Bad News
Brian O'Donnell Lyrics
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I heard a young girl calling
Micheal they are taking you away
For you stole Trevelyn's corn
So the young might see the morn.
Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay.
Low lie the Fields of Athenry
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.
By a lonely prison wall
I heard a young man calling
Nothing matters Mary when you're free,
Against the Famine and the Crown
I rebelled they ran me down
Now you must raise our child with dignity.
Low lie the Fields of Athenry
Where once we watched the small free birds fly.
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.
By a lonely harbor wall
She watched the last star falling
As that prison ship sailed out against the sky
Sure she'll wait and hope and pray
For her love in Botany Bay
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.
Low lie the Fields of Athenry
Where once we watched the small free birds fly.
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.
The song "The Fields of Athenry" by Brian O'Donnell tells the story of two people who are both imprisoned for different reasons. The first verse speaks of a young man, Michael, who has been taken away to be put on a prison ship in the bay for stealing corn. The second verse is about a young man who rebelled against the Famine and the Crown and was subsequently arrested. He tells his wife, Mary, that nothing matters when you're free, and that she must raise their child with dignity.
The third verse is about a woman who watches her love sail away on a prison ship to Botany Bay, and she waits and hopes and prays for his return. Throughout the song, there is a sense of loss and despair, as the people in the story are separated from those they love and the world they once knew. The chorus of "Low lie the Fields of Athenry" is a somber reminder of the contrast between the beauty of the land and the ugliness of the circumstances that have brought the characters to where they are.
Overall, the song is about the struggle and sacrifice of the Irish people throughout history, and the emotional toll that it has taken on them. The longing for freedom and the desire for a better life are themes that are woven throughout the lyrics, imbuing the song with a sense of poignancy and meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
By a lonely prison wall
The singer is standing next to a prison wall, feeling isolated and cut off from the rest of the world.
I heard a young girl calling
The singer overhears a girl crying out, possibly for someone she loves who is being taken away.
Micheal they are taking you away
The girl's cries reveal that someone named Micheal is being taken away, likely by law enforcement.
For you stole Trevelyn's corn
The reason for Micheal's imprisonment is revealed: he stole corn from someone named Trevelyn, likely as an act of desperation or rebellion.
So the young might see the morn.
Micheal may have stolen the corn to feed his family or community, in the hopes that they would survive to see another day.
Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay.
Micheal is being sent away on a prison ship, likely to a penal colony or other remote location far from home.
Low lie the Fields of Athenry
The singer observes the fields of Athenry, a place of great significance that is now associated with sadness and loss.
Where once we watched the small free birds fly.
The fields were once a place of hope and freedom, where people could watch birds soaring through the sky.
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing
The artist and their loved one once had a bright future together, filled with love and hope.
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.
But now, the artist is consumed by loneliness and heartbreak, as they observe the desolate fields and remember what has been lost.
By a lonely prison wall
The singer hears another cry, this time from a young man.
Nothing matters Mary when you're free,
The young man has lost his freedom, and is speaking to someone named Mary who he cares about deeply.
Against the Famine and the Crown
The young man may have been arrested for fighting back against British rule during the Great Famine.
I rebelled they ran me down
The young man's rebellion was ultimately unsuccessful, and he was apprehended by authorities.
Now you must raise our child with dignity.
The young man is passing on the responsibility of taking care of his child to Mary, with the hope that she will do so with honor and respect.
By a lonely harbor wall
The artist observes a woman watching a ship as it sails away from the harbor.
She watched the last star falling
The woman is filled with a sense of despair and loss as she watches the ship disappear into the horizon.
As that prison ship sailed out against the sky
The ship the woman is watching is likely the same one that Micheal was taken away on earlier in the song.
Sure she'll wait and hope and pray
Despite the bleak situation, the woman continues to hold onto hope and faith that her loved one will return someday.
For her love in Botany Bay
The woman's love has been sent to Botany Bay, a notorious penal colony in Australia.
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.
The artist closes the song by repeating the refrain, emphasizing the pervasive loneliness and sadness that haunts the fields of Athenry and the people who inhabit them.
Contributed by Lauren N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.