Sunday Bloody Sunday
Elephant's Memory Lyrics

Well it was Sunday Bloody Sunday
The singer is referring to a particular day, namely Bloody Sunday, when people were killed.

When they shot the people there
On that day, there were people who were shot, which led to their deaths.

The cries of thirteen martyrs
The victims who were killed during the event are considered martyrs.

Filled the free Derry air
The town of Derry was filled with the sounds of mourning and sadness.

Is there any one among you
The artist is addressing the listeners and asking a question.

Dare to blame it on the kids?
The event was not caused by children, so it would be unreasonable to hold them responsible.

Not a soldier boy was bleeding
The violence was not initiated by the soldiers and therefore, they were not the victims of the attack.

When they nailed the coffin lids!
The victims were killed so brutally that the coffins had to be sealed to contain the carnage.

You claim to be majority
The artist is addressing a group of people who claim to be in the majority.

Well you know that it's a lie
The artist is asserting that the group's claim is false.

You're really a minority
In reality, the group is actually a minority.

On this sweet Emerald Isle
The artist is referring to Ireland with an affectionate nickname.

When Stormont bans our marchers
The government in Northern Ireland has prohibited people from marching.

They've got a lot to learn
The singer is suggesting that the government is mistaken and needs to change their behavior.

Internment is no answer
The practice of detention without trial, known as internment, is not an effective solution to the problems in Ireland.

It's those mother's turn to burn!
The mothers who have lost children during the conflict are now demanding justice.

You Anglo pigs and Scotties
The artist is using a derogatory term to refer to English and Scottish people living in Northern Ireland.

Sent to colonize the north
The singer suggests that these people were sent to Northern Ireland with the intention of colonizing the area.

You wave your bloody Union Jacks
The Union Jack is the flag of the United Kingdom, and the singer is suggesting that it represents violence and bloodshed in relation to Northern Ireland.

And you know what it's worth!
The artist is accusing the English and Scottish people of knowing the destructive impact of their actions in Northern Ireland.

How dare you hold on to ransom
The artist is accusing the English and Scottish people of holding Irish people captive and demanding ransom.

A people proud and free
The Irish people are characterized as proud and desiring freedom from oppression.

Keep Ireland for the Irish
The singer is demanding that Northern Ireland be free of outside colonizers and oppression.

Put the English back to sea!
The artist is suggesting that English people should return to their homeland and stay out of Ireland.

Yes it's always bloody Sunday
The singer asserts that the conflict between the Irish and the English is always characterized by violence and death.

In the concentration camps
The singer refers to places where Irish people have been forcibly detained, without legal process or trial.

Keep Falls and roads free forever
The singer is demanding that the Falls neighborhood and roads be free from the hands of the English oppressors.

From the bloody English hands
The English are seen as responsible for the violence and oppression against the Irish.

Repatriate to Britain
The artist is demanding that those who are not native to Ireland, especially the English, be returned to their home country.

All of you who call it home
The singer is referring to people who have moved to Ireland and call it their home.

Leave Ireland to the Irish
The Irish people should be in control of their own country and not be oppressed by the English.

Not for London or for Rome!
The artist is suggesting that the Irish should not be under the control of outside forces, whether they be from England or the Vatican.