“Industrial School”

Composed by Damien Dempsey

1 version

5:27

Lyrics

	I missed a day or two of school because I was called a fool,
	And beaten around the place because I was staring into space.
	He stole a little bit of coal because his flat was cold.
	There's mountains of coal on the docks;
	He took some and then ran into the cops.
	And then we're packed off to school,
	Industrial school.
	We learned the meaning of the word, the meaning of the word.
	And then we're locked up in school,
	Industrial school.
	We learned the meaning of the word cruel.
	Toora loora loo, toora loora lie,
	Toora loora loo, whack fol da die,
	Toora loora loo, toora loora lie,
	Toora loora loo, whack fol da die,

	I missed a day or two of school because I was called a fool,
	And beaten around the place because I was staring into space.
	He stole a little bit of coal, because his flat was cold.
	There's mountains of coal on the docks;
	He took some and then ran into the cops.
	And then we're packed off to school,
	Industrial school.
	We learned the meaning of the word, meaning of the word.
	And then we're locked up in school,
	Industrial school.
	We learned the meaning of the word cruel.
	Toora loora loo, toora loora lie,
	Toora loora loo, whack fol da die.
	Toora loora loo, toora loora lie,
	Toora loora loo, whack fol da die.

	My uncle was sent to Daingean,
	My granddad, to Letterfrack.
	And the child that was locked up there
	Never did come back.
	Some were raped and some were tortured,
	Some beated and abused.
	Frightened little children,
	So lonely and so confused.
	Toora loora loo, toora loora lie,
	Toora loora loo, whack fol da die.
	Toora loora loo, toora loora lie,
	Toora loora loo, whack fol da die.

	Irish have their stories and their music that's passed on
	From distant generations who were kept down for so long.
	We also have the madness, child abuse and rage,
	Sexual frustration passed down from another age.
	Their language, land, and culture, their ancient pride was lost.
	And sexual repression was what religion cost.
	We have to break the cycle because it's still passed down fast.
	We have to break the cycle before any more kids are lost.
	Toora loora loo, toora loora lie,
	Toora loora loo, whack fol da die.
	Toora loora loo, toora loora lie,
	Toora loora loo, whack fol da die.
	Toora loora loo, toora loora lie,
	Toora loora loo, whack fol da die.
	Toora loora loo, toora loora lie,
	Toora loora loo, whack fol da die, yeah.

Notes

Industrial school:

A type of school for "neglected, orphaned and abandoned children," first established by the Industrial Schools Act of 1868 in Ireland. A 2009 report (the "Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse," commonly called "Ryan Report") found that many of the schools had an institutionalized culture of violence and abuse of the children. See Paddy Doyle's History of Neglect, which also features a poem by Sinéad on the topic of child abuse at the hands of the Catholic Church.

Daingean:

One of the industrial schools mentioned in the Ryan Report. It was located in the town of the same name in Co. Offally.

Letterfrack:

Full name: St. Joseph's Industrial School. Another school singled out in the Ryan Report. It was

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