The original song was written about the Hunger Strikes but one of the band members re-wrote it and watered it down. The Undertones weren't about protesting or singing about the troubles but the problems of being a teenager and being in love. People in NI were able to forget about what was going around them for a short time.
Interresting. I'm from USA wherre very few people knew The Undertones. I had a friend who had more than a thousand records and played the underrtones forr me. BTW, very differrent song wrriter, but the same thing happened with Elton John's song Daniel which was orriginally about a Vietnam Vet and I think the record company said "No Way!"
Well I must say.. I remember that song and the meaning escaped me completely. Mind you, I didn't have a clue what Oliver Zarmy was about either! BTW there was a Welsh group called Ail Symudiad inspired by the Tones who imo had better melodies.
This is the very first record I bought with my own money. I was 18. So much great stuff in the 70's and 80's. I was into the rock of Queen and the progressive beauty of Yes. Then I enjoyed the punk, new wave and new romantic pop eras. Finally I was seduced by the indie scene, fell in love with REM and even explored the majesty of Bob Dylan. I could name loads of bands who were good or great back then. And now its like a dream. I never thought it would end. I watched some of Glastonbury a couple of weeks ago. Dreadful is not the word. Tragic it most certainly was. Apart from the occasional track and the occasional band that are merely good, music has died. You never appreciate what you had until its gone I guess. The amusing thing is that these so called artists are introduced to us as if they are great and music has never been better. How. Fucking. Sad.
I was only little when they were in the charts towards the end of the 70s and into the 80s. Like Jimmy Jimmy and Wednesday Week in addition to obviously Teenage Kicks.
Thanks, a lot, for posting this. Criminal that these fellows didn't get the attention they deserved early on. And the humor? Putting out "More Songs About Chocolate and Girls" in the wake of "More Songs about Buildings and Food"? There's nothing to not like about a choice like that. I worked with a crew of Irish guys in 1987. They wigged a little bit when I popped in a mix tape and for the rest of the summer I was 'Undertoones Maahn'.. "Julie Ocean" is about as perfect as a pop song gets. BRILLIANT. I've got to drag out my vinyl and burn some of their goodies for in the car. Thanks again.
"More Songs About Chocolate and Girls" was actually in response to an insult by Stiff Little Fingers, who said they did songs about chocolate and girls
I first heard this on college radio. It stuck in my head all these years and I looked it up, and was pleasantly surprised to find this. Catchy and whimsical!
John O'Neill, the band's lyricist, wrote the song in protest against the death of the Bobby Sands, the IRA hunger-striker.No one seemed to notice, even though John wore a black armband when the 'Undertones' appeared on 'Top of the Pops' a few days after Sands' death.
Commemorating Bobby Sands and commenting on the hunger strikes at the Maze and why they were happening. In the sidelong terms that could still get played on Radio 1 and see them on Top of The Pops.
It's going to happen by the undertones is an absolute brilliant song I'm forever listening to it and it's one of my favourites it's what I call real and proper music not like some of the shit and rubbish you hear today greetings from Swansea South Wales UK 🏴
Yep especially The Jam no group had more No 1's than them in the 80's and they split in 82 but songs like this were a much needed release from shit like Duran Duran etc...
Brilliant. Five working class lads from a council estate in Northern Ireland playing around with cheap instruments. The heart and soul of music. Not like the manufactured rubbish of X factor and similar stuff.
Love this song definitely a simple happy song in a time when they were growing up in Northern Ireland always makes me laugh the antics thanks for sharing it
Brilliant track, great melody and edging away from punk & towards the SKA sound of the early 80 with the addition of a brass section. Initially was about the hunger strikers, but lyrics toned down for release. The best bands are those that maintain their integrity. and the Undertones certainly did that.
I never really listen to Them, now I have and they are more than the boppy, poppy, bubblegum pop I thought They were at first. Listen First, Speak, Second. Very Talented, Awesome Band!!!
The number of people, ESPECIALLY radio programmers, who just CAN'T get beyond "Teenage kicks"!. This, Julie Ocean and Wednesday week are three minute pop GOLD!!.
Good tonic for studying hard taking a break listening to 'It's gonna happen' by the Undertones & Kim Wilde's 'Chequered Love' and getting a C pass in my Statistics exam.
Bought this in 84 .. Unreal 40 years old. Still love it . Great
stupid religon
THIS SONG IS FROM 1981 ........DEERY BHOYS
The utterly wonderful and distinctive voice of Feargal Sharkey. Great song
Great performer with an awesome name.
Great tune still, in 2024. Refreshing!
stupid relgion
The influence of the undertones on future bands is more than people realise..you can see and hear britpops Pulp and the Smiths here.
Jarvis Cocker has copied Fergals moves. Most definitely.
Franz Ferdinand too!
oh definitely! they'll be bigger than the Stones or Beatles for sure.
Sharkey wasn't anything like that Morrissey idiot.
Yes! I think David Byrnes of the Talking Heads copied some of this lead singer's dance moves for their Once in a Lifetime video!
