Summer Music: Song 7

Song 7: Paddy's Lament
Written: 2002
Subject Matter: This song is about and Irish immigrant who came to America, leaving his life behind, hoping to make his fortune. However, as soon as his ship lands, he and all others aboard are recruited to fight for the North in the Civil War. At the same time, many Irish immigrants were not forced to fight, but choose to join the army because of the racism they faced in their new home. The "Meagher" talked about in the song is a real person: General Thomas Meagher, who led many Irish immigrants into battle for the US while continuing to celebrate their Irish heritage.
Storytelling:
Of course, writing in 2002, O'Connor can't truly be participating in what happened to the Irish immigrants in the 19th century, but, being Irish herself, and also being someone who feels her heritage deeply, she is actually invested in what happened a few hundred years ago. Because of this, the song sounds very personal, and I don't doubt that when Paddy says "God curse Americay", she really means it, the jerk.
My Thoughts: Forgive me. I really just can't get over the creepy Sinead O'Connor thing. I can take this song for what it is: an important lesson about how Irish Americans were treated and their role in the Civil War, but it was too slow to be the epic ballad that I think she was trying for.
What can we learn?:
This song speaks to the horrible discrimination against Irish immigrants in America. Many of the troops, in the North as well as the South, were Irish immigrants who were either forced to join the army upon their entry into American or joined the army because they could find no other jobs due to the racism they faced. The Irish, like so many other nationalities before them, came to the US looking for a new life, but because of racism and the all-consuming Civil War that was going on, they could not find jobs or, for that matter, any way to really plant their roots in America.