 and sex came into it and our relationship had always been so clean. It seemed at the time to get dirty and that’s what it’s about. I was really trying to capture that atmosphere.”
Come on Eileen
Come on Eileen
Poor old Johnnie Ray
Sounded sad upon the radio
But he moved a million hearts in mono
Our mothers cried
Sang along
Who’d blame them?
You’ve grown (you’re grown up)
So grown (so grown up).
Now I must say more than ever
Come on Eileen
Too-ra-loo-ra, too-ra-loo-rye, aye
And we can sing just like our fathers
Come on Eileen
Oh, I swear (what he means)
At this moment you mean everything
You in that dress
My thoughts I confess
Verge on dirty
Oh, come on Eileen
Come on Eileen
These people ‘round here
Wear beaten-down eyes sunk in smoke-dried faces
They’re so resigned to what their fate is
But not us (no, never)
No, not us (no, never)
We are far too young and clever
Remember
Too-ra-loo-ra, too-ra-loo-rye, aye
Eileen I’ll hum this tune forever
Come on Eileen
Oh, I swear what (what he means)
Ah, come on let’s take off everything
Pretty red dress
Eileen (tell him yes)
Ah, come on let’s
Ah, come on Eileen
Pretty red dress
Eileen (tell him yes)
Ah, come on let’s
Ah, come on Eileen, please
Come on Eileen, too-loo-rye-aye
Come on Eileen, too-loo-rye-aye
Now you’re all grown
Now you have shown
Oh, Eileen
Say, come on Eileen
These things they are real
And I know how you feel
Now I must say more than ever
Things ‘round here have changed
I say, too-ra-loo-ra, too-ra-loo-rye-aye
Come on Eileen
Oh, I swear (what he means)
At this moment you mean everything
You in that dress,
My thoughts I confess
Verge on dirty
Ah, come on Eileen
Ah, come on Eileen
Oh, I swear (what he means)
At this moment you mean everything
You in that dress,
My thoughts I confess
Well, they’re dirty
Come on Eileen
Come on Eileen
Uitgelichte afbeelding: By John M, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=109833969
