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Songs of the Troubles: A Musical Exploration of the Conflict in Northern Ireland
Songs are more than just words and musical notes. They are a reflection of the life and times from when they byth of an IRA volunteer. But if you listen closely you might hear a bit of sly irony in the lyrics that suggests blind patriotism is in fact a terrible thing. Even though it was written with deep sympathies for the IRA and the nationalist cause the song has been taken up by many anti-nationalist for their cause. You might also recognize a similarity between Patriot Game and Bob Dylan's With God on Our Side. Though Dylan denies it, Behan claims his tune and lyrical structure were stolen and altered to fit Dylan’s anti-Vietnam ballad. To this day Dylan refuses to give credit to Behan or the Republican cause.
LILIBURLERO
By Richard Dyer Bennet
When we talk about the Republican cause we are talking about the ambition to make the northern tip of Ireland a separate nation, free from the United Kingdom. But not everyone in Ireland wants that, especially Protestants with Welsh and Scottish roots. They look back to the day the English King William of Orange soundly conquered the Irish Catholics. This song is a parody of the Irish reaction to news that the Irish had won their freedom. Listen for abusive name calling like taige, which referred to native Irish Catholics. Also listen for the refrain and name of the song, Liliburlero, a meaningless word meant to derided the Irish excitement of having a sovereign country.
Some Gaelic Irish find Liliburlero insulting, so with the BBC using it several times a day for years was like rubbing salt in the wound. And still today, The first few bars of Liliburlero precede the 3AM news bulletin.
THE ORANGE LILY-O
by Various Artists
Many Ulster songs refer back to the days when Protestant William of Orange conquered the Irish. The decisive battle took place at Boyne on the Eastern Coast of Ireland in the north. According to lore, King William wore into battle an orange lily which then became the symbol for English Loyalist in Ireland and the title of this song
RISING OF THE MOON
by The Clancy Brothers
After the Williamite War Catholics were made subservient to the English and their Welsh and Scottish stand-ins. The situation resulted in a number of unsuccessful uprising, one in 1641 and then another in 1798. The latter was put to verse and then to song. It's called Rising of the Moon and describes the meeting of the doomed souls carrying out their failed rebellion. It was written by John Keegan Casey.
THE VOLUNTEERS OF ULSTER
by Carol Paris and Cambuslang Britannia
The ballad was a very popular song type to which to write about the conflict. Almost always ballads were written to preserve the memory of events, people, or as in the next case, both. Ulster Volunteers is a simple song sung by Carol Paris that commemorates the 36th Ulster Division from Ireland who volunteered for WWI. They were was a major source of pride for loyalist who believed it was England's laws and armed forces that civilized the world--and Ireland.
A NATION ONCE AGAIN
by The Clancy Brothers
Voted the most popular song in the world in 2002 according to listeners of the BBC. A Nation Once Again was written by Thomas Osborne Davis.
OLD ORANGE FLUTE
By the Dubliners
A cleaver song about Bob Williamson and his flute that can only play the Loyalist song, Protestant Boys. Bob shocks his town and decides to marry a Catholic and is run out of town and moves north, flute in hand. Eventually Bob joins a Catholic choir but his unionist flute doesn't make many friends and is soon burned at the stake to the end playing "protestant boys."
BLACK AND TANS
by The Jolly Beggermen
There were several uprising scattered through the history of Ireland, but it wasn't until the Easter Uprising in 1916 that paramilitary groups became the dominate instrument of force. Chiefly republicans had the IRA and the British used the Royal Irish Constabulary, also know as the Black and Tans. The Black and Tans were a hastily trained reserve force recruited from the rowdy ranks of Englishmen returning from the first world war. They quickly earned a reputation of ruthlessness that was rarely ever disciplined. And by 1920 the Black and Tans actually sacked the city of Cork and burned to the ground nearly 300 buildings. The next song also written by Dominic Behan describes how his irascible and drunk father tried goading the Black and Tans into a fight
BANNA STRAND
by The Jolly Beggermen
Named after the beach where the weapons smuggler Rodger Casement was captured, this song tells the story of his ill-fated attempt to arm the IRA. Casement, who was once a diplomat for the United Kingdom, was eventually hanged for his crimes.
NELL FLARY’S DRAKE
by The Clancy Brothers
For the most part the songs from the Troubles can be taken at face value. But that can’t be said for the song called Nell Flarty's Drake. If we take it literally, the song is about a man wishing ruin on the person who killed his duck. A drake is of course a male duck, but in the 19th century it was also the word for cannon. Manny believe the song is not about a duck but rather code for the loss of a weapon's cache that ultimately foiled the 1803 uprising. The rebellion was orchestrated by Robert Emmet who was later hanged by the British. His final request was that no epitaph be written about him until Ireland became a free country. So instead we have this song about Nell Flarty's drake.
WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARELY
by The Clancy Brothers
The history of Ireland is also the history of many doomed rebellions. once such is remembered here in a song called the Wind that Shakes the Barley. The references to barley in the song derive from the fact that the rebels often carried barley oats in their pockets as provisions for when they were on the march. This gave rise to the post-rebellion phenomenon of barley springing up in the mass unmarked graves dead rebels were buried in.
Posted by 1000monkeys on March 12, 2007 03:14 PM