Possibly the pinnacle of a fantastic career. Love 'em to bits
How can you not like the Undertones, 80's music at its best
*70S
the best band out of ireland ever... my favorite irish band
Who said we dont like it
One of my favorite songs ever. That distinctive Sharkey vocal and such a catchy beat.
This song has once again been in my head all week. Such a great song
Great single...still love this song 40+ years on.
It's brilliant. 50p from Woolworths. Still got it.
Brilliant band,hugely underrated. Great times.
ain't that the truth!
Agree 100%
@@TimBurVlogs c
Always had this as their best tune
Love it me too
Best Undertones song EVER
Tru say
Agreed!
Me too. Love it.
The original song was written about the Hunger Strikes but one of the band members re-wrote it and watered it down. The Undertones weren't about protesting or singing about the troubles but the problems of being a teenager and being in love. People in NI were able to forget about what was going around them for a short time.
So True 🎸🎸🎸👍👍👍
Please link the original!
Interresting. I'm from USA wherre very few people knew The Undertones. I had a friend who had more than a thousand records and played the underrtones forr me. BTW, very differrent song wrriter, but the same thing happened with Elton John's song Daniel which was orriginally about a Vietnam Vet and I think the record company said "No Way!"
Well I must say.. I remember that song and the meaning escaped me completely. Mind you, I didn't have a clue what Oliver Zarmy was about either!
BTW there was a Welsh group called Ail Symudiad inspired by the Tones who imo had better melodies.
❤
Bloody great
A very underrated song.
Not for me
Never met anyone worth knowing that didn't rate this
I see what you did there. ;-)
Awesome bloody band, greetings from argentina
Unique voice, great band, so underrated :-( Love the 80's!
This is the very first record I bought with my own money. I was 18. So much great stuff in the 70's and 80's. I was into the rock of Queen and the progressive beauty of Yes. Then I enjoyed the punk, new wave and new romantic pop eras. Finally I was seduced by the indie scene, fell in love with REM and even explored the majesty of Bob Dylan. I could name loads of bands who were good or great back then. And now its like a dream. I never thought it would end. I watched some of Glastonbury a couple of weeks ago. Dreadful is not the word. Tragic it most certainly was. Apart from the occasional track and the occasional band that are merely good, music has died. You never appreciate what you had until its gone I guess. The amusing thing is that these so called artists are introduced to us as if they are great and music has never been better. How. Fucking. Sad.
First band I ever saw live. Glasgow Apollo 1981. Blew me away.
First band I saw in the Apollo was Supertramp..great venue..xx
I've always loved Feargal Sharkey's so special voice (was well as his solo disks !) miss him so much ....
Iconic track / love it
He's still alive and well
Such an amazing back catalogue. Shame everyone seems to only remember teenage kicks.
Good band, some great tunes, especially julie ocean.
They definitely got better and more interesting which each subsequent album. Sin of Pride is my personal favorite.
So much more than teenage kicks, what a band they were.
I was only little when they were in the charts towards the end of the 70s and into the 80s. Like Jimmy Jimmy and Wednesday Week in addition to obviously Teenage Kicks.
One of the best by the Undertones.
What a great tune!
"Watching your friends passing by/
going to sleep without blinking a blue eye."
One of my fave rhyming couplets.
Brilliant rawness to the Undertones and so underrated just class
Memories!!!
So refreshing hearing this again 😀🎶🎤🎸🎺🎷🔥🔥🔥❤️❤️
Proper music. With soul.
Hugely underrated.
Loved this song for years
Not heard this for years. Sooooo good!
What a tune..1981 ❤
Such a brilliant song with a delightful video to match. . . Pure joy. . .
I always remember this at the time of the Hunger strikes of 81.
Amazing group
Thanks, a lot, for posting this. Criminal that these fellows didn't get the attention they deserved early on. And the humor? Putting out "More Songs About Chocolate and Girls" in the wake of "More Songs about Buildings and Food"? There's nothing to not like about a choice like that.
I worked with a crew of Irish guys in 1987. They wigged a little bit when I popped in a mix tape and for the rest of the summer I was 'Undertoones Maahn'..
"Julie Ocean" is about as perfect as a pop song gets. BRILLIANT.
I've got to drag out my vinyl and burn some of their goodies for in the car.
Thanks again.
"More Songs About Chocolate and Girls" was actually in response to an insult by Stiff Little Fingers, who said they did songs about chocolate and girls
Great memories of this band, when I was a teenager. Played their tapes all the time.
Brilliant song got the album miss those days
I think when they debut this song on Top of the Pops Bobby Sands had died. Great band. YOU ARE NOW ENTERING FREE DERRY!
spot on ...also wore black armbands .think this song is about what was happening then
Most underatted band ever. The distinct voice of Feargal Sharkey.
Great band.great songs.so underated never got the credit they deserve
I first heard this on college radio. It stuck in my head all these years and I looked it up, and was pleasantly surprised to find this. Catchy and whimsical!
Great tune.undertones were brilliant 👍👍
Such a great singles band!
