In order to avoid the pressure of being related to Christy Moore, Bloom adopted his pseudonym. "Luka" is taken from the title of Suzanne Vega's song "Luka" about child abuse and "Bloom" refers to the main character in James Joyce's Ulysses. Bloom is, however, very forthcoming about being Moore's brother and does not hide behind his stage name.
Luka Bloom's style of guitar playing is very distinctive and is generally referred to as "electro-acoustic". In his early career as Barry Moore, Bloom used a fingerpicking style. However, tendonitis in his hands forced him to adopt a strumming style which is the one he still uses and is often credited with his success.
He began his career in the United States playing small clubs in Washington DC and later in New York City. He was a frequent performer in New York's Greenwich Village--at the Lion's Den (a center for American folk music in the early Sixties), and at the Red Lion, where he played with Eileen Ivers backing him on fiddle, during his "Irishman in Chinatown" tour. (Ivers would also appear on the Riverside album.)
He toured America frequently through the Nineties, although his contemporary touring schedules take him mostly to Europe. He remarked during his 2006 US tour that he has grown fond of playing in Eastern Europe, "now that I don't need a work visa."
His early albums showcased his frenetic strumming style, including "Delirious" the debut track on Riverside, and his penchant for thoughtful cover songs, an affinity that he maintains even in more recent work. Released in 2000, Keeper of the Flame was an album of cover versions, featuring renditions of ABBA's Dancing Queen, Bob Marley's Natural Mystic and the Hunters and Collectors' Throw Your Arms Around Me among others. Bloom had previously covered LL Cool J's I Need Love and Elvis Presley's Can't Help Falling In Love on the album The Acoustic Motorbike. Bloom is often heard to remark in concert about Natural Mystic that "...there are considerable similarities between Jamaicans and Irishmen".
Bloom's 2004 acoustic mini-album, Before Sleep Comes, was recorded while Bloom was recovering from tendonitis. Bloom stated the purpose of the album was "to help bring you closer to sleep, our sometimes elusive night-friend."
Bloom released his most recent album Innocence in 2005. Many of the songs feature a new found interest in Eastern European gypsy music and othe World music. In his previous work, he relied on steel-stringed guitars that created his distinctive style. His aubergine and yellow guitars were often introduced by name at gigs. The most recent album features a more classical guitar and the resonant plucking associated with that style of instrument.
Forgiveness
Luka Bloom Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Aging little faces full of need
Who never should have suffered from this hunger
There's a better world to go to, I believed
Before our journey to Canada
My love and I were married in the town
One day of freedom from the anguish
We sang and danced with friends from all around
A stor mo chroi
I'll always love you
On an overcrowded ship we crossed the ocean
Many found their graveyard in that sea
Those who set their dreams on a life in Canada
Surrendered to the fate that was to be
Finally my true love's heart was broken
In a fever shed in Canada she died
Though I will assist my fellow countrymen
There is nothing only emptiness inside
A stor mo chroi
I'll always love you
All my fear of dying dissipated
Now I'm simply waiting for the end
Before I'm laid to rest in Canada
I'll bring some comfort to my Irish friends
Talk to them of better days behind us
Before a brute for power put us down
I'll sing until the reaper comes to take me
To the love that lies waiting in the ground
A stor mo chroi
I'll always love you
I open up my eyes
To the sunlight shining new
And in the dream that takes me back
A single word rings through
My memories awaken
To the horrors come to pass
One word in the morning light
Brings freedom home at last
Forgiveness...
For the ancient wounds still hurting
For the wrongs I've never known
For all the children left to die
Near fields where corn was grown
Like the ones who braved the ocean
In the fever sheds to burn
Let all the hatred leave these shores now
Never to return
Forgiveness...
The song Forgiveness by Luka Bloom is a poignant tale narrated by an Irish immigrant who suffered through hunger, poverty, and loss during his journey to Canada. The singer reflects on the hardships he faced, the love he shared with his wife, and the impact of the tragic events that he witnessed. The opening verse describes the painful sight of "walking, wounded children" who have been struck by hunger and poverty. However, the singer holds on to the belief that a better world is possible, and he shares memories of his wedding day when he found one day of freedom from anguish.
