MySongBook.de

Henry's Songbook

© All original copyrights respected / For private use only


go to  de   Susannes Folksong-Notizen   English Notes  uk

The Hero's Return


(or: My Youngest Son Came Home Today)
  • (Eric Bogle)

    My youngest son came home today
    His friends marched with him all the way
    The flutes and drums beat out the time
    As in his box of polished pine
    Like dead meat on a butcher's tray
    My youngest son came home today

    My youngest son was a fine young man
    With a wife, a daughter and a son
    A man he would have lived and died
    Till by a bullet sanctified
    Now he's a saint - or so they say
    They brought their saint home today

    Above the narrow Belfast streets
    An Irish sky looks down and weeps
    On children's blood in gutters spilled
    For dreams of freedom unfulfilled
    As part of freedom's price to pay
    My youngest son came home today

    My youngest son came home today
    His friends marched with him all the way
    The flutes and drums beat out the time
    As in his box of polished pine
    Like dead meat on a butcher's tray
    My youngest son came home today

    And this time he's home to stay

Susannes Folksong-Notizen

  • [1977:] Written in October 1974. - This song was of course written about the war in [Northern] Ireland, or perhaps I should say the troubles in Ulster. After being accused of favouring a) the Catholics and b) the Protestants, depending on whose side the accuser was on, I changed the song a little. And now I hope it is completely neutral, because I cannot take sides in the Ulster tragedy, except perhaps the side of peace and reason which is as yet not prevailing. The song therefore could perhaps apply to any urban guerrilla situation prevalent in many countries throughout the world today. ((Notes Eric Bogle, 'Live In Person')

  • [1992:] Based on an actual funeral that happened in Londonderry about 2,500 funerals ago. This song was written in 1976 or 1977, but is still, tragically, relevant. (Notes 'The Eric Bogle Songbook 2')

Quelle: Scotland

go back de  H-Index uk

Henry
© Sammlung : Susanne Kalweit (Kiel)
Layout : Henry Kochlin  (Schwerin)

aktualisiert am 06.03.2000