Dexys Midnight Runners, Come On Eileen | 1 Hit WONDERful

In the 23^rd edition of 1 Hit WONDERful (2024), we highlight “Come On Eileen” performed by Dexys Midnight Runners. 

It only takes ONE hit to solidify a musical legacy 💯! On 1 Hit WONDERful, we highlight songs that were the SOLE hit by a given musician.  It is possible that the artists appearing on this list earned a minor hit or two, BUT for the most part, that ONE hit earned them recognition. So, in the 23^rd edition of 1 Hit WONDERful (2024), we dive into “Come On Eileen”,  the one-hit wonder by Dexys Midnight Runners.

“Come on, Eileen / Oh, I swear (Well, he means) / At this moment / You mean everything… ” Dexys Midnight Runners (now merely Dexys) charted only two songs on the Billboard Hot 100 😬.  Only one of those singles by the UK pop band peaked in the top 40.  Not only was “Come On Eileen” a top 40 hit, but it was also a no. 1 hit in the United States and other countries. Given its success, and the fact that “The Celtic Soul Brothers” peaked at a tepid no. 86, “Come On Eileen” is a one-hit wonder.  While characterizing a band as one-hit wonders can be a downer, “Come On Eileen” is the sugar honey iced tea – a marvelous gem from the 1980s.  It is the 10^th track on Kevin Rowland and company’s 1982 album, Too Rye Ay.  Rowland, James Paterson, and Kevin Adams penned it. Rowland also produced it alongside Alan Winstanley and Clive Langer.

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The main reason “Come On Eileen” is ‘the stuff’ is thanks to the catchy, memorable chorus (excerpted above). Rowland continues singing, enthusiastically, “You in that dress / My thoughts, I confess / Verge on dirty / Oh, come on, Eileen.” Hmm, emphasis on the come, it seems.  Rowland wanted some action from Eileen – when he was a teenager, back in the day. Interestingly, “Come On Eileen” was originally “James, Van and Me,” paying ode to musicians who influenced Rowland.  That’s a seismic shift.  That said, Rowland does reference Johnnie Ray in the first verse.  In both verses, Kevin gives us some infectious Irish lyrics: “Toora, loora, toora, lo-rye-aye.” In the second verse, he swears he and Eileen won’t resign themselves to fate because “We are far too young and clever.” Rowland tells Eileen, and the audience, that they have the world in front of them and won’t be beaten down or held back by anything! They’re young and their life will be different.  Do you know what else is different for the synth-heavy 1980s?  “Come on Eileen” isn’t a synth track 🤯.  There are violins, keys, and banjo – an Irish folk aesthetic.  Enthusiastic, even four decades later, “Come On Eileen” is timeless.

Dexys Midnight Runners // Too Rye Ay // UMG Recordings, Inc. // 1982

Dexys Midnight Runners, Come On Eileen: 1 Hit WONDERful No. 23 (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; UMG Recordings, Inc.; Elias Souza from Pexels; OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]