Thursday, February 23, 2012

Young Ned of the Hill

The history of Ireland is fascinating. The Irish were invaded by the English on several occasions and fell victim to English oppression for extended periods of time.

Many powerful songs have been written about these episodes. My personal favorite is the variation on an old Irish folk tale, "Young Ned of the Hill", on The Pogues' 1989 album Peace & Love. This song embodies the spirit of punk while embracing elements of traditional Irish folk music.

Shane McGowan didn't write this song, but I can't imagine anyone else singing it! What a great song about a terrible event!

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