US History From a Brasilian's Perspective

Paddy’s Lament. My absolute favorite song on this CD. This song was made in 2002 and is, in itself, a sad and passionate song. By no means does it praise America. But it’s the emotion of the song that makes it so intense and great. Hopefully, everyone has heard of the time when thousands of people from Ireland immigrated to America due to crop failure and the resulting starvation. So many, such as Paddy in this story, went to America for opportunity and a better life but instead got thrust into the whirlwind of civil war that was America at the time. The song tells of how patty sold all his (even though a girl is singing, she sings fro ma guys perspective) possession, all that he thought of as home, and went to America where he was forced to go to war under a General Meagher. In the war he lost his leg. In other words, nothing went right. He expresses deep regret for leaving Ireland and advices all the other not to come to America because it is not worth it, no matter what the stories say. This song teaches me that throughout the history of America, many people were able to succeed by immigrating but just as many, or possibly even more, found their hopes dashed when they found it wasn’t the paradise they weren’t supposing it to be.