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Hothouse Flowers — Don't Go
Album: People
Avg rating:
6.9

Your rating:
Total ratings: 693









Released: 1988
Length: 3:39
Plays (last 30 days): 2
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There's smell of fresh cut grass

and it's filling up my senses

And the sun is shining down on the blossoms in the avenue.
There's a buzzing fly hanging
around the bluebells and the daisies

And tAere's a lot more loving left in this world.

Don't go
don't leave me now
now
now

While the sun smiles
stick around and laugh a while
yeah.

And I lie on warm and soft sancly beaches

And my toes are submerged in the water
and it feels good.
Children playing building castles on the shoreline
Like a painted little love and lord
it feels so fine.

Don't go
don't leave me now
now
now
. ..

There's white horses and they're coming at me
and they face now

And there's a blue sirocco blowing worm into my foce.
The sun is shining on the other side of the bridges

The cars going by with smiles in the windows.
There's a black cat Iying in the shadow of the gate-post

And the black cat keeps telling me that love is on it's way.
Yeah
there's a black cat Iying in the shadow of the gate-post

And the black cat tells me thot loveis on it's way.

Don't go
don'f ieave me now
now
now
. . .
Stick around and laugh a while. - Don't go! -
Don't go
don't leave me now
now
now
. . .

Don't go
don't leave me now
now
now
. . .
Don't go
I can hear you coming now
now
now

Ah
no no no
don't go!
Comments (69)add comment
I'll always appreciate Newcastle Mike and Yorkshire Jane for turning me on to this fantastic and fun group back in '88 when we worked and partied in Shizuoka...
Posted 4 months ago by coloradojohn    [ Reply ]
What a great band!!! I listened to them a lot in my late teens.
Posted 11 months ago by tm    [ Reply ]
I regret never seeing these guys live.  HHF was constantly playing in my young adulthood.
Posted 1 year ago by mtmedlin    [ Reply ]
Saw them playing a free concert on the street in Dublin in ‘93. So nice. Very real. Thanks Bill.
Posted 1 year ago by B_Van    [ Reply ]
One of my best music memories was catching HHF in Boston playing by the waterfront.   It was midweek and believe I called in sick to work to catch them with a friend - only a handful of people were there. Magic!
Posted 2 years ago by annieb63    [ Reply ]
Wow-thanks for memories-love this band. 
Posted 3 years ago by Kingsized    [ Reply ]
Liam Ó Maonlaí has a wonderful voice. Play more often. 
Posted 3 years ago by reallylost    [ Reply ]
Great tune and great band.  I saw them play the old Point Depot in Dublin on New Year's Eve in 1988 (or could have been 1989).  The are still touring and had a bit of a populatity boost when the Amazon Prime show  The Grand Tour used their cover of 'I can see clearly now the rain has gone' for the opening scene on the first episode. 
Posted 3 years ago by Dazzerb    [ Reply ]
 Laptopdog wrote:
I'll bet Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats could do a mean cover of this tune.
 

Nah.. Ski Patrol would kill this one   
Posted 3 years ago by geonuine    [ Reply ]
I GREW UP ON THIS ALBUM!!!    thanx RP!  xoxoox

123K
Posted 4 years ago by GoodKarm    [ Reply ]
Didn't they break through with this opening Eurovision back in the day?
Posted 4 years ago by Pieter    [ Reply ]
I'll bet Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats could do a mean cover of this tune.
Posted 4 years ago by Laptopdog    [ Reply ]
Have not heard this song sing the 1980s.  Nice way to bring back some memories.
Posted 5 years ago by Relayer    [ Reply ]
 StickerSticker wrote:
boring and his voice bugs me.
 

Listen to I'm Sorry and tell me if you think that's boring, too! It's a terrific band with excellent songs.
Posted 5 years ago by klaasstap    [ Reply ]
 DBCinCA wrote:
I wouldn't mind hearing this more often - great band back in the day. The Rusted Root comparisons hold up for this song and some others, but I also think Hothouse Flowers sounds a bit like The Waterboys, in terms of their tone, lyrics, and emotional intensity. Their lyrics go places you just can't get to with Rusted Root, although I'm a big fan of theirs too.
 
