Several of their later albums were released under the name The Plastic Ono Band, and often featured other musicians such as Eric Clapton, Klaus Voorman, and Alan White. The Plastic Ono Band's first album, Live Peace in Toronto 1969, was recorded during the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival Festival. The first half of their performance consisted of rock standards, and during the second half, Ono took the microphone and along with the band performed what may be one of the first expressions of the avant garde during a rock concert. The set ended with music that consisted mainly of feedback, while Ono screamed and sang.
Their fifth album together, Some Time in New York City, released in 1972, is fiercely motivated by political issues the couple found themselves confronted with upon moving to New York City in September, 1971. The album was highly controversial but is generally seen as the beginning of Ono's emergence as a songwriter with "Sisters O Sisters", "Born In A Prison", and "We're All Water"
With the birth of their son Sean in 1975, Lennon put his career on hold to raise the boy and rekindle his relationship with his older son Julian. In the summer of 1980, both Lennon and Ono felt ready to resume to work and began composing. They made the decision to release their impending songs together on the same album. Subtitled "A Heart Play", Double Fantasy would be a collection of songs whereby John and Yoko would be singing to each other.
Released in 1984, Milk and Honey is notable for being Lennon's first posthumous release of music, having been recorded in the last months of his life during and following the sessions for Double Fantasy. Though Lennon's death caused a temporary shelving of the project, Ono was later capable of returning to complete it.
The Luck of the Irish
John Lennon & Yoko Ono Lyrics
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You'd be sorry and wish you were dead
You should have the luck of the Irish
And you'd wish you was English instead!
A thousand years of torture and hunger
Drove the people away from their land
A land full of beauty and wonder
If you could keep voices like flowers
There'd be shamrock all over the world
If you could drink dreams like Irish streams
Then the world would be high as the mountain of morn
In the 'Pool they told us the story
How the English divided the land
Of the pain, the death and the glory
And the poets of Auld Ireland
If we could make chains with the morning dew
The world would be like Galway Bay
Let's walk over rainbows like leprechauns
The world would be one big Blarney stone
Why the hell are the English there anyway?
As they kill with God on their side
Blame it all on the kids the IRA
As the bastards commit genocide! Aye! Aye! Genocide!
If you had the luck of the Irish
You'd be sorry and wish you was dead
You should have the luck of the Irish
And you'd wish you was English instead!
Yes you'd wish you was English instead!
The Luck of the Irish is a strong political commentary by John Lennon and Yoko Ono that talks about the troubled history between Ireland and England. The opening lines "If you had the luck of the Irish, You'd be sorry and wish you were dead" sets the tone for the rest of the song. The lyrics suggest that the Irish have suffered so much in their history that the luck of the Irish may not necessarily be a good thing.
The song talks about the harsh realities of the Irish history, the torture and hunger that lasted a thousand years that drove the people away from their own land, which was full of beauty and wonder, but was brutally taken over by the British brigands. As the chorus goes on "you'd wish you was English instead!", it highlights the idea that the British enjoyed more social and political privileges and better lives compared to those oppressed in Ireland.
The song talks about the division of the Irish land by the English, the poets of Auld Ireland, and the atrocities committed by Britain against the Irish people. Lennon and Ono’s message is of a revolutionary spirit where freedom and equality should reign, and the world could be a peaceful and harmonious place if only we could all come together on a level playing field, irrespective of nationality or colour.
Line by Line Meaning
If you had the luck of the Irish
If you had the misfortune of being Irish
You'd be sorry and wish you were dead
You would suffer greatly and wish for death
You should have the luck of the Irish
It's better to be lucky than unlucky
And you'd wish you was English instead!
You would prefer to not be Irish
A thousand years of torture and hunger
The Irish have suffered greatly for centuries
Drove the people away from their land
Many Irish were forced to emigrate from their homeland
A land full of beauty and wonder
Ireland is a beautiful country
Was raped by the British brigands! Goddamn! Goddamn!
The British have oppressed and exploited the Irish people for centuries
If you could keep voices like flowers
If people could communicate with beauty and harmony
There'd be shamrock all over the world
The Irish culture would be spread and appreciated globally
If you could drink dreams like Irish streams
If people could be inspired and moved by their dreams like the Irish are by their streams and folklore
Then the world would be high as the mountain of morn
The world would be uplifted and inspired
In the 'Pool they told us the story
In Liverpool, where Lennon grew up and met Ono, they heard about Ireland's history and struggle for independence
How the English divided the land
The English colonial rulers divided Ireland and caused conflict between Irish people
Of the pain, the death and the glory
The history of Ireland is full of suffering, violence, and heroism
And the poets of Auld Ireland
The Irish literary tradition has celebrated their culture and history
If we could make chains with the morning dew
If we could create beauty and wonder with small things
The world would be like Galway Bay
The world would be as beautiful and serene as the Irish coast
Let's walk over rainbows like leprechauns
Let's embrace our imagination and fantasy like the Irish folklore beings
The world would be one big Blarney stone
The world would be full of the Irish charm and wit
Why the hell are the English there anyway?
Why have the English colonized and oppressed Ireland for so long?
As they kill with God on their side
The English justify their oppression and violence using religion
Blame it all on the kids the IRA
The English propaganda blames Irish resistance groups like the IRA for the conflict and violence
As the bastards commit genocide! Aye! Aye! Genocide!
As the English commit ethnic cleansing and extermination of the Irish people
If you had the luck of the Irish
If you were born into the Irish struggle and suffering
You'd be sorry and wish you was dead
You would experience great pain and misery
You should have the luck of the Irish
It's better to be lucky than unlucky
And you'd wish you was English instead!
You would prefer to be born into the dominating power rather than the oppressed minority
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN LENNON, YOKO ONO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind