Christy Moore started in the music business in the mid-sixties, when his life as a bank clerk was interrupted by a bank strike, and he moved to England. There he became involved in the folk music scene at the time, and spent a few years playing pubs and clubs around the country.
His return to Ireland was marked by the album 'Prosperous', which proved to be a milestone in the rapprochement of Irish music to the popular mainstream. This album benefited from a collaboration of the leading talents of contemporary folk music, musicians such as Andy Irvine, Donal Lunny and Liam O'Flynn, and this one-off was to lead to the formation of Planxty, a band who were soon to be at the leading edge of the revival of Irish traditional music.
Over the following years the musical status of Planxty became legendary both in Ireland, Britain and throughout Europe. However in 1974 the band split up to pursue solo projects. It was during this period that Christy continued to explore new ground as a solo artist recording a number of solo albums including 'The Iron Behind the Velvet' (TARACD2002) which featured Andy Irvine and 'Live in Dublin' (TARACD2005) with Donal Lunny.
The original Planxty lineup of Christy, Andy, Liam and Donal then reformed in 1979. They recorded two further albums with Tara Records 'After the Break' (TARACD3001) and 'The Woman I Loved So Well' (TARACD3005). There were several additions and changes to their lineup most notably the addition of Matt Molloy, flautist from The Bothy Band, who later joined The Chieftains, and Bill Whelan.
In 1981 Planxty performed a Bill Whelan arrangement called 'Timedance' as the intermission piece for the Eurovision song contest, held that year in Ireland. Later it was released as a single and is now included on Bill's CD of 'The Seville Suite' (TARACD3030) released by Tara in 1992.
In the eighties Christy again teamed up with Donal Lunny to form Moving Hearts, another ambitious and innovative Irish band which sought to mix jazz into the folk-rock fusion. Ever the wanderer, Christy was soon breaking out on his own again, and it was in the eighties that he began to establish himself as one of Ireland's leading solo artists with a string of acclaimed albums and high profile tours.
In the mid-nineties Christy decided to take a break from the music for a few years. In the year 2000 Christy return to live performances with a series of Dublin concerts. Over the last few years he has released a number of solo projects including a television series, a live album and a 6 CD boxset.
The sirens Voice
Christy Moore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The song of our village has come to an end
The song of our village has come to an end
She cried
Then she heard the sirens voice
And the sirens voice was singing;
Island of the welcomes. One hundred thousand welcomes.
Land of the Holy Fathers. One hundred thousand welcomes.
Land of Saints and scholars. One hundred thousand welcomes.
Ancient city of the deep lagoon. Céad míle failte.
Heart of The Rowl. Céad míle failte.
Dublin city of the rare auld times. Céad míle failte.
Where the green snot river flows. Céad míle failte.
Again she heard the sirens voice
And the sirens voice was singing;
Black life, white life, pro-life,
Black life, white life, pro-life,
Black lies, white lies, no life.
Again she heard the sirens voice
And the sirens voice was singing;
No niggers or knackers or wogs, no refugees.
No Dia is Muire, sez she,
And no divorce in Heaven, sez she, no refugees.
Céad míle failte.
Céad míle failte my arse, sez she.
Míle fáilte my arse.
Living off our land,
Living off our land,
Living of our hard earned surplus,
Creating housing shortages and unemployment.
Living off our land.
They're coming here to save us,
Saving the white babies.
They're coming here to save us,
Saving white babies souls.
The sirens voice was heard.
The first verse of this song is sung by an unidentified woman, who is apparently mourning the loss of her village. She picks up a handful of earth and kisses it, crying that the song of their village has come to an end. The repetition of the phrase “The song of our village has come to an end” brings home the sorrow and finality of the situation. Then, suddenly, the woman hears the siren's voice, which is singing a welcome to various places, including Ireland and Dublin, where "the green snot river flows." The second verse of the siren's voice, however, takes a darker turn, with the repetition of "Black life, white life, pro-life/Black lies, white lies, no life," and the exclusionary phrase, "No niggers or knackers or wogs, no refugees."
This song by Christy Moore is complex and multi-layered. It touches on themes of loss, nostalgia, and displacement, mixed in with a critique of the harmful effects of nationalism, sectarianism, and racism. The unidentified woman in the song represents a voice of mourning for a lost way of life, but also a voice of resistance against oppressive social structures that exclude and marginalize certain groups. The siren's voice, on the other hand, represents different kinds of welcome, but also different kinds of exclusion and violence. Overall, Christy Moore's "The Siren's Voice" is a powerful critique of the politics of exclusion and division that underlie many nationalist and populist movements.
