The meaning behind the lyrics of Cian Ducrot's biggest songs

From his massive viral hit 'All For You' to his single 'Heaven', rising star Cian Ducrot has enjoyed success over recent years. The 27-year-old Irish singer-songwriter released his debut album 'Victory' in 2023, celebrating its first anniversary with new exclusive material.

To celebrate the first anniversary of 'Victory', and the release of 'Can't Even Hate You', we've taken a look at what some of his biggest songs mean - including 'All For You', 'I'll Be Waiting' and 'Part of Me'.

What is 'All For You' about?

Cian's track 'All For You' proved to be popular on TikTok and was released both as a solo track and a duet with Ella Henderson. The emotional track is about heartbreak, as the lyrics reminisce over the regrets of a past relationship after seeing them move on with someone else.

In the chorus, Cian can be heard to sing about the things he wished he'd have done in the relationship, but now realises he is too late to act on. The chorus ends by Cian singing of his hopes that his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend does all of the things that he realises that he should have done in order to make her happy.

'And I should have called / And I should have tried / And I should have walked you home every night / And should have kissed you ten thousand times / Just to tell you I love you / I should have done it all / All for you, baby / But now I'm just a little too late / To be what you needed / But I hope that he is.'

In the bridge of the song, Cian admits to still caring about his ex as he reminisces over places they'd go to together and gets emotional:

'I shouldn't have promised that I'd never fall / But you saw the writing all over the walls / I try not to cry in the places we'd go to / But I still f------ care for you'.

What is 'I'll Be Waiting' about?

Released in 2022, 'I'll Be Waiting' is an emotive track which sees Cian express the frustration of dealing with a loved one who repeatedly lets him down. In a press release announcing the single, Cian shared the meaning behind the lyrics.

He said: "It's a story of waiting for someone you love to show up, but they tend to not show up when you need them. I didn't want to have a relationship with my dad as a child, he was a horrible person, but also when you're a kid you still want your dad to care."

This can be heard in the lyrics: 'You were down now you're giving up / Just a false start if you're quitting on us / Another year, just another lie / Wish you'd call so I could say goodbye.'

What is 'Part of Me' about?

Cian has described 'Part of Me' as one of the hardest songs to write, sharing that it was written after the death of a friend in 2019. Taking to Instagram, Cian payed tribute to his late friend Phil and wrote: 'Part of Me is out now. Philly, I miss you every day.'

On X, Cian opened up further about the personal and emotional meaning behind the song. He said: 'One of the hardest songs I ever had to write but probably the most important one, on December 2nd 2019 I got the news that my best-friend had taken his life.

'A beautiful life way too short lived, the news has taken years to swallow and is something I will never quite understand but this song was a moment where I tried to process some of it. Now it's yours and I hope it can help you process something you need to.

'Life should never be cut short, it is too precious. If you're struggling you're not alone I love you and the people around love you. Phily I miss you every day and you'll always be a part of me.'

This can be heard in the lyrics: 'I wish you told me how you felt that night / Now I'll never get to change your mind / But with all of the memories / You'll always be part of me / I'll tell your mother how we used to laugh / But it's never going to bring you back / Now you're only a memory / But you'll always be part of me / Part of me.'

What is 'Heaven' about?

'Heaven' was released in June 2023 and is about the strong bond that Cian has with his brother. Cian performed the song in an incredible musical interlude at the National Television Awards 2023 to great acclaim from viewers at home and in the audience.

Taking to X, Cian said: 'I hold this song very close to my heart, it's about my brother and our journey together. And now it's for you and the love you share with your family! I'm so excited to share this song with you all.'

This can be heard in the lyrics: 'When I was four, I fell off my bike / But you told me I'd be okay / When I was five, you were by my side / When mama was far away / When I was ten, you were my best friend / When no one else came to play / If anyone hits you, you hit back harder / That's what you'd always say.'

What is the meaning behind Cian's album 'Victory'?

Cian released his debut album 'Victory' on 4th August 2023. When he announced the album's release on social media, he opened up about some of the personal experiences that shaped his music, including experiencing childhood trauma.

He said: 'To begin to understand the album there's some things you need to know about my life, where I came from, how I was raised and the kind of kid I was. A broken home at an early age is where the story really began, my mom, my brother and I became a team and music was our saviour.

'It saved us mentally and spiritually but it also allowed my mom to literally put food on the table. My dad was very abusive growing up both physically and sexually, my mother fought extremely hard to protect my brother and I, and to get us away from him.

'It wasn't easy, it seemed like everything required years of fighting and perseverance. I have my mom to thank for the person I am today. When I dropped out of college to pursue being a songwriter, when not one person believed in me, I reflected on our past.

'This album represents that victory, the victory of self-belief, the victory of everyone around me who I love and who loved me back, the story of my brother, of my mother, of my grandparents, of my friends, and everyone who fought by our side every step of the way.

'This album is for all those people and my amazing fans, we made it out alive and more. This is for us. This is Victory.'

Take a look through tours taking place this year and beyond:

Now read:

Get to know 'Heaven' singer Cian Ducrot

Cian Ducrot celebrates one year of his debut album 'Victory'

Looking ahead at some of the biggest tours coming up in 2024 and beyond

How to listen to Forth 1:

For great music and incredible competitions tune into Forth 1 on 97.3, DAB, online, on the Rayo app, or say ‘Play FORTH 1’ to your Smart Speaker. You’ll find new favourites every day and hear the songs you've missed from the last few years. From Boogie In The Morning, to Garry and Steven getting you home after work, we play you the biggest hits from the world's hottest artists.

• cian ducrot