Local singers wax lyrical about romantic tunes

THERE is no denying that Ireland has a particularly deep-rooted connection when it comes poetry and song – particularly when it comes to great love stories.

Having lost three of its greatest contemporary songwriters in 2023 with the passing of Shane MacGowan, Sinead O’Connor and Christy Dignam, the people of Ireland will, no doubt, keep the spirit of such raw and beautiful talent alive through the medium of song and lyrics of which the aforementioned trio composed throughout their lives.

When it comes to a man like Shane MacGowan, there was no denying that while he had his demons, he was nothing short of a truly romantic soul.

With such songs as ‘A Rainy Night in Soho’ describing a close, loving relationship that lasted ‘down all the years’ and through changes in circumstances, Shane wrote of how he still heard his dearly beloved talking in his head while she remained ‘the measure of my dreams’.

In the Aslan classic, ‘Crazy World’, we hear frontman, Christy Dignam, conveying the idea that love can provide stability and emotional support amid the unpredictable nature of the world. The powerhouse of a chorus in which we hear the late singer belt out, ‘How can I protect you in this crazy world?’ is a melody and a lyric that will surely ring on for many generations to come.

ETERNAL

Such other words of love that have lived on throughout generations thanks to the eternal gift of song is the popular ‘Raglan Road’, which was famously sang by one of Ireland’s greatest voices, Luke Kelly.

Originally written as a poem by Patrick Kavanagh, the poet recalls a love affair with a young woman while walking on a quiet street. Kavanagh – aware of the risks of being hurt if he initiated a relationship with the woman in question – did so anyway, despite his awareness that he would face the ultimate heartache after the relationship would inevitably end.

As a country, Ireland has been famous throughout the ages for producing some of the most expressive poets in history, such as William Butler Yeats, Oscar Wilde and Seamus Heaney, to name but a few.

Irish literature offers an abundance of beautiful love poems and songs which still, to this day, inspire not only the Irish, but artists all over the world.

Certain mythology also states that the tradition of Valentine’s Day began thanks to a piece of writing, when St Valentine sent a letter to someone he shared great feelings for, signing it off with ‘From your Valentine’.

On that note, as we prepare to celebrate Valentine’s Day this week, the Tyrone Herald caught up with some local musicians to find out exactly what their favourite love song is.

While the Irish are renowned for their expressive writing in both poetry and song, many of these local singers chose an array of songs written by international artist, almost as if the world is giving back to the land that inspired such great stories and words of love.

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