The Luck of the Irish
Yoko Ono, John Lennon, Plastic Ono Band
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If you had the luck of the Irish 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 Was raped by the British brigands! Goddamn! Goddamn! 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!
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.jpg/208px-John_Lennon_1969_(cropped).jpg "John Lennon")
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Written by: JOHN LENNON, YOKO ONO
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
11 facts about this song
Song Release Information"The Luck of the Irish" was released as a part of John Lennon's and Yoko Ono's 1972 album, "Some Time in New York City".
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Political ContextThe song was inspired and written in the context of the bloody conflict widely known as The Troubles taking place in Northern Ireland in the late 20th century.
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Song Theme"The Luck of the Irish" relates to the misfortunes of the Irish during the fight for independence from Britain, using irony and sarcasm to express the tough situation.
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Songwriting CreditsThe song was co-written by both John Lennon and Yoko Ono, demonstrating the collaboration between the couple not only in life but in their music as well.
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Performance StyleIn this song, Lennon and Ono share the singing duties. John sings the verses, while Yoko sings the centerpiece—one of the few times they shared vocal duties so equally.
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Controversial InterpretationsDespite its folk-inspired melody, the song has stirred controversy due to its disapproval of British influence and rule in Northern Ireland.
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Live PerformancesOne of the first performances of "The Luck of the Irish" took place in December 1971 at a protest rally for the Irish Republican movement in New York City.
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Instrumental ArrangementThe tune features a quaint arrangement with acoustic guitars, tin whistle and tambourine, on top of which Lennon and Ono express their political message.
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Lyric FormThe song's lyrics take the form of a traditional Irish song or ballad but are filled with heavy political commentary, expressing Lennon’s and Ono's personal views.
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Public ReceptionThe public's reception of the song at the time of its release was mixed, as some celebrated its criticism of British colonialism, while others found the politics overwhelming.
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Current RelevanceThe song remains relevant, given the ongoing discussions and debates about the status of Northern Ireland and its relationship with Britain.
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Citation
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"The Luck of the Irish Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/33177146/John+Lennon/The+Luck+of+the+Irish>.
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