The band got their first big break when their 1990 debut release, Home of the Brave, launched as a cassette at a St. Patrick's day gig at Reilly's in NYC, was heard by Frank Murray, manager of The Pogues, who signed them to his newly launched label. Their 1993 single, Funky Céilí from the CD, Fire of Freedom, with its signature eclectic sound and socio-political lyrics, and their off-the-wall live shows, is said to have paved the way for other Irish influenced bands such as Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys.
Other band members were Geoffrey Blythe (saxophones; founder member of Dexy’s Midnight Runners), Fred Parcells (trombone; worked extensively in Latin/Jazz and big bands), Thomas Hamlin (drums; veteran of the Max’s/CBGB’s scene), Joseph Mulvanerty (uilleann pipes and various flutes), and Joseph “Bearclaw” Burcaw.
In the late 1990s, Byrne amicably left the band to concentrate on his solo project, Seanchai & the Unity Squad and Black 47 went on an unofficial recording hiatus, The band began performing, and recording, again in 2001.
In 2010, the band's 14th release, "Bankers and Gangsters" mixed rock, reggae, hip-hop, folk, Irish traditional, downtown noise, jazz and blues and featured socio-political commentary of “Long Hot Summer” and “Bankers and Gangsters” through humorous scenarios like “Long Lost Tapes of Hendrix” and “Izzy’s Irish Rose” to the classic pop songwriting and romantic nostalgia of “Yeats and Joyce” and “That Summer Dress.” “This time it was more about creating a balance between the joyous and the thoughtful,” said front man Larry Kirwan. “Really focusing on the rhythm section and coming up with innovative arrangements for the brass and pipes. After immersing myself in IRAQ it was a blast to catch the humor in the old Lower East Side friction between Jewish and Irish in ‘Izzy,’ or the plight of a wily Yank who seeks to steal the long lost tapes of Jimi Hendrix from the sex-starved ladies of West Cork – a true story, I might add. It was also nice to tip the cap to old friends like Hilly Kristal, Lester Bangs and Staten Island Danny in Long Hot Summer."
The band split in November 2014.
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Fatima
BLACK 47 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The hunger like a flame inside her
It's the feast of Ramadan
And her father's been praying for hours
He wears his disapproval
In a silence, cold but hysterical
Saw her last night with that Christian boy
And his world falls apart in America
Her brother laughs in the kitchen
Then the phone explodes on the wall
Oh, my God, don't let it be Michael
Her father's glare is like violence
Who else would break the tradition
Except someone who laughs at our holy ways
Tears us apart in America
Fatima, you're breaking his heart
He doesn't understand your dilemma
A girl becomes a woman alone
Those who love her
Can no longer help her
Why didn't they tell him back home
Things fall apart in America
Fatima picks up the phone
Michael is his usual hilarious
She listens in silence and wonders
Why American boys are oblivious
I love you but this is good-bye
There are too many rivers between us
Father, forgive me, you're right
Things fall apart in America
Fatima, you're breaking his heart
He doesn't understand your dilemma
A girl becomes a woman alone
Those who love her
Can no longer help her
And Michael stares at the phone
As things fall apart in America
The lyrics to BLACK 47's song Fatima tell a story of a young Muslim girl named Fatima who is struggling between her religious beliefs and her love interest with a Christian boy named Michael. The song is set during the feast of Ramadan, and her father disapproves of the relationship, wearing his disapproval in a cold and hysterical silence. Fatima is torn between her love for Michael and her duty to her family and religion; however, she knows that her relationship is causing her father and family pain. The phone call between Fatima and Michael ultimately causes Fatima to realize that there are too many rivers between them, and she ends their relationship, leaving Michael staring at the phone as things continue to fall apart in America.
The song highlights the difficulties faced by first and second-generation immigrants in the US. It portrays the clash between two different cultures and traditions and captures the feelings of isolation and dislocation experienced by many young immigrants. The lyrics also touch upon the generational gap between immigrants and their children, and the challenges of preserving cultural identity and traditions in a new country.
Line by Line Meaning
Fatima rises at dawn
Fatima wakes up early in the morning.
The hunger like a flame inside her
She feels extremely hungry.
It's the feast of Ramadan
It's Ramadan and this is a special occasion.
And her father's been praying for hours
Her father is busy praying for the occasion.
He wears his disapproval
Her father doesn't approve of something.
In a silence, cold but hysterical
He's not saying anything, but he's angry in a cold and crazy way.
Saw her last night with that Christian boy
He saw her with a boy who wasn't Muslim.
And his world falls apart in America
Her father gets very upset and starts to feel like everything is falling apart.
Her mother fusses about
Her mother is making a big deal out of something.
Her brother laughs in the kitchen
Her brother is laughing in the kitchen, unaware of what's going on outside.
Then the phone explodes on the wall
The phone suddenly rings really loudly.
Oh, my God, don't let it be Michael
Someone is hoping that it isn't Michael on the other end of the phone.
Her father's glare is like violence
Her father's look is very intense and scary.
Who else would break the tradition
Her father is questioning who would go against their traditions.
Except someone who laughs at our holy ways
He thinks that the only reason someone would go against their traditions is if they don't respect their religion.
Tears us apart in America
This situation is causing a divide within the family while living in America.
Her father's glare is like violence
Her father's look is very intense and scary.
Fatima, you're breaking his heart
Fatima is hurting her father.
He doesn't understand your dilemma
Her father doesn't understand what she's going through.
A girl becomes a woman alone
She is growing up and making decisions on her own.
Those who love her
Her family and loved ones.
Can no longer help her
They are unable to assist her with her difficult decisions.
Why didn't they tell him back home
Why didn't her family tell him back in their home country?
Things fall apart in America
Their family is falling apart due to the cultural difference in America.
Fatima picks up the phone
Fatima answers the phone.
Michael is his usual hilarious
Michael is making his usual jokes and being funny.
She listens in silence and wonders
She listens quietly but is wondering about Michael.
Why American boys are oblivious
She's wondering why American boys don't seem to understand her culture.
I love you but this is good-bye
She loves him but she knows it's time to say goodbye.
There are too many rivers between us
There are too many cultural differences between them.
Father, forgive me, you're right
She apologizes to her father and admits that he was right.
Fatima, you're breaking his heart
Fatima is hurting her father once again.
He doesn't understand your dilemma
Her father still doesn't understand her situation.
A girl becomes a woman alone
She is growing up and making decisions on her own.
Those who love her
Her family and loved ones.
Can no longer help her
They are unable to assist her with her difficult decisions.
And Michael stares at the phone
Michael is also hurt and upset.
As things fall apart in America
Their relationship is falling apart due to the issues brought on by their cultural differences and living in America.
Contributed by Charlie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.