Wren Kelly’s newest single, “Irish Goodbye”, commits to song a less-than-proud tradition of simply vanishing with no farewells, no commitments, no responsibilities, whenever the moment happens to present itself.
Featuring PsycThaPrince, “Irish Goodbye” arrives just in time to prepare you for all the parties that you’ll be disappearing from this season, the moment that anyone clears their throat.
Did you know that the Irish Goodbye isn’t limited to the holiday exeunt, but can, in fact, be used year-round? It can literally be used on any occasion, and you can even practice on your own!
Kelly’s new single, however, finds a very specific application and provides the framework of a narrative so that you can see how this might be demonstrated in other scenarios. “Irish Goodbye” takes the listener “through a tale of two strangers whose story begins in the same way it ends—with an unannounced exit. The timeless love story of two shady people with questionable morale that only lasts an evening.”
“Being somebody who has claimed the ‘Irish goodbye’ as my personal favourite way to say (or not say) farewell, the idea hits home for me,” explains Kelly. “However, the twist here is that I generally slip silently out the side door due to anxiety—not due to meeting and falling for some guy in a dimly lit bar or club.
“Ever the storyteller, I decided this would be a fun—dare I say sexy— story to embark on; albeit one I’ll never care to experience firsthand. The joys of art! I imagined a version of myself had I not had therapy. Had I not given up drinking and partying, or had I thrown the whole moral compass away years ago. Somebody daring, sexy and ultimately somebody who reaps what they sow.”
In the first act, Kelly provides a detailed inner monologue on someone on a date who has recognized its limited potential and made the decision to cut things short—particularly when an alternative has proven to be too much temptation.
“They’ve tagged along with a group of friends with plans to party the night away. However, the narrator of the song spots somebody of interest who checks off all the usual boxes: attractive, money, etc. So, without a word, they leave together without letting either of their respective groups know about it,” explains Kelly. “The infamous ‘Irish Goodbye’.”
PsycThaPrince turns all that on its head when he appears in the next verse; bringing it full circle with a take of their own medicine.
The Irish Goodbye is a powerful tool in your arsenal of farewells and should be used sparingly and responsibly. It is not without repercussions and it’s important to know when it can be employed appropriately. Fortunately for Wren Kelly and PsycThaPrince, fictional narratives aren’t about to raise the ire of Emily Post.