Sunrise
Live video (4:50)
[recorded at London, Palladium, 26/04/2004, on Live At The Palladium]
Neil Hannon: Ok. One second. I’m a little bit out of breath. But I am old now. I’m 33 years old. I was born in 1970. In... cue song.
I was born in Londonderry.
I was born in Derry City,
Too. Oh what a special child!
To see such things and still to smile.
I knew that there was something wrong
But I kept my head down and carried on.
I grew up in Enniskillen.
I grew up in Inis Ceithleann,
Too. Oh what a clever boy!
To watch your hometown be destroyed.
I knew that I would not stay long
So I kept my head down and carried on.
Who cares where national borders lie?
Who cares whose laws you’re governed by?
Who cares what name you call a town?
Who’ll care when you’re six feet beneath the ground?
From the corner of my eye
A hint of blue in the black sky,
A ray of hope, a beam of light,
An end to thirty years of night.
The church-bells ring,
The children sing.
What is this strange and beautiful thing?
It’s the sunrise.
Can you see the sunrise?
I can see the sunrise.
It’s the sun rising.
Neil Hannon: Thank you very much. We’ve really got to go now. So thanks for coming and hope to see you again soon. One more time for the Millennia Ensemble! Up. Thank you, folks. Goodnight. Have a safe trip home. See you soon. Bye bye.