Searched this page for "Waterboys" and found the above. Glad that someone else heard the resemblance, even if it was 10 years ago.
Posted 8 years ago by kcar    [ Reply ]
 BlueHeronDruid wrote:

Byrne does Springsteen.
 
Springsteen yes, maybe a little John Mellencamp too. But David Byrne?
Posted 8 years ago by justin4kick    [ Reply ]
"... currently residing in the 'where are they now' category."
Posted 13 years ago by daveesh    [ Reply ]
 No_Where_Man wrote:
Bill, please play more of Hothouse Flowers, you only have one song? Please HHF are so much deeper than one song,
Thank you
 
Agreed. This is from one of the lost albums of the late 80s. There are better tracks on this and the band ha a really organic Irish rock sound bridging the gap between Thin Lizzy and The Script.
Posted 13 years ago by GuiltyFeat    [ Reply ]
Bill, please play more of Hothouse Flowers, you only have one song? Please HHF are so much deeper than one song,
Thank you
Posted 13 years ago by No_Where_Man    [ Reply ]
 DaveInVA wrote:
Sounds like David Byrne with a bad cold..{#Mrgreen}
 
Byrne does Springsteen.

Posted 13 years ago by BlueHeronDruid    [ Reply ]
Sounds like David Byrne with a bad cold..{#Mrgreen}
Posted 14 years ago by DaveInSaoMiguel    [ Reply ]
Love this song so....
Posted 14 years ago by Jazbo    [ Reply ]
 lily34 wrote:
sounds like elvis doing springsteen (the voice) or vice verse.
 
Definite Bruceness.

Posted 14 years ago by lmic    [ Reply ]
sounds like elvis doing springsteen (the voice) or vice verse.
Posted 15 years ago by lily34    [ Reply ]

Oh my!  I can't remember the last time I heard this song.  I do have a wonderful memory of my sister coming back from a long trip to Ireland with their tape.  They came to the Moore Theater in Seattle and we went to see them.  I remember being so disappointed when the opening act came on stage, two chicks with acoustic guitars, because I wanted Hothouse Flowers to get on stage.  Ended up liking the opening act, The Indigo Girls.
It was an amazing concert with my sister.  Thanks for the memory Bill.


Posted 15 years ago by aajarrett    [ Reply ]
 andrewimft wrote:
Saw these guys live at a free outdoor summer concert in downtown Denver after they came out with this record. They were absolutely awesome, spiritual, sensual, dance-a-riffic. Then a couple weeks later I saw them again as they were the opening band for a Midnight Oil concert I had tickets for. At that gig, they were terrible— flat, uninspired, sluggish, sloppy, dreary. I went from thinking they were an awesome folk version of U2 to a total dud. This album was good, but still can't compare to the memory of the good concert they did.

I read that one of the guys in this band is now in a band with Elvis Costello's ex-wife.
 

I was at that Denver show and completely agree with your assessment!  But even U2 has flop nights as a friend of mine who worked lights for two of their tours can attest to. 

To my mind though...Hothouse Flowers never were able to capture the excitement of their good live shows on album.  The production was too slick or something. Disappointing.


Posted 15 years ago by iscoot4peace    [ Reply ]
10+ for the fantastic song, and 100+ for that lovely reddish hair flying all over the place while he banged on the piano!
Posted 15 years ago by Bridieboo    [ Reply ]
{#Undecided}
Posted 16 years ago by Kittee    [ Reply ]
Saw these guys live at a free outdoor summer concert in downtown Denver after they came out with this record. They were absolutely awesome, spiritual, sensual, dance-a-riffic. Then a couple weeks later I saw them again as they were the opening band for a Midnight Oil concert I had tickets for. At that gig, they were terrible— flat, uninspired, sluggish, sloppy, dreary. I went from thinking they were an awesome folk version of U2 to a total dud. This album was good, but still can't compare to the memory of the good concert they did.

I read that one of the guys in this band is now in a band with Elvis Costello's ex-wife.