Line by Line Meaning
She picked up a handful of earth and kissing it, she cried;
She expressed her deep sorrow and despair for her village by taking some earth in her hand and kissing it.
The song of our village has come to an end
The traditional way of living in her village has come to an end and so has its culture and identity.
The song of our village has come to an end
The traditional way of living in her village has come to an end and so has its culture and identity.
She cried
She was so overwhelmed with emotions and grief that she couldn't help but cry.
Then she heard the sirens voice
She was interrupted from her mourning by the sound of a siren.
Island of the welcomes. One hundred thousand welcomes.
The siren's voice was promoting the image of Ireland as a welcoming and hospitable place.
Christian holy island. One hundred thousand welcomes.
The siren's voice was emphasizing the religious identity of Ireland and how it welcomes everyone.
Land of the Holy Fathers. One hundred thousand welcomes.
The siren's voice was emphasizing the historical and religious significance of Ireland and how it welcomes everyone.
Land of Saints and scholars. One hundred thousand welcomes.
The siren's voice was emphasizing how Ireland has produced many great and learned people and how it welcomes everyone.
Ancient city of the deep lagoon. Céad míle failte.
The siren's voice was promoting Venice as a welcoming and hospitable place.
Heart of The Rowl. Céad míle failte.
The siren's voice was promoting Dublin's nightlife and entertainment scene as a welcoming and hospitable place.
Dublin city of the rare auld times. Céad míle failte.
The siren's voice was promoting Dublin as a welcoming and hospitable place with a rich history and culture.
Where the green snot river flows. Céad míle failte.
The siren's voice was promoting Dublin's river, the Liffey, and its surroundings as a welcoming and hospitable place.
Again she heard the sirens voice
The woman was interrupted again by the sound of the siren.
Black life, white life, pro-life,
The siren's voice was promoting a certain political stance on abortion, emphasizing that all lives matter.
Black lies, white lies, no life.
The siren's voice was criticizing the political climate, where lies are rampant and people's lives are at stake.
No niggers or knackers or wogs, no refugees.
The siren's voice was promoting an exclusionary and racist ideology, one which refuses to accept refugees and other marginalized groups.
No Dia is Muire, sez she, And no divorce in Heaven, sez she, no refugees.
The woman is critical of the siren's voice and its exclusionary ideology, one which goes against religious beliefs and basic human compassion.
Céad míle failte.
The siren's voice continued to promote Ireland as a welcoming and hospitable place.
Céad míle failte my arse, sez she.
The woman is rejecting the siren's voice and its promotion of Ireland as a welcoming and hospitable place.
Míle fáilte my arse.
The woman is being sarcastic and dismissive of the siren's voice and its messages of hospitality and welcome.
Living off our land,
The woman is criticizing those who exploit Ireland's resources without contributing to the country's development and prosperity.
Living off our land,
The woman is emphasizing how Ireland's natural resources are being exploited without any benefit to its people.
Living of our hard earned surplus,
The woman is calling attention to how Ireland's wealth is being taken advantage of without any effort put in by outside entities.
Creating housing shortages and unemployment.
The woman is pointing out the negative impacts of foreign investment on housing and employment in Ireland.
They're coming here to save us,
The woman is being critical of those who think they are coming to Ireland to help or save its people.
Saving the white babies.
The woman is being critical of those who are selective in their charity and only help white children.
They're coming here to save us,
The woman is being critical of the notion that outsiders are coming to Ireland to correct its perceived faults.
Saving white babies souls.
The woman is being critical of the self-righteousness of those who think they can save other people's souls.
The sirens voice was heard.
The siren's voice was constantly present, representing the persistent external pressures that Ireland faced.
Contributed by Gavin C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Oisin feehilly
on By Barna
Hellow Lady, Can I borrow your teddy
Samuel Joseph Donnelly
on Whacker Humphries
Ask "whacker" about the Provo they marched on and set up for votes in council elections- set up by a brasser from the Barn named Lilly Healy- 18 fucking years in blocks/cages/ torture centres and back stabbed by wannabes from Dublin! Between Active service ( killing etc whacker in case you didn't know!!
Chloe Mcl
on Hey Paddy
Is that the words Brendan O'Carroll sing