Lyr Add: Ballad of Lindsey Mooney

Subject: Ballad of Lindsey Mooney
From: Wolfgang
Date: 08 Sep 00 - 07:54 AM

This'll be the last song of my short series of songs from recent Irish history for now. It can be found, e.g., at http://www.acronet.net/~robokopp/eire/lindsey.htm. I'd love to post an English (British) song about these events (I don't know of any) and I'd like to post a republican and loyalist song telling different tales about the same event together in one thread. But since I don't know of such songs, you'll be spared further posting of that kind for now.

Some subjective thoughts on republican and loyalist songs. I had thought of making a thread out of these thoughts but I don't like what might happen then. I feel more confident to bury these thoughts deep in this thread. Do I have a bias for republican songs? One response is obviously, yes, since I posted up to now about eight recent republican songs and one loyalist . Maybe the reason is that I usually feel more positively towards people (minority or, see Kosovo and SA, majority) that fight for equal human rights (jobs, voting system, access to police forces, access to decent housing,...) than for those defending old privileges. Mind that this bias does not mean I support the means by which they fight for these rights. Another reason is the scarcity of recent loyalist songs (they only seem to replay the old ones). That might be a selection bias, but the few recent ones I have found are here (if you are there go to Part II). Compare that with the abundance of republican songs, e.g. here (click on 'rebel songs, once there). [In both cases you can easily go with a few clicks to material that is partisan, one-sided and might offend you, so stick to the songs]
Some observations I find conspicuous from reading all of the songs (you'll find exceptions but that's the general picture) I could get access to:
The enemy for the loyalist songs are the republican paramilitaries, especially the IRA, the enemy in the republican songs are rarely the loyalist paramilitaries, but the British (English).
Both sing more often about an enemy they fight less often: Republican paramilitaries have killed more fellow countrymen from Northern Ireland than persons from Britain (excluding Northern Ireland) but sing about the British as enemy. Loyalist paramilitaries sing about the IRA but have killed much more catholic civilians than they have killed republican paramilitaries.
Taking recent and old songs together you very rarely if ever can read that the religion of the enemy is mentioned in republican songs, you often find allusions to the religion of the enemy in loyalist songs.
The last observation might be my bias, but I find more often statements denying human qualities to the opponent in loyalist songs ('not human', 'not even men', 'scum') than I do find in republican songs ('critters'). This observation might be a further reason for my posting bias. As much as I dislike the trigger happy sentiment in many songs (e.g., My little armalite), I mostly find republican song less repulsive.
A selected loyalist song, similar in quality to many republican songs in my eyes (I haven't heard it) follows below.

Wolfgang

The Ballad of Lindsey Mooney

Come gather round my comrade
a saddened tale I'll tell
about upon a foreign land
our brave young comrade fell
his young life fitted from this land
so torn by bomb and strife
for Ulster's cause he gave his all
and sacrificed his life.

Was on a cold St. Patrick's night
when Lindseys life was shed
as to a bar where rebels were
was a car bomb he was spared
but something happened on that night
our comrades life was through
in a foreign land he gave his life
in defense of all that's true.

We pray that by his sacrifice
the world shall see the truth *
his young life he gave valiantly
his death was not in vain.
The Ulster flag with its red hand
on this land shall remain.

So listen now you loyalists
as this my tale I end
he gave his life for liberty
Ulster's people to defend
so lets remember always
in letters aged and bold
remember well this young mans name
and the story you've been told.

So lift a glass in Lindseys name
and remember one and all
that while young lads like Lindsey fight
Ulster's cause shall never fall
his life he gave so loyally
the final price he paid
in Ulster's cause he lived and died
to fight the IRA.

*There seem to be two lines missing
It is well known that the republican paramilitaries have fought and killed outside of Northern Ireland, most often, but not exclusively in the British mainland. It is less well known that the loyalist paramilitaries have fought and killed outside of Northern Ireland, that is in the Irish Republic. The song above is about one such incident.

"17 March 1973
Lindsay Mooney (19) Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Association (UDA), Killed by: Ulster Defence Association (UDA) Died in premature bomb explosion while parking car outside Kirk's Bar, Cloughfinn, near Lifford, County Donegal." (from the Sutton Index of Deaths from the Conflict in Ireland)

Subject: RE:big bad bill is sweet william now
From: GUEST,milton ager jack yellen
Date: 08 Sep 00 - 09:47 PM