The second verse talks about the harrowing journey across the ocean, where many lost their lives before reaching Canada. The singer's wife eventually dies in a fever shed, and he feels nothing but emptiness inside. However, he resolves to assist his fellow countrymen and bring some comfort to his Irish friends before his own death. The final verse describes a dream where the singer remembers the past horrors and the single word that brings freedom home at last - Forgiveness. He reflects on the ancient wounds still hurting, the wrongs he's never known, and the children left to die near fields where corn was grown. The song ends with a call for all the hatred to leave the shores now and never return.
Overall, Forgiveness is a moving tribute to the struggles faced by Irish immigrants and their resilience in the face of adversity. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the pain and hopelessness felt by many who left their homeland in search of a better life.
Line by Line Meaning
Walking, wounded children lined the roads about the town
Children, who have been hurt so badly that they are wounded, are walking on the road around the town
Aging little faces full of need
These children have aged faces despite being young, and they have a desperate need for help
Who never should have suffered from this hunger
It is unfair that these children should ever have gone hungry and suffered as they have
There's a better world to go to, I believed
The artist believed that there was a better world for these children to go to, where they wouldn't suffer like this
Before our journey to Canada
The artist is referring to a time before they traveled to Canada
My love and I were married in the town
The singer and their partner got married in the town they are referring to
One day of freedom from the anguish
On their wedding day, the singer and their partner found some respite from the anguish of their daily lives
We sang and danced with friends from all around
They celebrated their day with their friends by singing and dancing
A stor mo chroi
I'll always love you
This is an expression of love and affection between the artist and their partner, using the Irish language
On an overcrowded ship we crossed the ocean
The artist and their family traveled across the ocean on an overcrowded ship
Many found their graveyard in that sea
Many people died on that journey and were buried at sea
Those who set their dreams on a life in Canada
The people on the ship were hopeful about their lives in Canada
Surrendered to the fate that was to be
Unfortunately, their fate was to be very uncertain and difficult
Finally my true love's heart was broken
The singer's partner's heart was broken by the events that occurred during their journey
In a fever shed in Canada she died
Ultimately, the singer's partner died of fever in Canada
Though I will assist my fellow countrymen
The artist will help other people from their country who are also in Canada
There is nothing only emptiness inside
Despite trying to help others, the artist's partner's death has left them feeling empty
All my fear of dying dissipated
The singer is no longer scared of dying
Now I'm simply waiting for the end
The singer is waiting for their life to end
Before I'm laid to rest in Canada
The artist is thinking about before they die and are buried in Canada
I'll bring some comfort to my Irish friends
The artist will try to make things better for their friends from Ireland before they die
Talk to them of better days behind us
The artist will reminisce about better days from the past with their friends
Before a brute for power put us down
The singer is referring to a time when someone strong took control over them unfairly
I'll sing until the reaper comes to take me
The artist will continue singing until they die
To the love that lies waiting in the ground
The singer believes their partner's love is waiting for them in the afterlife
I open up my eyes
The singer is waking up from a dream
To the sunlight shining new
It is a new day, and the sun is shining
And in the dream that takes me back
The artist is describing how they just had a dream that took them back in time
A single word rings through
In their dream, a single word is the most important thing they heard/felt
My memories awaken
This word helped the singer remember a lot of things they had forgotten
To the horrors come to pass
These memories are of terrible things that happened in the past
One word in the morning light
This word was spoken in the morning light (during the dream)
Brings freedom home at last
This word has brought the artist freedom by helping them remember and experience these feelings fully
Forgiveness...
The word that the artist is referring to is "forgiveness", which is the key to freedom
For the ancient wounds still hurting
The singer is referring to the wounds of the past which still hurt
For the wrongs I've never known
There are wrongs that the artist does not even know about, but they still hurt them
For all the children left to die
The singer is lamenting the children who have died, who should never have met such a fate
Near fields where corn was grown
These children died close to fields where corn was grown
Like the ones who braved the ocean
The singer is referring to the people who crossed the ocean, despite knowing the risks
In the fever sheds to burn
These people suffered and died of fever, often in sheds
Let all the hatred leave these shores now
The artist wants all the hatred that caused this pain to leave, so that they can finally heal and move on
Never to return
The singer wants this healing and forgiveness to be permanent, so that they can finally start anew
Forgiveness...
The song ends on this note of forgiveness, which is the only way to move past the horrors of the past
Contributed by Charlie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.