Unlike most of the other comments, I never imagined the narrator as "Irish American". I think of him as a 12/13 year old boy who is living in and grew up in Ireland. A relative of his who left for America before he was born has died, and his body has been sent back to Ireland for the funeral.
In the first verse, it's him and a group of other boys looking in on the coffin and Jim Dwyer's American friends who have come over for the funeral. None of them knew the man, so they're more bothered about trying to nick the fancy car without any of the "yanks" noticing.
"Fifteen minutes later" the whole family is together and having one of those drunken family gatherings where everyone reminisces, gets drunk, then starts playing stupid games. People start talking about Jim Dwyer, and telling stories about him.
It seems he emigrated to America. Once there, he found people were kind of dicks about immigrants, so he tried to be as "American" as possible. As part of this (or possibly due to conscription) he joins the army and "they sent him to the war", where he dies, hence causing the funeral described at the beginning.
I'm not so sure about the last two verses, though it's possibly the narrator, who becomes enamoured with America after the funeral, leaving to go to America himself, not realising that it was not all that great and in fact the cause of Jim Dwyer's death.
@maybeanonymous interesting, but im going to disagree a little
@maybeanonymous interesting, but im going to disagree a little
"the cadillac outside the house" - an american car
im thinking this is in America and the Irish family came to America for the funeral/wake
"the cadillac outside the house" - an american car
im thinking this is in America and the Irish family came to America for the funeral/wake
its an irish wake they're going to party. agreed.
its an irish wake they're going to party. agreed.
people were dicks? no. i disagree. Jim Dwyer was successful in America.
c'mon, dude he slashed the champ to the ground. he loved the USA. period.
people were dicks? no. i disagree. Jim Dwyer was successful in America.
c'mon, dude he slashed the champ to the ground. he loved the USA. period.
there is definitely irony in "the free born man" and "being sent to war"
im thinking vietnam war and the military draft. Cadillac was founded back to 1902 so it could possibly be an earlier war.
"This morning on the harbour, When I said goodbye to you"
he's saying goodbye to his love, America (Lady Liberty).
his love is not a wife (as others suggested).... its his country as he leaves on a ship to fight for her.
"I remember how I swore. That I'd come back to you one day"
(he did. in a casket. back to America he came)
perhaps the meaning behind the song is....
if you love something so much, it can kill you. (or you'll die for it)
Jim perspective may be he died for keeping America free.
but, perhaps you are right that the narrator may see Jim as a fool for the hypocrisy of the "free" term by being "forced" to war.
Unlike most of the other comments, I never imagined the narrator as "Irish American". I think of him as a 12/13 year old boy who is living in and grew up in Ireland. A relative of his who left for America before he was born has died, and his body has been sent back to Ireland for the funeral.
In the first verse, it's him and a group of other boys looking in on the coffin and Jim Dwyer's American friends who have come over for the funeral. None of them knew the man, so they're more bothered about trying to nick the fancy car without any of the "yanks" noticing.
"Fifteen minutes later" the whole family is together and having one of those drunken family gatherings where everyone reminisces, gets drunk, then starts playing stupid games. People start talking about Jim Dwyer, and telling stories about him.
It seems he emigrated to America. Once there, he found people were kind of dicks about immigrants, so he tried to be as "American" as possible. As part of this (or possibly due to conscription) he joins the army and "they sent him to the war", where he dies, hence causing the funeral described at the beginning.
I'm not so sure about the last two verses, though it's possibly the narrator, who becomes enamoured with America after the funeral, leaving to go to America himself, not realising that it was not all that great and in fact the cause of Jim Dwyer's death.
@maybeanonymous interesting, but im going to disagree a little
@maybeanonymous interesting, but im going to disagree a little
"the cadillac outside the house" - an american car im thinking this is in America and the Irish family came to America for the funeral/wake
"the cadillac outside the house" - an american car im thinking this is in America and the Irish family came to America for the funeral/wake
its an irish wake they're going to party. agreed.
its an irish wake they're going to party. agreed.
people were dicks? no. i disagree. Jim Dwyer was successful in America. c'mon, dude he slashed the champ to the ground. he loved the USA. period.
people were dicks? no. i disagree. Jim Dwyer was successful in America. c'mon, dude he slashed the champ to the ground. he loved the USA. period.
there is definitely irony in "the free born man" and "being sent to war" im thinking vietnam war and the military draft. Cadillac was founded back to 1902 so it could possibly be an earlier war.
"This morning on the harbour, When I said goodbye to you" he's saying goodbye to his love, America (Lady Liberty). his love is not a wife (as others suggested).... its his country as he leaves on a ship to fight for her.
"I remember how I swore. That I'd come back to you one day" (he did. in a casket. back to America he came)
perhaps the meaning behind the song is.... if you love something so much, it can kill you. (or you'll die for it) Jim perspective may be he died for keeping America free. but, perhaps you are right that the narrator may see Jim as a fool for the hypocrisy of the "free" term by being "forced" to war.