Posted 16 years ago by andrewimft    [ Reply ]
suddenchad wrote:
Liked this album a lot. I think there were one or two more by them and they turned up on a few compilations, but then what happened to them?
I thought they sunk into oblivion, but apparently not: (click here) I give it 7 for the memories of the late eighties when I first came to Dublin, Ireland, which eventually would become my home. Saw the Flowers in Germany around 1990, as support for Stevie Ray Vaughan. After their set, I saw the singer Liam Ó Maonlaí wandering around the Stevie fans in the audience. Was funny, he clearly enjoyed not being recognised even after playing for an hour on stage! Wikipedia states this album "was the most successful debut album in Irish history". They were promoted heavily by Bono of U2 after he saw them playing in 1986. Well they are still going strong, playing Glastonbury in 2007... must look out for them again!
Posted 16 years ago by pyxxel    [ Reply ]
Shit - i can only give it -5
Posted 17 years ago by geordiezimmerman    [ Reply ]
Liked this album a lot. I think there were one or two more by them and they turned up on a few compilations, but then what happened to them?
Posted 17 years ago by suddenchad    [ Reply ]
boring and his voice bugs me.
Posted 17 years ago by StickerSticker    [ Reply ]
Oh thankyou RP... not heard this in so long! :) Hothouse Flowers were the first band I went to see too - takes me back all those years (1988 I think) to Sheffield Leadmill! :)
Posted 17 years ago by nigenet    [ Reply ]
Wow. Been a while since I've heard this one. Love little surprises from the vaults like this. Brings me back to a festival way back when, and these guys were playing with a shwack of other good acts. It rained the whole show, but we had a blast.
Posted 17 years ago by elvenwise    [ Reply ]
greg6494 wrote:
I used to think that was a naner dood on a pedestal, and the lemon dood was applauding reverently. On an unrelated note, this song always seemed to me to be in the "songs with all chorus and no verses" category. Maybe it's just me?
Posted 17 years ago by MojoJojo    [ Reply ]
Tayto wrote:
I hope Liam has cut his hair!!!
I got to see them a year or two ago at Bumbershoot. It was quite a good show, and yes, Liam had cut his hair.
Posted 17 years ago by soja    [ Reply ]
jablan wrote:
This piano rocks! They should add emoticon for it.
A banana playing the piano! Yeah!!
Posted 17 years ago by cayenne    [ Reply ]
jablan wrote:
This piano rocks! They should add emoticon for it.
Posted 17 years ago by greg6494    [ Reply ]
Anyone remember how the Hothouse Flowers completely stole the show in the Eurovision song contest when they played this song in the intermission way back in 1988?
Posted 18 years ago by Darkmatter    [ Reply ]
This piano rocks! They should add emoticon for it.
Posted 18 years ago by jablan    [ Reply ]
How nice to hear this! I was cooking in the kitchen and heard the opening and thought, No, it can't be, that would be too perfect, to hear these guys on RP! Keep it varied, keep it rocking, Bill -- thanks!
Posted 18 years ago by coloradojohn    [ Reply ]
another classic lost ditty--these guys never got enough play in the states, to my way of thinking. thanks rp. 9.
Posted 18 years ago by supergroverx    [ Reply ]
Oh! And right after Buffalo Tom! Two of my favorite "college rock" songs! Well done! 7
Posted 18 years ago by SlamAdams    [ Reply ]
So nice to hear this - thanks...
Posted 18 years ago by McB    [ Reply ]
nice cover art at the website, and i like the keyboards. but i'm also listening on windows media player so it might be possible it's just derivative sloch of some sort. But I don't think so. But what makes something ne w under the sun? sounds like sounds like. Serendipity anyone?
Posted 18 years ago by -    [ Reply ]
Just when you thought there were hardly any Irish artists online..............."don't leave me now, now, now...." I hope Liam has cut his hair!!!
Posted 18 years ago by Tayto    [ Reply ]
great tune, defines a whole summer for me! Lovely rich instruments, great voice.
Posted 18 years ago by dapower    [ Reply ]
Hear what you are saying but friends of ours saw them in Perth and were so disappointed because they spent so much of their stage time with obscure Gaelic lyrics instead of concentrating on the music which made them famous - and at $60 a ticket that was out of order
Posted 18 years ago by scozzie    [ Reply ]
