Paul Brady - The Island

They say the skies of Lebanon are burning
Those mighty cedars bleeding in the heat
They're showing pictures on the television
Women and children dying in the street
And we're still at it in our own place
Still trying to reach the future through the past
Still trying to carve tomorrow from a tombstone...
Chorus

But Hey! Don't listen to me!
This wasn't meant to be no sad song
We've heard too much of that before
Right now I only want to be here with you
Till the morning dew comes falling
I want to take you to the island
And trace your footprints in the sand
And in the evening when the sun goes down
We'll make love to the sound of the ocean

They're raising banners over by the markets
Whitewashing slogans on the shipyard walls
Witchdoctors praying for a mighty showdown
No way our holy flag is gonna fall
Up here we sacrifice our children
To feed the worn-out dreams of yesterday
And teach them dying will lead us into glory...

Repeat Chorus

Now I know us plain folks don't see all the story
And I know this peace and love's just copping out
And I guess these young boys dying in the ditches
Is just what being free is all about
And how this twisted wreckage down on main street
Will bring us all together in the end
And we'll go marching down the road to freedom...
Freedom

A gorgeous song by Paul Brady illustrating the hardship in Northern Ireland during the troubles

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Paul
• Brady
• The
• Island
• Northern
• Ireland
• troubles
• republicans
• nationalists
• unionists
• loyalists

[desolexnl]

Those young rascals in Belfast still haven't understood in 2011 what Paul Brady was singing about some twenty years ago. Please love thy neighbour and love your beautiful country, be it Northern Ireland or the republic. You live in paradise; please don't turn it into hell again!

[MrDmc73]

GREAT TUNES MR BRADY

[MrMarkday1977]

@desolexnl It's quite easy to judge those young rascals in Belfast when you don't have to experience what they do on a daily basis. I agree with your sentiment but always look below the cover, every effect has a cause, and every cause has an effect. It's a sad but harsh reality that the words of Padraigh Pearse still ring true, Ireland unfree shall never be at peace. And he was a peace desiring man. British Colonialism has an awful lot of hurt pain and death to answer for. Greed.

[collie576]

truly my favourete song of all time

[TheGalwaygirl18]

3:13 Inishbofin graveyard where my granddad will be laid to rest tomorrow RIP Granddad you are with Nana now <3

[exomorphe]

love this song, anyone realise how this is quite fitting for manhattan too?

[malachy1847]

@Rexkwando1 Divide and Rule... little changes clearly those were the Cards played by the Imperialists for a pastime around the globe... from Belfast to Basra...the really pity is it's still going on...His Lyrics do not Challenge those that were the source of the festering sore which was the root cause of the troubles in Northern Ireland...Generations Neo fascist governance..backed up by Westminster....this was the root cause of the conflict in the first place....

[gerrythelad]

@ioregan Sorry he's not. He's from Strabane which is in County Tyrone

[TerrySleeper]

An absolutely superbly crafted song, and a performance to match, about a desperately sad conflict.

No wonder that Paul Brady is one of Bob Dylan's favourite songwriters.

[stickypool]

Brady, A unified solution to the divide

[upfrontbear74]

This is one of if not the most gorgeous song ever, it has me in floods of tears every time I hear it.

[MrMEGATRON79]

One of the most beautiful songs ever written.