♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah ♪
00:01
♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah ♪
00:05
♪ Okay, I want to talk about Ireland ♪
00:13
♪ Specifically, I want to
talk about the "famine" ♪
00:15
♪ About the fact that there
never really was one ♪
00:17
♪ There was no "famine" ♪
00:22
♪ See, Irish people were only
allowed to eat potatoes ♪
00:23
♪ All of the other food,
meat, fish, and vegetables ♪
00:26
♪ Were shipped out of the country ♪
00:28
♪ Under armed guard to England ♪
00:30
♪ While the Irish people starved ♪
00:31
♪ And then in the middle of all this ♪
00:34
♪ They gave us money not to
teach our children Irish ♪
00:36
♪ And so we lost our history ♪
00:39
♪ And this is what I think
is still hurting me ♪
00:41
♪ You see we're like a
child that's been battered ♪
00:44
♪ As to drive itself out of its
head because it's frightened ♪
00:47
♪ Still feels all the painful feelings ♪
00:49
♪ But they lose contact with the memory ♪
00:52
♪ And this leads to
massive self-destruction ♪
00:55
♪ Alcoholism, drug addiction ♪
00:57
♪ All desperate attempts at running ♪
01:00
♪ And in its worst form
becomes actual killing ♪
01:02
♪ And if there ever is gonna be healing ♪
01:06
♪ There has to be remembering
and then grieving ♪
01:08
♪ So that there then can be forgiving ♪
01:11
♪ There has to be knowledge
and understanding ♪
01:13
♪ All the lonely people ♪
01:17
♪ Where do they all come from ♪
01:22
♪ All the lonely people ♪
01:28
♪ Where do they all belong ♪
01:33
♪ An American army regulation ♪
01:37
♪ Says you mustn't kill
more than 10% of a nation ♪
01:39
♪ Cause to do so causes
permanent psychological damage ♪
01:42
♪ It's not permanent, but
they didn't know that ♪
01:45
♪ Anyway, during the supposed "famine" ♪
01:48
♪ We lost a lot more
than 10% of our nation ♪
01:50
♪ Through deaths on land
or on ships of emigration ♪
01:53
♪ But what finally broke
us is not starvation ♪
01:55
♪ No, but it's use in the
controlling of our education ♪
01:58
♪ Schools go on about "Black 47" ♪
02:01
♪ On and on about the terrible "famine" ♪
02:04
♪ But what they don't say is, in truth ♪
02:06
♪ There really never was one ♪
02:08
♪ All the lonely people ♪
02:11
♪ Where do they all come from ♪
02:16
♪ All the lonely people ♪
02:21
♪ Where do the all belong ♪
02:26
♪ So, let's take a look shall we ♪
02:31
♪ The highest statistics
of child abuse in the EEC ♪
02:33
♪ And we say we're a Christian country ♪
02:36
♪ But we've lost contact
with our history ♪
02:38
♪ See, we used worship God as a mother ♪
02:41
♪ We're suffering from
post-traumatic stress disorder ♪
02:43
♪ Look at all our old men in the pubs ♪
02:46
♪ Look at all our young people on drugs ♪
02:49
♪ We used to worship God as mother ♪
02:52
♪ Now look at what we've
done to each other ♪
02:55
♪ We've even made killers of ourselves ♪
02:57
♪ The most child-like trusting
people in the universe ♪
02:59
♪ And this is what's wrong with us ♪
03:03
♪ Our history books, the
parent figures lied to us ♪
03:05
♪ I see the Irish, as
a race, like a child ♪
03:08
♪ That got itself bashed in the face ♪
03:11
♪ And if there ever is gonna be healing ♪
03:13
♪ There has to be remembering
and then grieving ♪
03:16
♪ So that there then can be forgiving ♪
03:18
♪ There has to be knowledge
and understanding ♪
03:21
♪ All the lonely people ♪
03:25
♪ Where do they all come from ♪
03:30
♪ All the lonely people ♪
03:35
♪ Where do they all belong ♪
03:41
♪ Forgiveness ♪
03:45
♪ Forgiveness ♪
03:50
♪ Forgiveness ♪
03:55
♪ Forgiveness ♪
04:01
♪ Yes ♪
04:05
♪ Forgiveness ♪
04:12
♪ Forgiveness ♪
04:17
♪ Forgiveness ♪
04:22
♪ Yes ♪
04:27
Lyrics & Translation
Dive into the raw emotion and historical depth of Sinéad O'Connor's "Famine." This powerful spoken-word piece, rich with Irish history and O'Connor's unflinching perspective, offers a unique opportunity to understand the nuances of Irish-English relations and the enduring impact of colonial history. Through its direct and poetic lyrics, you can explore themes of truth, memory, and cultural identity, making it a compelling listen for anyone interested in language as a vehicle for historical and social commentary.
