Dermot Kennedy's biggest songs from 'Outnumbered' to 'Paradise'

Irish singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy rose to fame after releasing his emotive single 'Power Over Me' in 2018. Since then, he's had a Number 1 album in the UK and several very successful songs including 'Outnumbered', 'Kiss Me' and 'Better Days'.

Ahead of his tour and third album 'The Weight of the Woods', we take a look at some of Dermot's biggest songs. Some of his biggest hits are from his 2022 album 'Sonder', so we take a look at the inspiration behind them and who they were written by.

10 of Dermot Kennedy's biggest songs so far and the meanings behind them:

'Moments Passed'

'Moments Passed' was a song released by Dermot Kennedy in 2017, which speaks of love and loss. In an interview with Coup De Main Magazine back in 2018, Dermot explained the meaning behind the track: "While I was writing that song, I was thinking about a certain amount of loss I've experienced in my life. And more importantly I was thinking about the love in my life and how it will always outweigh the loss.

"So while it might seem like a sad song — and I'm not saying it's devoid of that stuff — but the overriding message of that song is hopefulness and love."

The chorus is as follows: 'Cause I loved you / Does that mean nothing to you now? / I loved you / Get me back on homely ground. / She said: Oh, I know that love is all about the wind / How it can hold me up and kill me in the end / Still I loved it / Does that mean nothing to you now?'

The song was included on several of Dermot's releases including his debut album 'Without Fear', his EP 'Mike Dean Presents: Dermot Kennedy', and his compilation album 'Dermot Kennedy'.

'Power Over Me'

'Power Over Me' was Dermot Kennedy's first successful song in the UK charts, reaching the Top 30 when it was released in 2018 and later being certified 2x Platinum in the UK. The song was also featured on Dermot's debut studio album 'Without Fear'.

In an interview with The Line of Best Fit, Dermot explained its meaning: "The main idea behind this song is just that thought of being totally in awe of somebody. Where someone controls your mind and your thoughts, but in the most positive way. When you’re just under somebody’s spell and totally enamoured with somebody."

The lyrics include: 'Remember the lake in the moonlight? / Remember you shivered and shone / I'll never forget what you looked like / On that night / But I know that time's gonna take me / I know that day's gonna come / I just want the devil to hate me / Oh, I / Call and I'll rush out / Mmm / All out of breath now.'

'Power Over Me' was written by the Irish singer, alongside Scott Harris and Stephen Kozmeniuk, who have also worked on a number of other songs with Dermot, including, 'What Have I Done, 'Outgrown', 'Redemption' and his massive hit 'Outnumbered'.

'Outnumbered'

'Outnumbered' is one of Dermot Kennedy's biggest songs. He released it in 2019 and it became a Top 10 hit here in the UK and his native Ireland. The song was written by Dermot along with a team of writers.

It goes: 'I could've showed you all the scars at the start / But that was always the most difficult part / See, I'm in love with how your soul is a mix of chaos and art / And how you never try to keep 'em apart.

'I wrote some words and then I stared at my feet / Became a coward when I needed to speak / I guess love took on a different kind of meaning for me / So when I go just know it kills me to leave / To all the stars that light the road / Don't ever leave that girl so cold / Never let me down, just lead me home.

'Don't tell me this is all for nothing / I can only tell you one thing / On the nights you feel outnumbered / Baby, I'll be out there somewhere.'

Dermot said in an interview with The Line of Best Fit: "'Outnumbered' is an attempt to comfort anybody who is feeling overwhelmed. A reminder that beauty can be found no matter how dark the night may seem.

"I hope it can be a source of reassurance to anyone going through hard times. To know that things will get better and that hard times will become a thing of the past."

'Lost'

'Lost' was a song released in Ireland by Dermot in 2019. The song was fairly successful reaching Number 26 in Ireland. In an interview with Songwriter Universe he told of the inspiration behind writing the song:

"I think with that song, the key line is the first line in the chorus: 'If only you could see yourself in my eyes, you'd see you shine,'" he explained. "When you love somebody—be it in your family or partner, and you wish they had a higher idea of themselves, and you wish they could seem themselves the way you see them.

"I found myself in that situation quite a bit, where you wish they could have a higher self-esteem and to see themselves in a more complimentary way. So that's what that song is. I find that so much of my songs are messages to the people I care about, which is obviously nothing new in art. But I wish certain people would see themselves the way I see them."

'Paradise' with Meduza

Recorded with Italian production group Meduza, 'Paradise' was released in October 2020 and is considered one of Dermot's most successful songs, going to Number 5 in the UK. Now certified Platinum, it's a song about perseverance, even when times are tough.

The lyrics, performed by the Irish singer, include: 'In the fading light, hearts collide / Shadows dance in the distance / Something just ain't right, I'm cold inside / Help me find what I'm missin'.

'We're all scared to fly, still we try / Learn to be brave, see the other side / Won't you lead me there? Have no fear / Close your eyes, find paradise / Oh, my, my, my / There's a thousand miles between you and I / Oh, my, my, my / Just a thousand miles between me and paradise.'

Previewing the song ahead of its release back in 2020, Dermot wrote on social media: 'Close your eyes, find Paradise. @meduzamusic 30.10.2020. Presave now.'

