Single Review: Fontaines D.C. - I Love You

‘I Love You,’ the latest single from Fontaines D.C. seems on the surface like a dedication to a loved one, a typical ode to the people you hold closest. However, as we delve deeper into the lyrics and the history of the band, it becomes clear that it is in fact a song about Ireland, the home country of the Fontaines D.C.

There is the struggle of missing Ireland, the guilt of leaving, but also reflecting from an outward perspective

Leaving Ireland and moving to England, which frontman Grian Chatten notes is ‘responsible for a lot of the chaos’ in Ireland, creates a dichotomy of emotions in the song. There is the struggle of missing Ireland, the guilt of leaving, but also reflecting from an outward perspective on things that have happened there, and the underlying pride of being an Irishman. There is an underlying sense of anger at the current political situation in Ireland, and the historical atrocities that Ireland faced. Grian notes it is the ‘first overtly political song’ that he has written, sending a stark message to listeners about the state of the United Kingdom’s political systems, from past to present. In an unusual twist, the bridges are the angriest parts of the song lyrically and vocally, whereas the choruses are more pared back- further adding to the confusion Grian feels as he sings of what he is missing, and what he loves. Initially meant to be a typical love song, the theme changed as Grian began to write, and a powerful five-minute ballad was what erupted from that writing. Written from the perspective of an Irishman abroad, the song feels deeply personal and yet also something that needs to be spoken about.

The lyrics are largely malleable and can be interpolated into any situation, so that the song becomes a universal experience

The opening thirty seconds are very stark and create a powerful opening that ensures you keep listening. As the drums kick in, the music swells and the emotive lyrics, and the repetition of ‘I love you’ transport the listener to a place of both anger and love, for a person, place or anything in between. Whilst the song is about Ireland, and the ‘sharks’ in charge, the lyrics are largely malleable and can be interpolated into any situation, so that the song becomes a universal experience, not just for those from the Emerald Isle. Indeed, the lyrics largely address an unnamed ‘you’- the song could be for anyone by anyone.

The song is the next single from their upcoming third album, Skinty Fia, an Irish phrase which translated into English means ‘damnation of the deer’- a phrase drummer Tom Coll’s auntie used to say in place of a swear word. Their post-punk genre of music is evident in other singles from the album, such as ‘Jackie Down The Line,’ and is no less heard in this single. The accents certainly add to this, as the mournful sound of Grian’s voice accelerates the emotion in the lyrics. The mention of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil adds to the Irishness as he mentions Irish political parties as the mother and father of the land. Reminiscent of songs by artists such as Joy Division and The Cure, Fontaines D.C. have created a feeling of nostalgia, a desire for a better time, but whilst acknowledging that you cannot go back to that time or place. Equally an emotional dedication to Ireland, and an anger and distancing from someone no longer living there, the song is a powerful message of homeland homesickness and love for somewhere you can never return.