[English]
♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah ♪♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah ♪
♪ Okay, I want to talk about Ireland ♪
♪ Specifically, I want to talk about the "famine" ♪
♪ About the fact that there never really was one ♪
♪ There was no "famine" ♪
♪ See, Irish people were only allowed to eat potatoes ♪
♪ All of the other food, meat, fish, and vegetables ♪
♪ Were shipped out of the country ♪
♪ Under armed guard to England ♪
♪ While the Irish people starved ♪
♪ And then in the middle of all this ♪
♪ They gave us money not to teach our children Irish ♪
♪ And so we lost our history ♪
♪ And this is what I think is still hurting me ♪
♪ You see we're like a child that's been battered ♪
♪ As to drive itself out of its head because it's frightened ♪
♪ Still feels all the painful feelings ♪
♪ But they lose contact with the memory ♪
♪ And this leads to massive self-destruction ♪
♪ Alcoholism, drug addiction ♪
♪ All desperate attempts at running ♪
♪ And in its worst form becomes actual killing ♪
♪ And if there ever is gonna be healing ♪
♪ There has to be remembering and then grieving ♪
♪ So that there then can be forgiving ♪
♪ There has to be knowledge and understanding ♪
♪ All the lonely people ♪
♪ Where do they all come from ♪
♪ All the lonely people ♪
♪ Where do they all belong ♪
♪ An American army regulation ♪
♪ Says you mustn't kill more than 10% of a nation ♪
♪ Cause to do so causes permanent psychological damage ♪
♪ It's not permanent, but they didn't know that ♪
♪ Anyway, during the supposed "famine" ♪
♪ We lost a lot more than 10% of our nation ♪
♪ Through deaths on land or on ships of emigration ♪
♪ But what finally broke us is not starvation ♪
♪ No, but it's use in the controlling of our education ♪
♪ Schools go on about "Black 47" ♪
♪ On and on about the terrible "famine" ♪
♪ But what they don't say is, in truth ♪
♪ There really never was one ♪
♪ All the lonely people ♪
♪ Where do they all come from ♪
♪ All the lonely people ♪
♪ Where do the all belong ♪
♪ So, let's take a look shall we ♪
♪ The highest statistics of child abuse in the EEC ♪
♪ And we say we're a Christian country ♪
♪ But we've lost contact with our history ♪
♪ See, we used worship God as a mother ♪
♪ We're suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder ♪
♪ Look at all our old men in the pubs ♪
♪ Look at all our young people on drugs ♪
♪ We used to worship God as mother ♪
♪ Now look at what we've done to each other ♪
♪ We've even made killers of ourselves ♪
♪ The most child-like trusting people in the universe ♪
♪ And this is what's wrong with us ♪
♪ Our history books, the parent figures lied to us ♪
♪ I see the Irish, as a race, like a child ♪
♪ That got itself bashed in the face ♪
♪ And if there ever is gonna be healing ♪
♪ There has to be remembering and then grieving ♪
♪ So that there then can be forgiving ♪
♪ There has to be knowledge and understanding ♪
♪ All the lonely people ♪
♪ Where do they all come from ♪
♪ All the lonely people ♪
♪ Where do they all belong ♪
♪ Forgiveness ♪
♪ Forgiveness ♪
♪ Forgiveness ♪
♪ Forgiveness ♪
♪ Yes ♪
♪ Forgiveness ♪
♪ Forgiveness ♪
♪ Forgiveness ♪
♪ Yes ♪
Key Vocabulary
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Key Grammar Structures
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