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To Youth (My Sweet Roisin Dubh) Lyrics
Tell me why must a man be of service
To his lord and the god seldom high
From the grave spring the name of our fathers
But there's no glint in a dead man's eye
Tell me why are our fields filled with hunger
And fruitless the crop bitter soil
So I say my farewell to a nation
As the leaf waves goodbye to it's son
So it's to youth I sing you this story
And it's of youth I sing it now
Like the train that derails without warning
I must leave what I left far behind
So goodbye, sweet Roisin Dubh
I say goodbye
Tell me why must our peace be this puzzle
That fractures the land, splinters war
The last nails cite the shame in our coffin
But in the end we must all die alone
So it's to youth I sing you this story
And it's of youth I sing it now
Like the train that derails without warning
Some must leave what they left far behind
So goodbye, sweet Roisin Dubh
I say goodbye
And the bark fell from tree
To the ground that they'll bleed
On the anguish that never learned to shout
With the clash of the drum
We'll surrender the gun
and on this sadness we shall no longer speak
Until time can live on our all forgotten songs
That's when I and we will sing again
So goodbye to my love, my sweet Roisin Dubh
Goodbye now until we meet again
Tell me why must our grief still be greiving
For a language that never spoke it's loss
But this tongue speak with fire will tear down the barb wire
And Rip the belly from the waxy ghost
So it's to youth I sing you this story
And it's of youth I sing it now
Like the train that derails without warning
We must leave what we left far behind
So it's to youth I sing you this story
And it's of youth I sing it now
Like the train that derails without warning
We must leave what we left far behind
So goodbye, sweet Roisin Dubh, I say goodbye
So goodbye, sweet Roisin Dubh, I say goodbye
Until we meet again
Until we meet again
Until we meet again, she arrives to beautify
But slumber now must rest
Oh my Roisin Dubh
I'll forever love
The youth you once possessed
To his lord and the god seldom high
From the grave spring the name of our fathers
But there's no glint in a dead man's eye
Tell me why are our fields filled with hunger
And fruitless the crop bitter soil
So I say my farewell to a nation
As the leaf waves goodbye to it's son
And it's of youth I sing it now
Like the train that derails without warning
I must leave what I left far behind
So goodbye, sweet Roisin Dubh
I say goodbye
That fractures the land, splinters war
The last nails cite the shame in our coffin
But in the end we must all die alone
And it's of youth I sing it now
Like the train that derails without warning
Some must leave what they left far behind
So goodbye, sweet Roisin Dubh
I say goodbye
To the ground that they'll bleed
On the anguish that never learned to shout
With the clash of the drum
We'll surrender the gun
and on this sadness we shall no longer speak
That's when I and we will sing again
So goodbye to my love, my sweet Roisin Dubh
Goodbye now until we meet again
For a language that never spoke it's loss
But this tongue speak with fire will tear down the barb wire
And Rip the belly from the waxy ghost
And it's of youth I sing it now
Like the train that derails without warning
We must leave what we left far behind
And it's of youth I sing it now
Like the train that derails without warning
We must leave what we left far behind
So goodbye, sweet Roisin Dubh, I say goodbye
Until we meet again
Until we meet again
Until we meet again, she arrives to beautify
But slumber now must rest
Oh my Roisin Dubh
I'll forever love
The youth you once possessed
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seems to be about a man who is leaving his old ways of thinking behind. either physically or mentally he is leaving his home country behind. he loves it with all his heart but it has spiritually abandoned him. he also seems to be reliving the glory days of youth between he and his lady love.
@brasco12 this is what I got from the lyrics, which are just beautiful imo. The other observations in this thread about the lyrics’ relation to Ireland make this interpretation of a young man saying goodbye to his youth even more impactful. One of their best songs.
@brasco12 this is what I got from the lyrics, which are just beautiful imo. The other observations in this thread about the lyrics’ relation to Ireland make this interpretation of a young man saying goodbye to his youth even more impactful. One of their best songs.
Roisin Dubh is pronounced Ro-sheen Dove, and it's a beautiful name. Great song, as well, but for some reason the name just surpasses it all in my mind. Then again, I have a thing about names...
I think this song expresses his frustration at all the violence in the world. He's saying that he will not see his youth or innocence until all the violence stops; that's when he'll meet his Roisin Dubh again.
Roisin Dubh means "little dark rose" in Irish (dubh is black, and roisin is the diminuitive form of rose)and is often used as a sort of poetic nickname for Ireland. So when he says, "So I say my farewell to a nation/As the leaf waves goodbye to it's son" he's literally saying goodbye to Ireland (and I suppose Ireland is metaphorically waving back).
Roisin Dubh is also a venue in Galway City. It's one of the best. They also have a battle of the bands there.
They refered to Ireland as Roisin Dubh because poets were forbidden to write political verse, and therefore came up with Roisin Dubh to mean Ireland. I think he has gotten frustrated more literally with the conditions in Ireland, so he is leaving even though he loves his country. Just as a person leaves a loved one even though they do love them.
I agree. He's seen Ireland fall dark, and now has to leave, though he'll remember it as it was from his youth. Similar in theme to "The Rare Ould Times."
I cant believe this song has so few comments...
obviously he's pointing to all of Irelands problems. There is no work, there is no peace at all, there still is a big religious battle.
He's asking why it's that big a deal to just make it all a bit better. He's leaving a no-futured Ireland to make something of his life, he doesn't want to be part of it. Maybe in the future he'd get back.
But the last part shows that he still loves ireland, the youth it once posessed but which had gone. He would love to get back to that time, but for now, he just has to leave his homeland.
I agree. He's leaving his homeland, Ireland (Roisin Dubh), and he can't go back untill all of the problems get worked out. I mean, these lines kinda summed up the theme for me: And the bark fell from tree To the ground that they'll bleed On the anguish that never learned to shout With the clash of the drum We'll surrender the gun and on this sadness we shall no longer speak
Until time can live on our all forgotten songs That's when I and we will sing again
It's kinda sad, but I love the song all the same
~Kira X Kira~