A "bang on the ear" for a great band

Apart from the voice and brilliant songwriting by MIKE SCOTT, listening to the different time periods of THE WATERBOYS can seem like listening to different bands.
"The Big Music" period of the band might be more recognizable in the United States, punctuated by the should-have-been-a-massive-hit "THE WHOLE OF THE MOON."
I listened to a later period of the band while walking last night -- including songs from "Fisherman's Blues," an album produced when the band was based in Dublin and Scott had immersed himself in Irish folk music.
My favorite example of the "Irish Waterboys" is certainly "AND A BANG ON THE EAR."
Scott sings of his life's romances, ending each verse with the promise of "a bang on the ear," an Irish term of endearment akin to a peck on the cheek:
"Lindsay was my first love, she was in my class, I would have loved to take her out
but I was too shy to ask. The fullness of my feeling was never made clear, but I send her my love and a bang on the ear."
Scott is easily one of the best songwriters Britain has produced in the modern age. Listening to him the past couple days confirms that assessment, thanks to songs such as "And a Bang on the Ear."