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'red brick paradise' lyrics & meaning :) (Patreon)

Published:
2016-09-08 13:50:10
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

HEY. So I usually post a screenshot of the lyrics all typed out, but there are so many frickin words in this one it wouldn't fit in the screenshot. LOL. hope you all like the new demo (scroll back if you've not heard/downloaded) so, lyrics:


Find your diaries
Pull apart the plastic, let’s get all nostalgic
We should think about
When we were 15, wondering what it all means
And we still don’t know

Garden shed talk
Trying to shake the week off, smoking on a see-saw
Never think about
Anything at all outside of our little world
And all the 10 guys, go out with the 10 girls

I wanna know why
We let the whole thing pass us by

I don’t want to know what fear feels like
No I just wanna live forever
In this red brick paradise
I don’t ever wanna know what real life feels like
No I just wanna live forever
In this red brick paradise

Every friday, someone’s in a right state
Gotta learn the hard way
Only think about pulling all-nighters,
Can I borrow your lighter
4 cans for a fiver
Shit, I miss it

No one wants to stay here
But no ones want to leave
I think we’ll be in trouble if we burst our lil bubble
I don’t know what to believe

(chorus)

One night, when it got dark
I went back to our park
and oh dear
It was awkward, and it felt weird
So I got up, and walked round
To your house & the church grounds
There was no one, to call for
So I just knocked on my own door

(chorus)

One night, when it got dark
I went back to our park
and it felt wrong.
That life went on, when we were gone



..SO. This is a song about my experience of growwwwwing up. I'd been meaning to write about this for a long time, and finally it hit me a few weeks ago!


I grew up in a place called Drumcondra in Dublin, Ireland. It's a mega-fab place & I was super lucky to be there. Drumcondra was booming when my parents moved us there, which meant that the area was filled with young families (fab for trick-or-treating) and meant that by the time I was a teenager, there were sO MANY OTHER TEENAGERS around. It was also a pretty safe place, so everyones' parents were happy to let them be independent & do their own thing from age 14 or so, which for us was THE DREAM. We took full advantage. Every Friday we would all tell our parents we were going to a friend's house to watch X Factor, loiter by off licences 'til we found someone sound enough to buy us cider & then meet in the park. We'd act like fools after a can or two, wolf through a loaf of bread to 'sober up', check online for X Factor updates then toddle home at 11, armed with facts about the sing-offs in case our Mams asked. A perfect formula.


Fun fact: through ages 4 - 18 I went to super Catholic all-girls schools. Eek. The lads I was friends with went to the equivalent all-boys schools; there were loads of them in Dublin. We were by no means living in a rough area, but I think it was these weirdly strict school environments that made us want to act out a bit, pretend we were a bit more rough & troubled than we actually were. There were boys on my road that would get the bus to one of the slightly-less-nice areas around us, buy & sell weed for the day, then return to their lovely 3-story  semi-detached houses, their Mam a teacher, their Dad a heart surgeon. I suppose when you have the luxury of living in an area with no serious crime or real trouble, you're struck with something far more tame - boredom. 


I was a proper geek in school but somehow managed to maintain my place in this great big group of friends I hung out with on evenings & weekends. Work pretty hard during the week & then act like a bit of a hooligan Friday through Sunday; I thought I'd nailed it. I felt like Ferris Bueller or something. Looking back I had different versions of myself I would pull out depending on my company - I think maybe we all do that to an extent, but once I saw it in myself I didn't really like it, so when we finished school I kept my best friends close & pulled away slightly from others. I still stay in touch with a lot of the people from the group; they're all class, they come to gigs when I'm home & meet up with me for coffee or drinks the odd time. It's really cool to me that they're so encouraging about music, because I rarely talked about it with them when we were younger! I was stubbornly set on being known for my personality rather than as 'the Youtube girl'. (LOL. First world problems).


Anyway, this song is a nod to those years. Years that felt at the time so turbulent and crazy, but in hindsight were harmless & lovely & EASY. So easy. No real worries whatsoever. As you can imagine I gained a LOT of clarity on that once I moved to London on my own 2 years ago! I'm super lucky to have grown up as I did, with the best fam & friends a ginge could ask for. Ah, I'm such a sap. I guess I'm just aware of how much of an effect your upbringing has on your character, so I'm super grateful to have had the experience I did.




A comment question for anyone who'd like to answer it - where did you grow up, and how do you think it's shaped you? :) would love to hear thoughts from anyone happy enough to share!

Orla

xx

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Comments

Mollie

I grew up in Coleraine, Northern Ireland and went to an all girls' school too! I moved to the south of England for uni 5 years ago and it was such a culture shock! As I've told you before, that's why I love Roots so so much!

