Wednesday, October 17, 2007

How Can I Keep From Singing by Enya

My life goes on in endless song
Above earths lamentations,
I hear the real, though far-off hymn
That hails a new creation.

Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear its music ringing,
It sounds an echo in my soul.
How can I keep from singing?

While though the tempest loudly roars,
I hear the truth, it liveth.
And though the darkness round me close,
Songs in the night it giveth.

No storm can shake my inmost calm,
While to that rock Im clinging.
Since love is lord of heaven and earth
How can I keep from singing?

When tyrants tremble in their fear
And hear their death knell ringing,
When friends rejoice both far and near
How can I keep from singing?

In prison cell and dungeon vile
Our thoughts to them are winging,
When friends by shame are undefiled
How can I keep from singing?

3 comments:

Shahab Enam Khan said...

this song is a beautiful rendition of an old Irish hymn. this is kind of a bluegrass song. i mean it contains a vocal landscape that immediately brings to mind the multi-layered elegance of Enya. We all 'see' different things when we hear music; what the composer was feeling when he or she wrote the piece might not necessarily be what the listener hears. thats why this song reminds me of Antonio Gramsci's the Prison notebook where Gramsci is saying "I turn and turn in my cell like a fly that doesn't know where to die". Gramsci discussed the causes of famine in his notebook. coincidentally, this song is a tribute to the 1846 Great Famine of Ireland. Probably post-modern language for this song would be:

"Finally, I'm letting go
Of all my downer thoughts
In no time there'll be
One less sad robot
Looking for a chance to be
Something more than just metal" (from Jack's Mannequin, "Miss Delaney")

just some wild thoughts.

Elita Karim said...

i guess i have to get hold of the book then:) thank you:)

Anonymous said...

:)