I could not agree more to the following lines in particular:
I don’t know where the moral is or where the song should end
But I wonder just how many wars are fought between good friends
And those that give the orders are not the ones to die
Unfortunately, this song is not a song of the past, isn’t it?
Ongoing armed conflicts seem to be taking place in so many places around the world, so reports the news every day. I wonder how world leaders (leaders?) and soldiers in battle would respond to the line “And those that give the orders are not the ones to die”?
I watched both videos and found both beautiful.
Thank you.
Mitsuru Hiki
p.s.
Given the importance of the message of this song, I know it will be too trifling to talk about article usage, but as a learner of English I wondered why the two versions were different in the following line:
Tommy Sands (5:19): The tears of “the” people ran together
Cara Dillon (1:18): And the tears of “a” people ran together
Thank you for your comments, Mitsuru. The line you quoted, “And those that give the orders are not the ones to die”, is reminiscent of the line in Phil Ochs' song, I ain't Marchin' Anymore, which says, "It's always the old to lead us to the war / It's always the young to fall". And, in today’s conflicts, non-combatants are also the ones to fall. Such waste and destruction on so many levels.
About your English question, I would say that “the” people refers to the people in a certain place or time, so here, “the tears of the people ran together” means the tears of those people who were living in Banagh and South Armagh.
“A people” refers to the entire populace or those who share the same culture, history, or perhaps language. The tears of “a” people ran together might refer to the identity of the Irish citizens who all shared the pain of the Troubles.
Perhaps there is another explanation? Would any of our readers like to venture an answer?
How can this song be not to make us sad?
I could not agree more to the following lines in particular:
I don’t know where the moral is or where the song should end
But I wonder just how many wars are fought between good friends
And those that give the orders are not the ones to die
Unfortunately, this song is not a song of the past, isn’t it?
Ongoing armed conflicts seem to be taking place in so many places around the world, so reports the news every day. I wonder how world leaders (leaders?) and soldiers in battle would respond to the line “And those that give the orders are not the ones to die”?
I watched both videos and found both beautiful.
Thank you.
Mitsuru Hiki
p.s.
Given the importance of the message of this song, I know it will be too trifling to talk about article usage, but as a learner of English I wondered why the two versions were different in the following line:
Tommy Sands (5:19): The tears of “the” people ran together
Cara Dillon (1:18): And the tears of “a” people ran together
Thank you for your comments, Mitsuru. The line you quoted, “And those that give the orders are not the ones to die”, is reminiscent of the line in Phil Ochs' song, I ain't Marchin' Anymore, which says, "It's always the old to lead us to the war / It's always the young to fall". And, in today’s conflicts, non-combatants are also the ones to fall. Such waste and destruction on so many levels.
About your English question, I would say that “the” people refers to the people in a certain place or time, so here, “the tears of the people ran together” means the tears of those people who were living in Banagh and South Armagh.
“A people” refers to the entire populace or those who share the same culture, history, or perhaps language. The tears of “a” people ran together might refer to the identity of the Irish citizens who all shared the pain of the Troubles.
Perhaps there is another explanation? Would any of our readers like to venture an answer?
I thought The Troubles would never end, that the wounds and hate were too deep and the pain too lasting. Gaza feels like this.
Indeed, it does.