I have to admit, when I first had this song on CD I listened repeatedly and sobbed more tears than I had for many a year. Very moving song.
This song doesn't hide much, it tells a story with no metaphorical disguises whatsoever (well - perhaps the roses are a metaphor, more on that later).
If you don't get it, this is the story: the singer had two friends, the 3 of them would listen to music at local pubs in Northern Ireland - this was during the time of much protestant vs catholic bloodshed in that "northern land". One of his friends is protestant, the other catholic. The protestant is murdered for no reason - other than he was a protestant and some catholic thugs were out to kill (probably to avenge a previous killing of one of theirs). Protestants then retaliate a few days later, by murdering the catholic friend.
The singer pens this song, trying to understand, trying to cope with sorrow, and hoping to teach others.
BTW - roses are a typical flower used in funerals, and often signify death in lyrics. Hence the connection of roses to the story line.
There are some definite anti-war sentiments in this song - there's no mistaking that!! I do love the final stanza:
I don't know where the moral is or where this song should end,
But I wondered just how many wars are fought between good friends.
And those who give the orders are not the ones to die.
It's Bell and O'Malley and the likes of you and I.
Wow - what the world could use right now is more people to read that stanza over and over again until they understand it. Or, better yet, listen to the song 50 times a day for 50 days.
There are many covers of this song, but the genuine, unadulterated emotion of Tommy Sands' original version has never been matched.
I have to admit, when I first had this song on CD I listened repeatedly and sobbed more tears than I had for many a year. Very moving song.
This song doesn't hide much, it tells a story with no metaphorical disguises whatsoever (well - perhaps the roses are a metaphor, more on that later).
If you don't get it, this is the story: the singer had two friends, the 3 of them would listen to music at local pubs in Northern Ireland - this was during the time of much protestant vs catholic bloodshed in that "northern land". One of his friends is protestant, the other catholic. The protestant is murdered for no reason - other than he was a protestant and some catholic thugs were out to kill (probably to avenge a previous killing of one of theirs). Protestants then retaliate a few days later, by murdering the catholic friend.
The singer pens this song, trying to understand, trying to cope with sorrow, and hoping to teach others.
BTW - roses are a typical flower used in funerals, and often signify death in lyrics. Hence the connection of roses to the story line.
There are some definite anti-war sentiments in this song - there's no mistaking that!! I do love the final stanza:
I don't know where the moral is or where this song should end, But I wondered just how many wars are fought between good friends. And those who give the orders are not the ones to die. It's Bell and O'Malley and the likes of you and I.
Wow - what the world could use right now is more people to read that stanza over and over again until they understand it. Or, better yet, listen to the song 50 times a day for 50 days.
There are many covers of this song, but the genuine, unadulterated emotion of Tommy Sands' original version has never been matched.