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"A Nation Once Again" is a song, written in the early to mid-1840s by Thomas Osborne Davis (1814–1845). Davis was a founder of an Irish movement whose aim was the independence of Ireland.

The song is a prime example of the "Irish rebel music" sub-genre. The song's narrator dreams of a time when Ireland will be, as the title suggests, a free land, with "our fetters rent in twain." The lyrics exhort Irishmen to stand up and fight for their land: "And righteous men must make our land a nation once again."

It has been recorded by many Irish singers and groups, notably John McCormack, The Clancy Brothers, The Dubliners, The Wolfe Tones in 1972, (a group with Republican leanings), the Poxy Boggards, and The Irish Tenors (John McDermott, Ronan Tynan, Anthony Kearns) and Sean Conway for a 2007 single. In the Beatles' movie "A Hard Day's Night", Paul's grandfather begins singing the song at the British police officers after they arrest him for peddling autographed pictures of the lads.

In 2002, "A Nation Once Again" was voted the world's most popular song according to a BBC World Service global poll of listeners, ahead of "Vande Mataram",^[1] the national song of India.

Lyrics

When boyhood's fire was in my blood
I read of ancient freemen,
For Greece and Rome who bravely stood,
Three hundred men and three men;
And then I prayed I yet might see
Our fetters rent in twain,
And Ireland, long a province, be
A Nation once again!

A Nation once again,
A Nation once again,
And lreland, long a province, be
A Nation once again!

And from that time, through wildest woe,
That hope has shone a far light,
Nor could love's brightest summer glow
Outshine that solemn starlight;
It seemed to watch above my head
In forum, field and fane,
Its angel voice sang round my bed,
A Nation once again!

It whisper'd too, that freedom's ark
And service high and holy,
Would be profaned by feelings dark
And passions vain or lowly;
For, Freedom comes from God's right hand,
And needs a Godly train;
And righteous men must make our land
A Nation once again!

So, as I grew from boy to man,
I bent me to that bidding
My spirit of each selfish plan
And cruel passion ridding;
For, thus I hoped some day to aid,
Oh, can such hope be vain?
When my dear country shall be made
A Nation once again!

References

1. ^ BBC News Service: World's Top Ten

External links

• http://www.lyricsdownload.com/wolfetones-a-nation-once-again-lyrics.html

A Nation Once Again The Wolfe Tones Live At Celtfest 2009----

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z76FVb7cUPk

A Nation Once Again by Culann's Hounds

• http://www.sfhounds.com

From Wikisource

Wikipedia has more on: A Nation Once Again.

I

When boyhood's fire was in my blood

I read of ancient freemen,

For Greece and Rome who bravely stood,

Three Hundred Men and Three Men.

And then I prayed I yet might see

Our fetters rent in twain,

And Ireland, long a province, be

A Nation Once Again.

II

And, from that time, through wildest woe.

That hope has shone, a far light;

Nor could love's brightest summer glow

Outshine that solemn starlight.

It seemed to watch above my head

In forum, field, and fane;

Its angel voice sang round my bed,

"A Nation Once Again."

III

It whispered, too, that "freedom's ark

And service high and holy,

Would be profaned by feelings dark

And passions vain or lowly:

For freedom comes from God's right hand,

And needs a godly train;

And righteous men must make our land

A Nation Once Again."

IV

So, as I grew from boy to man,

I bent me to that bidding—

My spirit of each selfish plan

And cruel passion ridding;

For, thus I hoped some day to aid—

Oh! can such hope be vain ?—

When my dear country shall be made

A Nation Once Again.

Source

• The poems of Thomas Davis: now first collected. With notes and historical illustrations pp.73-4 By Thomas Osborne Davis Published by James Duffy, 1857

This work published before January 1, 1923 is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.