the coffin ships

[Deleted]

The Coffin Ships

Young hearts born with grief
Shall pay the penalty of truth
A season of stolen youth
Shall teach old hearts to break

It feels like I've been here before
Here to where the animals lay down to die
So we stand alone on a distant shore
Our broken spirits in rags and tatters

Nerve and muscle, heart and brains
Lost to Ireland, lost in vain
Pause and you can almost hear
The sounds echo down through the ages
The creak of the burial cart
Here in humiliation and sorrow
Not mixed with indignation
One is driven to exclaim
Oh god, that bread should be so dear
And human flesh so cheap

Young hearts are born with such grief
We have paid the penalty of truth
A season of our stolen youth
Shall teach our hearts to break

****************

[Between the years 1845 and 1849 a famine ravaged Ireland and over 3 million people were lost to a combination of starvation and emigration. I said once before the history of my land is a litany of tragedy and blood, these four years represent possibly the greatest tragedy the country has endured. It still hangs over Ireland and set the tone for Irish people to leave Irelands shores to the present day. The coffin ships themselves were what the ships that set sail for America in search of a new and better life were called. ]

[davidhanners]

I like this one. It is lyrical and there are some good images in it. I'd be interested in hearing it.

I always thought it was ironic (or sad, or both) that the mold that caused the blight came from America.

[Cornflake]

Well, the potatoes themselves came from America.

Connington, I agree that there are some very good images here. You have a knack. If I heard you play this, though, I wouldn't have a clue what it was about. Maybe song introductions can solve that. I've never liked that solution because I've always thought that a song should need no introduction. Some disagree. Maybe I'm unusually thick but I still think you ought to try being more direct.

[Deleted]

sir cornflake;

i would have thought it was self explanatory. maybe not. i believe potatoes originally came from south america as well. though again, i may be wrong. i occasionally go with song explanations, but this isn't a song that would have one IMO.

still though, thanks for the comments. if you have time you might look at sons of the morrigan.

cheers

[Cornflake]

I will look, Connington. Reading and chewing on song lyrics requires more time than responding to threads in the Cafe, and you've posted quite a few. Don't take it amiss if responses are somewhat slow.

[Deleted]

a further point about being direct. my audience is mainly irish, and they would know what i was talking about. i have yet to play it live, but i may be playing in australia soon, so i'll let you know if people need it explained or not.

[Marshall]

I'm not commenting on the song (yet). But I read somewhere that the famine wiped out (or emigrated) something close to half the population. And, what I found surprising, is it said that the population today is about the same as it was after the famine.

[Deleted]

so i believe. tis a bit weird