Ire On Fire

By the time 1981 rolled around, I’d already lived in London for a year. I had seen what was going on in Northern Ireland through the lens of the British Press. Though I was only 25 years old, and not at all political, I was disturbed by what I’d read and saw on TV, compared to what I’d heard from people on the ground.

Back in New York, I heard that another hunger strike was about to begin in the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland. I also heard that a man 2 years my elder was leading the hunger strike. His name was Bobby Sands.

I felt like Bobby Sands was my brother. Maybe it was because we shared a favorite verse from the Bible (No greater love has a man, than he would lay down his life for his friends). Maybe it was his shear devotion to a cause. I don’t know. But I felt like we were related, if not genetically, then spiritually. In fact when I heard about the fast unto death, I thought about joining, but was too afraid of dying.

Bobby finally died after not eating for 66 days. I cried when I heard about it.

This morning I saw the movie “Hunger”, which relived the months and weeks before the hunger strike as well as the strike itself. It was hard to watch, as it brought back some painful memories that have dissipated over the 28 years since it all went down. I decided after watching the film that I NEED to write this post for me and anyone who cares about what happened in Northern Ireland back then.

Shortly after Bobby died I wrote a song called Ire On Fire, which I’ve dedicated to his memory. These are the lyrics...

I sing this song about Ireland
And about what’s going on
The country there’s on fire man
And I’m wishin’ I was wrong

It don’t take xray vision
To see the dark despair
And the only answer missin’
Is how to get England out of there

So, toora loora loora
Toora loora lay
The children cry while their fathers die
And it can’t go on this way

The winds blow cool in Ireland
Along the mossy banks
But the quiet breeze has been drowned out now
By the sound of bombs and tanks

The Irish have their troubles
And they’re still by far not resolved
But the bloody mess could be dealt with best
If the English weren’t involved

So, toora loora loora
Toora loora lay
The children cry while their fathers die
And it can’t go on this way

My bloodline flows from Ireland
Like that of Bobby Sands
And I feel that he was a brother to me
Though we’ve come from different lands

So I’ll sing this song about Ireland
And about what’s going on
From North to South by the word of mouth
I’ll sing what’s going wrong

So, toora loora loora
Toora loora lay
The children cry while their fathers die
And it can’t go on this way
Toora loora loora
Toora loora lay
The children cry while their fathers die
And it can’t go on this way
It can’t go on this way
They won’t let it go on this way