'Giants'

Another hit song written by Dermot Kennedy along with a team of writers, 'Giants' was the lead single from this Number 1 album 'Without Fear'. Dermot has revealed it's about letting go of the past, with lyrics:

'We used to be giants / When did we stop? / Just say the word, and I'll be yours / You know I never forgot / the hope and the hurt / Has lived inside of me / But there's gold in the dirt / I never took the time to see / But I knew of it's worth / When you walked beside of me / And my hand fit in yours / Like a bird would find the breeze.'

Dermot admitted in an interview with Songwriter Universe that he wasn't sure about the song originally. He told them: "He (Louis Bloom president of Island Records) was mad into that one. And I was like, 'Nah…I'm into every other one, but not that one.' Then it took me a long time, but I got there eventually."

Written just before the Covid pandemic, Dermot spoke about how odd it felt not to be able to perform 'Giants' live. Back in 2020, he told us: "It feels strange, and it certainly feels weird to just release a song and not be able to tour it. It does feel different, but it also feels like a welcome break too."

'Better Days'

Dermot Kennedy released 'Better Days' in July 2021. The song was written by Dermot during the Coronavirus Pandemic and includes the relatable lyrics: 'Better days are coming'. In a press release he revealed: "This is a song about patience.

"It's about believing in something brighter, and never losing sight of better days, no matter how hard things might get. In a time where so many people feel worried and exhausted, I would love for this song to remind even one person that things will improve."

He continued: "As an artist, I feel somewhat responsible to try to make people feel a little better, whether that's making them think of someone they love, or just taking their mind off their problems for the length of a song. So this is my contribution to hopefully providing some people with a moment's solace. Better days will come."

The track went to Number 16 in the UK and Number 4 in Ireland. It's since been certified Platinum.

'Something to Someone'

Released in May 2022, 'Something to Someone' was the lead single from Dermot's second album, 'Sonder'. The track reached Number 2 on the Irish Singles Chart and charted at Number 44 in the UK.

The lyrics go: 'There's lessons in love sometimes / The heart is but a winding road / So this story goes / I get scared of the dark and I / I never even noticed rooms / Were made bright by you / Oh, you loved me more than anyone / Yeah, we were up so high / We were lost when we were young, but / You were mine.

'Once upon a time, you were by my sidе / I wish I could've known that I should hold on tight / To every singlе word, to every summer night / I wish I could've known that forever was a lie / But once upon a time / I was something to someone / Once upon a time / I was something to someone.'

In a statement, Dermot said of the song: “To be something to someone. To love and be loved in return. What a comforting thought it is to know that no matter what you endure, no matter how lonely the world may seem, you’re still on somebody’s mind. It is the only thing. I want this song to be a reminder to whoever hears it that they are loved.”

'Kiss Me'

'Kiss Me' was released in September 2022 and features on Dermot's second album 'Sonder'. In an interview with Live Nation Fans, Dermot said: "Ultimately that song is about seizing the moment. And about always believing that a better version of whatever relationship can exist. Like that idea of like take a photo and internalise this moment for the days that I don't believe."

The lyrics include: 'If we could take a photo / Eternalize this moment / For the days when I don't believe / When our love gets stolen / 'Cause there's no exception / And I know time will take you far from me / Let this night invade my lungs / You're all I wanna breathe / Right beside the lake, I burn for you / You burn for me.

'So kiss me the way that you would / If we died tonight / Hold me the way that you would / For the final time.'

The song reached Number 15 on the UK Singles Chart and Number 4 on the Irish Singles Chart.

'Let Me In'

Dermot said his 2025 release 'Let Me In' made him feel vulnerable, telling fans it's "about the struggle to find true happiness." Released in March it went to Number 26 in the UK and Ireland and was added straight to his setlist for 2025.

The emotional lyrics go: 'These days, oh, the world doesn't sing to me quite how it used to / See, this life is a touch too damn much for me

'Maybe that's meant for me / 'Cause I know there's a room where I'm happy / But I can't find my way to the door / Tell me who wins the war 'tween my heart and my head? / I forgot what I'm suffering for / I surrender to dark, when it all falls apart / At least I won't have to pretend / And I know there's a room where I'm happy / Let me in, let me in.'

In a post on Instagram in April 2025, he wrote: 'Took a trip out to the woods in Tennessee a while back. Think this was the first time I sang Let Me In outside of the studio, and it was a lovely feeling to hear it out in the open and wonder about its future and how excited I was for it. To some degree I kind of feel like I’m starting all over again. Thanks for your love on this song, I’m so glad you like it X.'

What is Dermot Kennedy's most famous song?

'Outnumbered' is most likely Dermot Kennedy's best-known song. Released in June 2019, the track reached Number 6 in the UK, Number 2 in his native Ireland and was certified Platinum in the UK, meaning it's sold 600,000 units. The music video has now had more than 74 million views on YouTube since it was uploaded.

Now check out all the albums out in 2026:

Now read:

Dermot Kennedy: How the 'Outnumbered' singer became famous

Dermot Kennedy: Everything there is to know about his upcoming album

Dermot Kennedy opens up about his new album and upcoming tour

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