Sunday's Song

So many amazing songs to choose from...
So many I'd love to share.

And usually it's a worship song that I share on Sundays, but today I bring you another Pub Favorite.

It's called The Last House on Our Street, and it's haunting. If I could give you an opportunity to actually listen to it I would...maybe I'll be able to figure out how to do that soon!

Irish music often reflects the era it is written in (it's not ALL drinking songs!) and there's often quite a bit of social awareness written into the lyrics (think U2 for example). I love that about it. This one is an example--written and sung in a rhythmic way that mimics a ball being passed back and forth, it sounds at first like a children's song...and it does seem to be written through the eyes of a child. But reading the words is heartbreaking when you realize what they're saying.

Like I said--beautifully haunting, and I hope you can get some portion of that from the lyrics below.

Blessings on your Sunday!

The last house in our street
The last house in our street is the one that we are living in,
Throw the ball against the wall and back to me,
All the other windows have concrete curtains,
Open up your eyes and tell me what you see.
The flowers in our garden are made of bricks end broken glass,
Throw the ball against the wall and back to me,
And 'round the back we're growing an outside toilet,
Open up your eyes and tell me what you see.
Wee Albert Mooney was blinded by a petrol bomb,
Throw the ball against the wall and back to me,
The bombers said, We're sorry it must have been en accident,
Open up your eyes and tell me what you see.
A big rubber bullet killed little Johnny Morrissey,
Throw the ball against the wall and back to me,
A policeman fired it, it must have been en accident,
Open up your eyes and tell me what you see.
God made the world and Belfast is a part of it,
Throw the ball against the wall and back to me,
Sometimes I wonder if Belfast was an accident,
Open up your eyes and tell me what you see.
There's a wall, so there is, between us and them, there is,
Throw the ball against the wall and back to me,
Is there anyone can tell me that they didn't help in building it?
Open up your eyes and tell me what you see.
But the eyes of the world have concrete curtains,
Throw the ball against the wall and back to me
Would you tear down the wall, would you open up the windows,
Would you open up your eyes end tell me what you see.
The last house in our street is the one that we are living in,
Throw the ball against the wall and back to me,
All the other windows have concrete curtains,
Open up your eyes end tell me what you see.
Open up your eyes end tell me what you see.
Open up your eyes end tell me what you see.

Ok, blog readers. It was driving me CRAZY that I couldn't find a version of this song on youtube. So I created my own. Please know--I'm not a professional (which you'll be able to tell by the mediocre chords I'm playing in accompaniment) and my voice isn't necessarily suited to this sort of song...but it HAS to be shared. So I'm sharing it. Be gentle, kind readers :0)

Oh...you won't really be able to see me in the vid. That was slightly by design. Midnight on a Sunday isn't necessarily my best look!



(by the way this is a private youtube video, so let me know if you can't see it and I'll send you a copy)