Girl in the Ghetto by Cry before Dawn

[Denn Forever]

I said on an earlier thread that this would be one of my favourite Irish songs.  I found it on You Tube but this time it had musical accompanyment.  As I remember it, it was sung by the lead singer during an encore at the National Stadium when he sang "Black is the Colour and The Girl in the Ghetto" Accapela.  Sometimes the human voice is tthe most powerful instrument.

I know there are many Lonfordians posters.  Was this song about Ann Lovett?

[Billys Boots]

All I remember about Cry Before Dawn was that they were from Wexford (didn't one of them sing a Wexford GAA song years later??) and they used to get slagged something awful for being anal about tuning their instruments.  If you're asking me if Granard was/is a ghetto, I'd have to answer that (in the literal sense) it's not, but if they're trying to make an artistic point that it's a kip, then I suppose they have a point. 

I'm not sure that singing about Ann Lovett's situation would have been of any help to anyone, other than Cry Before Dawn personnel through their bank balances.

[Ash Smoker]

All I remember about Cry Before Dawn was that they were from Wexford (didn't one of them sing a Wexford GAA song years later??) and they used to get slagged something awful for being anal about tuning their instruments.

They morphed into "The Wild Swans" and then just "The Swans" in the 90s.
They had the "Dancing at the Crossroads" and the "Purple and Gold" songs.

[Shamrock Shore]

Being of that vintage (Leaving Cert 1984) this is the first time I ever heard that song connected to that awful tragedy in Granard.

So, unless you have an inside to the mullet bize of Waxford, then I'd say, No.

Last week in the Herald George Byrne did a "where are they now" on CBD. TBH I cannot remember one iota of the article.

[Denn Forever]

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=rhGi0XvY_u0

Found it again on You Tube and the narrative of the song is nothing like that horrible scenario.  Maybe I was dreaming but remember them singing some song about in the National Stadium.

[seafoid]

Being of that vintage (Leaving Cert 1984) this is the first time I ever heard that song connected to that awful tragedy in Granard.

So, unless you have an inside to the mullet bize of Waxford, then I'd say, No.

Last week in the Herald George Byrne did a "where are they now" on CBD. TBH I cannot remember one iota of the article.

According to someone on YouTube the original name of the song was girl in the grotto
https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/ann-lovett-death-of-a-strong-kick-ass-girl-1.3429792

[bamboo]

I'd never heard of this story until today. After reading that article it's easy enough to link the lyrics to it to be honest. But it's probably just as easy to link it to a multitude of other stories too. Sad story.

It's so hard to break down a wall,
Hidden behind there's so much to find,
Maybe tomorrow, maybe someday.
I saw her look into his eyes, I saw him light up a cigarette,
He knows there's something, he knows damn well.

It's a never-ending tragedy,
We spend our lives together, whatever,
And I'm not so blind that I can't see you.

There's a girl in the ghetto, she's got no time to be changing.
In this land full of fools, when you play by the rules,
You're really something. You're really something.

The secret that everyone knows,
They turn their heads and they walk away,
But there's no talking, there'll soon be no pain.
It's so cold here on the shore,
Finding it hard to believe in him,
But she'll be waiting, until he returns.

It's a never ending tragedy,
We spend our lives together, whatever,
And I'm not so blind that I can't see you.

There's a girl in the ghetto, she's got no time to be changing.
In this land full of fools, when you play by the rules,
No divine intervention.
While the father stands watching, far away from the limelight.
When the blood turns to stone and you're left on your own you know
You're really something.

As he closes the door and he walks away,
Finding it hard to believe that he's wrong.
When he wakes up in the morning,
He knows she's gone.

There's a girl in the ghetto, she's got no time to be changing.
In this land full of fools, when you play by the rules,
you're really something.
When the blood turns to stone and you're left on your own you know
You're really something.
You're really something.
You're really something.

[Rufus T Firefly]

According to someone on YouTube the original name of the song was girl in the grotto
https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/ann-lovett-death-of-a-strong-kick-ass-girl-1.3429792

Desperately sad story and still harrowing to read after all these years.

May Ann Rest In Peace.

[armaghniac]

Are you confusing a ghetto and a grotto?

[seafoid]

There was a very interesting comment on the Irish Times site beside the article

"The ferocious puritanism of Irish catholicism in the 19th and 20th centuries probaby stems as much from the experience of the Famine as from the Church's own dogma.  People had seen in the starkest form imaginable where early marriage and large families tended to lead in an entirely rural country so post 1850 they went for rigorous population control by the only means available at the time: not having sex until you could afford to maintain a family; which for many people like Michael Collins' father meant their late 60s and for many more meant "never"."  "

It was a brutal system. The Church even  fought  against social welfare and tampons.

This story is also linked to the Tuam grave. Same system.