Declan de Barra was born in Waterford, Ireland and has been working as an i… Read Full Bio ↴Declan de Barra was born in Waterford, Ireland and has been working as an independent musician since the age of 18. Forced to emigrate to Australia during the bleak 80’s, Declan quickly entered the Australian Music and Arts scene, touring the country for a number of years with his group Non-Intentional Lifeform on Dutch label Roadrunner Records.

In 1999 he formed the musical group Clann Zú featuring various musicians from Melbourne’s Classical, punk and electronic scenes. Clann Zú became critically acclaimed internationally, releasing two albums on Canadian political label G7 Welcoming Committee, home to writers Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn as well as acclaimed groups Propaghandi and International Noise Conspiracy. The albums “Rua” and “Black Coats and Bandages” made the top ten critics choices in various overseas press for 2002 and 2004.

Following Declan’s return to Ireland in 2002 he quickly became part of the Irish music and film scene. Continuing to perform with Clann Zú on their final tour throughout 2004 in Canada and Australia, Declan also found the time to perform as a solo artist in Ireland. Filmmaking has always been the natural progression of Declan’s musical pieces and songs. Having received numerous accolades for his animations his works have featured in numerous national and international film festivals.

Declan has just finished recording his eagerly awaited debut solo album ‘Song Of a Thousand Birds”. It features some of the cream of Irish contemporary musicians. Rónán O’Snodaigh from Kila, Turlough Gunawardhana from The Chapters on cello, Richie Egan (AKA Jape) from Redneck Manifesto on bass, Cion O’Callaghan from Paddy Casey’s band on drums and renowned fiddle player Adrian Hart. The album was recorded in various flats, basements and abandoned rooms in Dublin by de Barra over the last year and a half while two tracks were recorded in Melbourne Australia.

“It was done with what ever I could beg borrow or steal, I’d work insane hours at an animation studio and plough all me money into buying microphones and the like, food rent and sleep were secondary issues. I was fortunate that so many great musicians liked the songs and helped me out. This album is all I’ve eaten, drank and slept for the past few years.”

De Barra’s vocals are intense and passionate, with lyrical themes running from tales of love lost, to socially based themes of refugees, resistance, cultural reclamation, and survival. It is hard to pin a style on De Barra's music, from the beautiful dark melodies of the almost Sean Nós like “Leaves in the Autumn” to the intimate and sparse “Curfew”, to the huge and dramatic “Blackbird Song” and “Three Days From Now”. Critics have best described it as dark, beautiful and powerful.

Declan has released his new album "A fire to scare the sun".

Leaves in the Autumn
Declan De Barra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I am the empty one,
The one who dies, the ones who lies
Where all have forgotten,
I am the sound that comes across the waves on a stormy day,
I am the one who falls as white as a blanket of snow outside your window,
And even though i'm a slave, my love for you remains
My blood for our freedom was not in vain...

I am the one who falls as leaves in the autumn,
Falls as rain upon your back when you walk through the hills,
I am the air, i am the water, and this you shall know...

I am but bones but i still love you,
Same as now,same as all before..

My love for you through the air is home,
I am not going down that hole no more,
I listen to no one,
I listen to no one,

I listen to none,
My blood for your sweet voice...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Declan De Barra's song Leaves in the Autumn beautifully portrays the message of love, sacrifice, and perseverance even in the face of dire circumstances. The opening line, "I am the empty one, The one who dies, the ones who lie," suggests a sense of despair and hopelessness, but it is quickly followed by a declaration of a love that cannot be subdued or extinguished. The lines, "And even though I'm a slave, my love for you remains, my blood for our freedom was not in vain," convey the idea that love can transcend any obstacle and even though the singer may be enslaved, his love remains pure and untainted, and he is willing to fight for their freedom.

The chorus, "I am the one who falls as leaves in the autumn, falls as rain upon your back when you walk through the hills, I am the air, I am the water, and this you shall know," continues the metaphor of the singer being a force of nature who may fall, but his love will remain present, just as the leaves fall in autumn but the trees remain, and rain falls upon us but eventually dries up. The lines, "I am but bones but I still love you, same as now, same as all before," suggest that even when all else fades away, his love is steadfast and enduring, and the pain and suffering he has endured have not weakened his feelings.

The final lines, "My love for you through the air is home, I am not going down that hole no more, I listen to no one, I listen to no one, I listen to none, my blood for your sweet voice," suggest a sense of liberation and freedom that the singer has found, and how his love has uplifted him even in the darkest moments. The phrase "going down that hole" may refer to a place of loneliness, despair, and isolation that the singer has been trapped in, but through his love, he has found a way out.

Line by Line Meaning

I am the empty one
I feel hollow and empty inside

The one who dies, the one who lies
I am the person who dies inside when I am not truthful with you

Where all have forgotten
I am in a place where everyone has abandoned me

I am the sound that comes across the waves on a stormy day
Like the sound of waves during a storm, I am persistent and relentless, even in difficult times

I am the one who falls as white as a blanket of snow outside your window
I am like the snow that falls outside your window, pure and innocent, but also fleeting and temporary

And even though i'm a slave, my love for you remains
Even though I feel trapped and controlled, my love for you persists and never fades

My blood for our freedom was not in vain...
I have sacrificed for our freedom and it was not done for nothing

I am the one who falls as leaves in the autumn
I am like the leaves in the autumn, falling to the ground as the seasons change

Falls as rain upon your back when you walk through the hills
I am the rain that falls upon your back when you walk through the hills, refreshing and renewing your spirit

I am the air, i am the water, and this you shall know...
I am a force of nature, as essential as air and water, and you will realize this someday

I am but bones but i still love you
Despite my physical limitations and weaknesses, my love for you is still strong

Same as now, same as all before...
My love for you has always been and will always be the same

My love for you through the air is home
My love for you is like the feeling of being at home, comfortable and safe

I am not going down that hole no more
I am no longer going down a destructive path

I listen to no one, I listen to no one, I listen to none
I am stubborn and independent, not swayed by the opinions of others

My blood for your sweet voice...
I am willing to give everything for the sound of your voice

Contributed by Audrey M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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