sunrise
Divine Comedy Lyrics
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I was born in Derry City too
Oh what a special child
To see such things and still to smile
I know that there was something wrong
But I kept my head down and carried on
I grew up in Enniskillen
Oh what a clever boy
To watch your hometown be destroyed
I know that I could not stay long
So I kept my head down and carried on
Who cares where national borders lie?
Who cares whose laws you're governed by?
Who cares what name you call a town?
Who'll care when you're six feet beneath the ground?
From the corner of my eye
A hint of blue in the black sky
A ray of hope, a beam of light
An end to thirty years of night
The church bells ring, the children sing
What is this strange and beautiful thing?
It's the sunrise
Can you see the sunrise?
I can see the sunrise
It's the sun rising
Divine Comedy's song Sunrise is a poignant commentary on the sectarian strife that plagued Northern Ireland for over thirty years. The lyrics describe the experiences of the singer who was born in Londonderry (also known as Derry City) and grew up in Enniskillen (also called Inis Ceithleann). The song's opening lines, "I was born in Londonderry, I was born in Derry City too," immediately establish the divide that exists within Northern Ireland, a divide that is often linguistic and which reflects different political affiliations. Despite living in an environment that is constantly marred by violence and hatred, the singer remains optimistic and hopeful. The song suggests that there is a possibility for peace in Northern Ireland, despite the deep-seated animosity that existed within both communities.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born in Londonderry
I hail from a place that is called Londonderry.
I was born in Derry City too
Another name of the same place I was born is Derry City.
Oh what a special child
I was a unique child among those who witnessed the same things as I did.
To see such things and still to smile
Despite witnessing horrific events, I managed to keep a positive attitude and continued to smile.
I know that there was something wrong
There was an issue with the society I lived in, which I was aware of.
But I kept my head down and carried on
I continued to live my life without paying much attention to the problem.
I grew up in Enniskillen
Enniskillen is another place where I spent my childhood.
I grew up in Inis Ceithleann too
I also lived in a town called Inis Ceithleann at some point in my childhood.
Oh what a clever boy
I was an intelligent boy, who was able to understand what was happening around him.
To watch your hometown be destroyed
It was painful to see my hometown being destroyed by violence and conflicts.
I know that I could not stay long
I realized that it was not safe for me to remain in that place for long.
So I kept my head down and carried on
I continued to live my life without much thought to the situation.
Who cares where national borders lie?
Why does it matter where one country ends and another begins?
Who cares whose laws you're governed by?
Why should anyone care about the name of the law they are subjected to?
Who cares what name you call a town?
What difference does it make what name we refer to a location with?
Who'll care when you're six feet beneath the ground?
When you are no longer alive, who will care what you called a town or what laws you lived under?
From the corner of my eye
I noticed something out of the corner of my vision.
A hint of blue in the black sky
Despite the darkness, I spotted a hint of blue in the sky.
A ray of hope, a beam of light
This gave me hope, and I felt as if a ray of light had entered my life after a long, dark time.
An end to thirty years of night
This event signaled the end of a long, dark period that had lasted for thirty years.
The church bells ring, the children sing
The sound of church bells filled the air, and the children sang in joy.
What is this strange and beautiful thing?
This event was so unusual and wonderful that I wondered what it could be.
It's the sunrise
Finally, I realized that it was the sun rising, and the beginning of a new day.
Can you see the sunrise?
I asked if others could see the sunrise too.
I can see the sunrise
I confirmed that I could see the sunrise and that it gave me hope for a better future.
It's the sun rising
I stated that the event that we were witnessing was the sunrise.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NEIL HANNON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind