Paddy's Lament
Sinead O'Connor · Sean-Nos Nua
and that's to mind your noise,
and listen to poor Paddy's
sad narration.
I was by hunger stressed
and in poverty distressed,
so I took a thought I'd leave
the Irish nation.
I sold me horse and cow,
my little pig and sow,
my father's farm of land
I then departed.
And me sweetheart Bid Magee,
I'm afraid I'll never see,
For I left her there that morning
broken-hearted.
Hear ye boys,
now take my advice.
To America I'll have you
not be coming.
There is nothing here but war
where the murdering cannons roar
and I wish I was at home
In dear old Dublin.
Well meself and a hundred more
To america sailed o'er
Our fortunes to be makin',
we were thinkin'.
When we got to yankee land
They put guns into our hand,
saying "Paddy, you must go
and fight for Lincoln."
Hear ye boys,
Now take my advice,
To America I'll have you
not be coming.
There is nothing here but war
where the murdering cannons roar
And I wish I was at home
in dear old Dublin.
Well I think meself in luck
If I get fed on indian buck
and old Ireland is the country
I delight in.
To the devil I would say
'God curse Americay'
For in truth I've had enough
of their hard fighting.
Hear ye boys
now take my advice.
To america I'll have you
not be coming.
There is nothing here but war
Where the murdering cannons roar
And I wish I was at home
in dear old Dublin.
I wish I was at home
in dear old Dublin.
Paddy's Lament
Sinead O'Connor's 'Paddy's Lament' stands as a potent anthem within the Irish folk revival, delivered with her signature raw vocal intensity. Recorded for the 1991 album 'Sean-Nos Nua', the track embodies the genre's fusion of traditional Irish storytelling with contemporary rock energy. The song addresses the historical and social struggles of the Irish people, utilizing a driving rhythm and O'Connor's emotive delivery to evoke deep empathy and political consciousness. It reflects the broader themes found in her discography, such as her 1990 hit 'Famine', focusing on the human cost of conflict and hardship. As a defining piece of her early career, the recording captures a moment where O'Connor transformed folk protest into a global phenomenon, influencing countless artists who followed in her wake.