John O'Neill, the band's lyricist, wrote the song in protest against the death of the Bobby Sands, the IRA hunger-striker.No one seemed to notice, even though John wore a black armband when the 'Undertones' appeared on 'Top of the Pops' a few days after Sands' death.
Hi,
If you take out the line about "Mr X and the fat girl", the lyrics fit that very well.
fuck the unionist and english stupitidy free ireland no matter what form of christianaty you practice
Love how they felt the need to write "Tea" on the mugs, just in case anyone would doubt it wasn't. Brilliant song and video.
Commemorating Bobby Sands and commenting on the hunger strikes at the Maze and why they were happening. In the sidelong terms that could still get played on Radio 1 and see them on Top of The Pops.
Wonderful music. One of my favourite band.
It's going to happen by the undertones is an absolute brilliant song I'm forever listening to it and it's one of my favourites it's what I call real and proper music not like some of the shit and rubbish you hear today greetings from Swansea South Wales UK 🏴
LOVE THIS GROUP.... MISS THEM SO MUCH... LOVE IT.... 😊❤❤❤
Omg this is awsome I bought the single when it first came out ive still got it
god bless the undertones, i’m 18 from toronto and going to derry and visiting ireland is #1 on my bucket list !!
Here comes the summer.......my fav....
Undertones for ever
Positive Touch is one of my favourite albums of all time.
Great song! Great album! Great band!
The Undertones were new wave & their music has stood the test of time, as has The Jam, Buzzcocks, Blondie and the Stranglers.
Yep especially The Jam no group had more No 1's than them in the 80's and they split in 82 but songs like this were a much needed release from shit like Duran Duran etc...
@@warrenbaldwin1385 Duran were not shit
I didn't really discover these guys till after the fact, but I love this track.
Undertones predicted it!
The Speed Up Part of this is Mind Blowingly Brilliant!.
Great song very underrated band
Great band, great memories.
Fantastic track! Catchy fun from the uk.
Superb track. Great riff and feargals voice is superb.
Brilliant. Five working class lads from a council estate in Northern Ireland playing around with cheap instruments. The heart and soul of music. Not like the manufactured rubbish of X factor and similar stuff.
And both sides would agree.was a great band.
still one of my favourite bands
Doha Red 1
Well said. Great music comes from disadvantaged and less fortunate upcomings.
Amen to that my friend. Saw them many times, their music was joyous and lifted my soul.
I love this song so much
Best song by the boys epic
Love this song definitely a simple happy song in a time when they were growing up in Northern Ireland always makes me laugh the antics thanks for sharing it
Great band from derry a great irish city
Great British city
Brilliant track, great melody and edging away from punk & towards the SKA sound of the early 80 with the addition of a brass section. Initially was about the hunger strikers, but lyrics toned down for release. The best bands are those that maintain their integrity. and the Undertones certainly did that.
The first band ever to come out of Northern Ireland, absolutely epic.
epic ? everything's epic these days
No, that was Them with Van Morrison.
Top Class
I never really listen to Them, now I have and they are more than the boppy, poppy, bubblegum pop I thought They were at first. Listen First, Speak, Second. Very Talented, Awesome Band!!!
LOVE IT!!!
Awesome band 👊❤
Top band
The number of people, ESPECIALLY radio programmers, who just CAN'T get beyond "Teenage kicks"!. This, Julie Ocean and Wednesday week are three minute pop GOLD!!.
Fooking Brilliant,first time i heard this it blew my mind .
Great stuff..the good old days..simpler times better people.
The chorus is so catchy
amazing song ❤️ 🎶 💕
Amen
Great song
Good tonic for studying hard taking a break listening to 'It's gonna happen' by the Undertones & Kim Wilde's 'Chequered Love' and getting a C pass in my Statistics exam.
I cherish these guys!!!!
The best song by Northern Ireland's best New Wave band.
as a songwriter, i wish I'd written this, very close to perfect!
Ireland's answer to The Clash or The Jam so underrated just brilliant
Fantastic song
Brilliant
Nice song
this was their best song
Feargal Sharkey is speaking at the 2022 Labour Party Conference right now, as I type this. He's still trying to make peoples lives better. 👍
Sad socialist..labour in 2024 have ruined so many pensioners lives ..what does Sharkey think about that I wonder?
This was a big hit with black kids, believe me. We felt they were speaking for us. Greatness.
No song sums up Ireland in 1981 like this one!!
Northern Ireland
just another brilliant track from a very under rated fantastic band. 52 thumbs down???? Must be looking for CRap or Britney spears alleged music
Happy music !
The late John Peel named Teenage kicks as he's fav song.a great song but i do prefer this song more.
These days Fergal is trying to save the planet.
stupid religion
its up there with the jam brilliant northern soul
The best band to come out of Ireland...still so fresh and so bloody good! And this isn't even their best number!!
love this track
Fabulous tune...great days...62 now booooo
thought i searched Undertones and got Madness
Yes, no difference, when you think about it. 👍😎