Michael Klütgens

What a perfect moment to answer this question, I'll be meeting with those people I grew up with in under 3 hours! I grew up in a little town called Bütgenbach, which is a very nice little place to live, as there is virtually no crime, no problems. But as my family wasn't originally from there and never really was part of the community, I wasn't really good at fitting in with the rest of the people I was supposed to fit in by default. From ages 6-12 I went to school in that same town, which was a weird time. I never really was one of the "boys", because I just never had a lot (or any) of male friends. The fact that I at one point was the only boy in a class of girls certainly didn't help (It made me realise one thing though: Boys and girls can be just friends) This really continued, because from ages 12-14 I was on an all-boy school which was terrible, but the system allowed girls from 14-18 which made all the boys act completely out to be cool and me comment on that in a very bitter but funny way, by which extent I became liked by the girls. Well, with the sole exception that I suck at dating, that is something I think is quite positive, it has shaped my humour and my behaviour.

Janaki Nagarajan

I grew up in a residential neighborhood of Seattle, but there were really no kids anywhere near me which made my life really boring. I had friends at school but it was always so much drama that I couldn't stand it and instead I was just a super huge nerd and read/lived in books instead. Like literally, in the mornings I would sneak books under my clothes to the bathroom and sit in there for a long time reading while my parents were yelling at me that it was time to go. I remember wishing SO much that I could just jump into one of these books and live there, because those characters would be better friends, they would understand me, etc. and I'd just make up these scenarios in my head where fictional characters (or actors/musicians I liked) would suddenly become my best friends and everything would make sense. Sounds kinda pathetic when I write it out now lol! I think ultimately my whole life was just me trying to figure out how (and where) to belong (which I think I did figure out after/during studying abroad in Scotland a few years ago hehe). Anyway I have such a strong nostalgic connection to the area where I grew up even if it wasn't always fun, it'll always feel like home. Loved reading your lyrics/story/listening to the song. Sounds like you had a really wonderful place to grow up in! :)

Orla Gartland
>>2495151

This is super insightful & interesting! I think which gender we're surrounded by growing up, both at school and at home, affects us big time! And our humour, too. Such a great way of putting it! Would you change anything, if you could go back to being younger?

Orla Gartland
>>2495157

Janaki this is awesome. Seriously enjoyed reading that! Really interesting how you yearned to escape all that time, can definitely relate to that from other points of life! What about studying abroad made you learn more about yourself? I love that.

Grace Rosebrough

i grew up (am growing up??) in a very similar sort of neighborhood! everyone was the same age as my siblings and me so we were very lucky and got a lot of friends. so so lucky to have had the gift of growing up with laid back parents and fun people all around. im at a really liberal independent school (semi-snobby but everyone is really nice to the weird kids like myself) so its the same sort of story as yours! love your writing and im always after a good song that feels like home x

Sonia O'Reilly

I grew up in the suburbs of Paris in a house. The city itself and the region is not reaaaally that great, but my little neighborhood was okay, I guess? My mum did all she can to put my and my (18 month older) sister in private school because the public one were really bad. So private (catholic) school, from 6 to 18 years old. I never had a lot of friends, in fact until i reached 11, i had none. I met some great girls in year 7 and I'm STILL friends with them to this day, we are about to celebrate our 17th year of frienship :D I don't really know if my town shaped me. The ppl around me and the education my parents gave me made most of the 'shaping' lol I didn't go out much, I was pretty much a nerd, first books, then video games... a LOT of video games >

Trent Clifton

Up to age 14 I lived in a small prison town in Colorado. It always felt like a pretty safe place to me as a kid, though the reality might have been different. I had a pretty happy childhood. We were probably on the upper end of poor, but it never felt that way to my brother and me. My parents were foster parents, so there were always other kids in the house to play with. We moved house every couple of years (because my dad liked buying and selling houses I guess) and by my teens I started to really resent moving all the time. When I was 14 we lived in a fairly big city in California for 6 months, which was great, and then we moved to a little town in Oregon where I did my last year of middle school and went through high school, and that's the place I really think of as my hometown. I have some good memories of my first 14 years, but I don't really miss the city I did most of my growing up in. I didn't really have any friends from about the 5th grade until I was in my mid-twenties, and even the friends I have now I don't really see very often. Never been a super-social bug, but always a lover of people, and I think it has really been the people I've met and known that have shaped me more than the places I've lived.

Trent Clifton
>>2496345

Now that I think about it, there were a couple places that were pretty special to me growing up, and those were my grandma's house in Colorado and my grandpa's house in Idaho. I won't get into that though, since I've already written a book. :)

Michelle Martel

Little late but... I grew up in Los Angeles, California right by downtown. The neighborhood wasn't too safe, but it did bring a lot of wonderful memories with the family. From the ages of 18-19 I moved in with my former boyfriend to Escondido Canyon in Acton, CA. Which was a total change for me moving from the city to a small town. It was a great change though, I still find myself driving along the canyons there sometimes when I'm feeling blue listening to some tunes while taking in the beauty. After moving out I got the urge to travel. By 19 I hit Nevada, Arizona, Utah, New Jersey, & New York by myself which was way out of my comfort zone at the time. Now at 21 I'm trying to expand my travels outside of the states. So far I've hit two countries in Central America, but it would be a dream to fly out to Europe. Sorry for the long/late comment, but thank you for posting the lyrics and the meaning behind the song! It seriously makes it so much better knowing where you're coming from with the lyrics :)

Wouter Weggelaar

Mhhhh.... I started writing about where I grew up, but It morphed ito my life's story. Hang on, I'll write some more about where I actually grew up! I'd love to share everythijng with you, but it maye be #oversharing or too dark....

