Revealed: The REAL inspiration behind Dexys Midnight Runners' iconic hit Come On Eileen
Come On Eileen was the best-selling single to come out of 1982 but do you know the real inspiration behind the hit track by Dexys Midnight Runners?
Founder and lead singer of the band, Kevin Rowland, has explained the meaning in a new interview while promoting his new album, The Feminine Divine.
In an interview with The Times, dungaree-loving Kevin said the inspiration was about the explosive combination of hormones and Catholicism.
He said: 'It's a very guilt-tripping religion, particularly around sex. You always had the feeling you shouldn't really be doing it. Come On Eileen is about a boy saying to a girl: "I really want to get sexual with you but my thoughts are dirty".'
'Eileen was a composite of Irish Catholic girls that I grew up with. The one thing you weren't supposed to do when you reached puberty was go with the Irish Catholic girls.
Divas in Dungarees: Come On Eileen was an iconic 80s hit - but what was the REAL inspiration behind the Dexys Midnight Runners track?
Come on, tell us: Founder and lead singer of the band, Kevin Rowland, has explained the meaning in a new interview while promoting his new album, The Feminine Divinem (pictured in October 2022)
'You were supposed to go with the English girls because they were "sl**s". That's how it was. These are the good ones -these are the ones you marry.'
The song lyrics famously include the words: Oh, I swear (what he means). At this moment. You mean everything. In that dress. Oh, my thoughts I confess. Well, they're dirty.'
Kevin, who has battled cocaine addiction, has later made amends with the women in his life who he feels he has 'harmed.'
He has a daughter called Althea Jane, who he fathered at aged 20 but he didn't meet her until she was aged 17.
Kevin said his daughter is almost 50 now and she things are good between them. He has three grandchildren.
HIs new album is more 'women-worshipping' and he has tapped into his emotions. He is now single.
Now drug-free for 30 years, Kevin will be celebrating his 70th birthday in August and he'll be celebrating with a clean birthday.
His band, Dexys, will be going on tour from September 5 and Kevin has employed an actress to play a 'goddess' on stage.
Hopefully this time around, he will have a different outlook because he admits he 'didn't enjoy any of it the first time around' admitting he was 'too competitive and too driven.'
He said: 'It's a very guilt-tripping religion, particularly around sex. You always had the feeling you shouldn't really be doing it. Come On Eileen is about a boy saying to a girl: "I really want to get sexual with you but my thoughts are dirty"'
He said: 'Eileen was a composite of Irish Catholic girls that I grew up with. The one thing you weren't supposed to do when you reached puberty was go with the Irish Catholic girls'
