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Rating: This is the story of five teenagers: the two O'Neill brothers, Feargal Sharkey, Bradley, and Doherty.
We are in the second half of the 1970s in Derry, Northern Ireland, the Ireland of Bobby Sands.
Ireland is that place where in summer, if the sky clears, the sun beats down like in the Po Valley. Then a big cloud appears, and the rain comes down fine and soaks your bones.
The five Derry boys are Catholic. Being Catholic in Derry in the '70s means being poor and unemployed. There's the Irish Question, and at the entrance to their neighborhood, a mural says: "You Are Now Entering Free Derry."
The five have known each other forever and are part of the Boy Scouts. The "cub leader" is Feargal Sharkey. They then meet at the O'Neill brothers' house and in the attic, strum the songs of their musical heroes.
After a while, they start creating their own pieces, made of simple and direct riffs, very melodic, framed by Feargal's asthmatic singing. It's power pop with punk overtones (or vice versa).
Despite the world around them being on fire, they sing about teenage problems and first loves.
It's the story of thousands and thousands of bands meeting in attics or garages: everything could end at any moment. Feargal has a steady job. As soon as the others find one, they start families and meet at the pub in the evening.
One day, a demo of theirs lands in the hands of John Peel, who listens to it and decides to play a track on his famous show. In that episode, for the first time, a song is played twice in a row...
..."Are Teenage Dreams So Hard To Beat?"
The Undertones - Self-titled album from 1979
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Family Entertainment (02:38)
So you think you're so clever never in doubt
But I've seen you two together fooling about
Don't get me wrong now I've seen what you are
Mummy wouldn't like it - its gone too far
Got to - keep it in the family
Learn to - keep it in the family
Have to - keep it in the family
Want to - keep it in the family
Playing with each other its your favourite game
You never try to hide it there's no shame
You'll soon be discovered what will you do then
Family entertainment will come to an end
Got to
02 Girls Don't Like It (02:15)
Here comes Eddie in a brand new car
Driving like that he won't get far
Kissing in the back seat all the way home
You can't do that if you're on your own
But what else can you do if the girls don't like it
Says he doesn't have nowhere else to go
No late night movies now on radio
Just a TV switched up really loud
Know what I mean it becomes part of the crowd
But what else can you do if the girls don't like it
If the girls want to know what were gonna do know
Always up to things they're not supposed to allow
Leading us on telling no
Making us stop instead of letting us go
But what else can you do if the girls don't like it
03 Male Model (01:56)
When I was young I never wanted toys
Things like that were for little boys
My mamma got me clothes for her favourite son
Freeman's item A page 61
I wanna wanna be a male model
I wanna wanna be a male model
I wanna wanna be a ... model ... model
Read women's magazines for fashion scenes
Til you know the prices they're in pounds and pence
Reminds me that I can't afford to buy new clothes
I never got a chance to say I'll take those
I wanna wanna be ...
I'm fed up of wearing things second hand
The coat that must belong to another man
Sizes that got out of style years ago
Anything cheap I don't wanna know
05 Teenage Kicks (02:27)
Are teenage dreams so hard to beat
Every time she walks down the street
Another girl in the neighbourhood
Wish she was mine, she looks so good
I wanna hold her, wanna hold her tight
Get teenage kicks right through the night
I'm gonna call her on the telephone
Have her over cos I'm all alone
I need excitement, oh I need it bad
And its the best I've ever had
I wanna hold her, wanna hold her tight
Get teenage kicks right through the night
I wanna hold her, wanna hold her tight
Get teenage kicks right through the night
06 Wrong Way (01:24)
Stop treating me this way girl
Cos you know I meant no harm
Is this the way you wanted to be now
My head's going round and round
I can't understand the way things are
This is the wrong way
You will have to change someday
08 Here Comes the Summer (01:45)
Oh baby baby what can I do
You know you drive me crazy when I'm looking at you
The summer's really here and it's time to come out
Time to discover what fun is about
Here comes the summer
Here comes the summer
Here comes the summer
Keep looking for the girls with their faces all tanned
Lying on the beaches all covered in sand
Stretching out their long legs lying in the sun
They know they're beautiful they're having fun
Here comes the summer
11 Jimmy Jimmy (02:43)
Little mummy's boy
He wasn't very old
Though he was very small
He did what he was told
Jimmy Jimmy
Jimmy Jimmy - Oooh
Jimmy Jimmy
Poor little Jimmy wouldn't let go
He'd stay awake at night
Lying in his bed
No one ever listened
To a single word he said
Jimmy Jimmy
Jimmy Jimmy - Oooh
Jimmy Jimmy
Poor little Jimmy wouldn't let go
(Silly boy)
(Silly boy)
(Silly boy)
(Such a silly boy)
Jimmy Jimmy
Jimmy Jimmy - Oooh
Jimmy Jimmy
Poor little Jimmy wouldn't let go
Now little Jimmy's gone
He disappeared one day
But no one saw the ambulance
That took little Jim away
Jimmy Jimmy
Jimmy Jimmy - Oooh
Jimmy Jimmy
Poor little Jimmy wouldn't let go
Jimmy Jimmy
Jimmy Jimmy - Oooh
Jimmy Jimmy
Poor little Jimmy wouldn't let go
(Poor little Jimmy wouldn't let go)
Jimmy Jimmy
Jimmy Jimmy - Oooh
Jimmy Jimmy
Jimmy Jimmy - Oooh
12 True Confessions (02:23)
Don't look so surprised
You've been telling me lies
True - true - true - confessions
It's hard to wake up to your makeup
So let's take off that disguise
Oh your true - true - true - confessions
Let's sit down and sort this out
Its not so hard to talk about
True - true - true - confessions
I got a picture from your sister
There was writing on the back
True - true - true - confessions
15 Listening In (02:26)
I was sitting on my own
No one rang so I picked up the phone
Then I heard your voice
I was listening in
You were talking in the hall
I wasn't there but I heard it all
Nothing I could do
Just listening in
On the carpet you're so small
Who had you covered wall to wall
Nothing I could do
Just listening in
Now you're gone any your line's dead
Nothing I can do instead
No more - no more
No more listening in
16 Casbah Rock (00:48)
Now it won't take long
Now before you know
If you're not thrown out
Then you'll want to go
Cos you'll never get pop at the Casbah Rock
You'll never get pop at the Casbah Rock
Ooh you won't get pop at the Casbah Rock
You'll never get pop at the
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Other reviews
By Riff&Raff
"The real gem of the album, however, is 'Teenage Kicks', which can surely be considered a generational anthem."
"Far from the anger and frustration that fueled most British bands of '77, The Undertones imbue their compositions with optimism and lightheartedness."