... Might be no big deal if Hothouse Flowers came to your town when you have a choice of which band to go and see, but here in Broome, 2200 road Km's North of the capital Perth it is and was at the weekend when they appeared at the open air Oasis Bar at the Roebuck Bay Hotel and drew half the town, the other half were away on the last of the school hols. Big night for our wee town and they performed really well and our very own Pigram Brothers who have produced 3 CD's of quality local music of their own supported and later jammed with the Hothouse Flowers. So there, it does happen occasionally that someone who is played on RP actually is seen in the flesh here and heard and enjoyed. ... ...
Posted 18 years ago by Mari    [ Reply ]
Ahh... that wasn't too bad. A little flashback... I didn't have to take my headphones off.
Posted 18 years ago by Vancouver    [ Reply ]
God that was horrible. I had to get up from a nice cozy bed just to say how horrible that was. Please, please, please, don't play it again. I promise I'll contribute more, please don't torture us again.
Posted 18 years ago by mongoose    [ Reply ]
This feels very much like Rusted Root! That's the problem.
Actually, Rusted Root feels like this. This album came out in 1988. Rusted Root didn't arrive until a few years later. No doubt after they heard the first couple of Hothouse Flowers albums and decided to come up with an 'original' sound
Posted 18 years ago by RockinBlueVoodoo    [ Reply ]
I wouldn't mind hearing this more often - great band back in the day. The Rusted Root comparisons hold up for this song and some others, but I also think Hothouse Flowers sounds a bit like The Waterboys, in terms of their tone, lyrics, and emotional intensity. Their lyrics go places you just can't get to with Rusted Root, although I'm a big fan of theirs too.
Posted 18 years ago by DBCinCA    [ Reply ]
Great choice. Liam has a great voice!
Posted 18 years ago by dtb    [ Reply ]
It's been so long since I heard this...I didn't realize how I had missed it until I was reminded of it. Nice choice.
Posted 18 years ago by dolfan    [ Reply ]
Delightful!
Posted 18 years ago by Wisecrowe    [ Reply ]
ObsidianInfinity wrote:
This feels very much like Rusted Root!
That's the problem.
Posted 19 years ago by redeyespy    [ Reply ]
saw the HHF at Bumbershoot earlier this month. Liam O'Maonlai is like a crazed aerobics instructor onstage.
Posted 19 years ago by flandersdog    [ Reply ]
ObsidianInfinity wrote:
This feels very much like Rusted Root!
and smells like rotten springsteen boots. feh!
Posted 19 years ago by ChardRemains    [ Reply ]
JohnErle wrote:
I hadn't heard this in years, but I still remember how disappointed I was when I bought the album and discovered that the album version of the song was different than the version in the video.
That's funny, I felt the very same disappointment when I listened to the album for the first time. The version of Don't Go that came out as a single was much better, much more energetic.
Posted 19 years ago by zjank    [ Reply ]
wow so nice to hear
Posted 19 years ago by MrKite    [ Reply ]
London, Town & Country Club, 1990... sold out show, scalped a tic for just myself... what a show. They took the whole place to another level...Hearing this brings back the memories. Thanks RP...
Posted 19 years ago by bbgun    [ Reply ]
This feels very much like Rusted Root!
Posted 19 years ago by ObsidianInfinity    [ Reply ]
Posted 19 years ago by jobtl    [ Reply ]
now its an ecletic POP station. well 8O
Posted 19 years ago by Theodoransky    [ Reply ]
I hadn't heard this in years, but I still remember how disappointed I was when I bought the album and discovered that the album version of the song was different than the version in the video. The video had a section where the song breaks down into a simple, plaintive, piano and vocals only piece that really brings out the emotion of the lyrics. This version always seemed lacking in comparison. Anybody know where that other version can be found? And if so, can you upload it?
Posted 19 years ago by JohnErle    [ Reply ]
why for this song never played? its an awesome song!
Posted 21 years ago by kelli    [ Reply ]
Fantastic station! I just searched for Hothouse Flowers and fouund only this song with no comments. After hearing Joe Ely, Concrete Blonde, Mark-Almond, Tragically Hip and Graham Parker all in a short time I thought this truly was Paradise, but without HHF it\'s not quite all the way there. Please add them to the playlist, I\'d recommend \"Thing of Beauty,\" \"Gvivng It Up,\" \"One Tongue\" \"Hardstone City\" etc. Oh yeah. How about some Oingo Boingo, too. \"Slave\" or \"Out of Control\" perhaps?
Posted 21 years ago by vanfan    [ Reply ]