Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: goth
Song Meaning of “Farewell to Carlingford” by Blackthorn
Farewell to Carlingford is a folk ballad about the sadness that comes with leaving a place full of memories and people you have grown to love. The song opens with the narrator wishing for a sail to bring them back to the small Irish town full of beauty and history. The narrator reflects on the memories they have of the town and the people in it, wishing they could stay and never have to say goodbye. They recall the stories the villagers have told of their homeland, of the land’s mythology, the pubs and the forges, all that makes the village unique. They remember the many days spent fishing at the bay, the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, and the feeling of being surrounded by people they love. As the song continues, the narrator determinedly sets out to find a new life away from the the small village to ‘find the riches life may offer there’.
Ultimately, the song concludes with the narrator accepting their inevitable departure, wishing the people goodbye and riding off with their bag of memories and a heart full of longing. Farewell to Carlingford is a powerful ode to the beauty of a place that will live on through the fond memories of the narrator, but now it has come time to ‘leave the shore’.