Song: City of Chicago
This song was written by Barry Moore, who took the stage name Luka Bloom (Luka after the song Luka by Suzanne Vega and Bloom, from James Joyce’s Ulysses), to make his own path, outside of his famous brother, Chrisy Moore, who, ironically, had a much bigger hit with his own recording of Luka’s song.
It talks of the Irish emmigration and search for a new home, before, during and after Black 47 or An Gorta Mor, the Great Hunger, in which between 2 and 9 million people (depends on who you talk to), died or emigrated from Ireland.
City of Chicago
by Luka Bloom/Barry Moore
To the City of Chicago,
As the evening shadows fall,
There are people dreaming,
Of the hills of Donegal.
Eighteen forty seven,
Was the year it all began,
Deadly Pains of hunger,
Drove a million from the land,
They journeyed not for glory,
Their motive wasn’t greed,
Just a voyage of survival,
Accross the stormy sea.
To the City of Chicago,
As the evening shadows fall,
There are people dreaming,
Of the hills of Donegal.
Some of them knew fortune,
And some them knew fame,
More of them knew hardship,
And died upon the plain,
They spread throughout the nation,
Rode the railroad cars,
Brought their songs and music,
To ease their lonely hearts.
To the City of Chicago,
As the evening shadows fall,
There are people dreaming,
Of the hills of Donegal.