Wouter Weggelaar
>>2548857

This is the much shortened version of the complete story. I will post that if anyone wants to read it. Let me know! I grew up in a small city called Alkmaar, north-west of Amsterdam in the province of Noord Holland. My neighborhoud was a typical expansion built in the late 70s, mainly as housing for the quickly growing population of Haarlem. Just like Orlas, my neihborhoud was filled with young families. Alkmaar is one of those places where everything is nice and peaceful. We did not have much crime, and you could safely go outside. I remember the days when we could go out to play, and your parents would literally count on you coming back. If not, they would have to start shouting your name around the neigborhood, or phone up friends parents to check if you were there. I was "lost" quite often, because I have zero sense of time. When I think about it, I have perfect sense of time. I could tell you the time of day to the nearest half hour, but I did not do anything with this info to get back to mummy in time. Mind you, there were no cell phones, so if you would want to, you could hide out somewhere and be really lost. We made huts in the park where we would hang out. we would build stuff hidden away from civilization, or at least that was what we thought at that age. Obviously, the closest neigbour would keep an eye on it without spoiling the fun for us. we all dreamt of sleeping there, and making it our permanent home. At age 18 I met my girlfriend, and she moved in with me at my mothers. We spend about a year before finding our own home, a small flat in Heerhugowaard. Not the best place, but the flat was brand new and quite affordable. We were happy. I started university in Delft, and I moved closer to Delft with my grilfriend. Into the flat I am still living in today, in the small village of Voorburg. It is right next to The Hague. This is still about 45 minutes away from Delft, so I kep cycling like I was used to all along. Voorburg is relatively quiet compared to The Hague, but I live next to a railway line. I do not notice it anymore, but we have quite some trains passing by. I do not like the city too much, I would rather be back in Alkmaar. But it has its benefits. Being close to festivals, shops et cetera. Stuff happens here.

Crystal White

I grew up in Missouri. We moved A LOT. Between tiny, rural towns and big city (Kansas City). I have appreciation for both calm and busy, the countryside and city life. I have lived in over 20 different homes ranging from trailers, studio apartments (with 5 people living in it), suburban houses. Coming from the poor side of life I have such a gratitude for where I am now and what I have built for myself. Moving a lot back then has made me crave change/resilient to change. I got used to making friends everywhere and keeping in touch with old friends was/is very important (although all of this made me a really anxious overthinker). I feel like I have perfected the art of making friends with "the right people" for me. It takes a while for me to show my true self or to trust people at first. I also think it isn't just where you grew up but who was around in those formative years. What kind of parents/family/friends you had when you were forming your personality is huge. Yes, you can always change certain things about you but some things are set in stone.

Orla Gartland
>>2588724

Crystal you're a legend. Thanks for posting, I loved reading this! Really interesting, the idea of feeling resilient to change. I envy you for that one! x

Orla Gartland
>>2495513

Lovely! V interesting Sonia! So you think the internet / books / video games served as an escape? :)

Orla Gartland
>>2502059

This is so cool! Had no idea you're only my age! :) you've done so much! Michelle you're a legend. Hope you get a chance to hit Europe up some day soon! x

Laura Hesser

Well, I'm a bit late on the topic, but I'll chime in, anyway. I grew up all over, and I don't have a "home town". I was born in Los Angeles, California, and then when I was 2 my family moved to Pennsylvania--the other side of the country. I lived in a very small country town for 5 years and then we moved again to the big city-Philadelphia. We were there for 2 years and then moved to Seattle, Washington--across the country again. My family lived in Seattle for 6 years before they moved again to Santa Ana, California. My teenage years were kind of crazy. I went to VERY CONSERVATIVE christian schools growing up. My first year of high school was spent at one of these schools, but I lived at home. My second year, I went to boarding school--very conservative, very strict and I got to go home once a month for the weekend. It sounds horrible, but strangely I liked it. My 3rd year my parents moved to California, and I moved there, too. I went to the local church school, but I never liked it, never fit in and really didn't make friends that year. I asked if I could return to the boarding school for the last year and my parents let me, so back to Seattle I went. I saw my parents probably 5 times that year outside of Christmas. That was the end of childhood and on to college, marriage, kids etc... I would have LOVED to be able to live in a small city and say I lived there forever and I would know all the people in the town. It will never happen, I think. So, Orla, your song, Red Brick Paradise is about a childhood/teenagehood that I'll just dream about as I've never had it. It's OK, though. Life is fun and good and there are so many more adventures to have!! <3