I really like the music of Christmas - not so much the brain numbing shopping mall refrains nor either overly much many of the so called hymns though some are glorious indeed. However today while listening to an old (1996) Celtic Christmas - II, a Windam Hill release, I was quite struck by 'Listen to The River' by Luka Bloom.
The fisherman used to dive into running water
And take a shining sixpence from the floor
Now he's waiting for the Salmon of Knowledge
To help him wade out from the shore
He looks down on the lake on a sunlit morning
Loves the ancient world that is within
The surface shadow is his simple warning
Transformation must begin
Close your eyes
Listen to the river
Open your heart now
Listen to the river
Close your eyes
Listen to the river
The rain pours down on Barley Harbour
As expectation fills the pier
The fisherman looks out on the horizon
The Salmon of Knowledge is coming here
Let the bells ring out in the heartland
Let all the poets come to pen
May they write in praise of celebration
The salmon goes upstream once again
Close your eyes
Listen to the river
Open your heart now
Listen to the river
Close your eyes
Listen to the river...
According to the liner notes this song was inspired as follows:
In March 1996, Greenpeace, Ireland undertook its maiden voyage; a celebration of Ireland's great river Shannon. Luka Bloom was invited to join the voyage from the mouth to the source, as a crew member and on-board bard. The boat was christened 'An Bradan Feasa', meaning The Salmon of Knowledge. "Listen To The River", was inspired by this great experience.
As I listened to the all great songs on this CD but in particular to this one song, I was struck by their choice to be included on a Christmas album - and this one in particular lead my mind to the spiritual meaning of Christmas more than much of a lifetime of pondering the inexplicable has ever done. If you get a chance to listen to this voice render effortlessly the melody of rural Ireland to the somewhat mundane words and lift them to the meaning of life, do not pass it by
Luka Bloom (born Kevin Barry Moore; 23 May 1955) is an Irish folk-rock singer-songwriter. He is the younger brother of folk singer Christy Moore
Kevin Barry Moore was born on 23 May 1955 in Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland.[1] His parents were Andy Moore and Nancy Power, who had already raised three daughters and two other sons. Moore attended a Patrician Brothers primary school and later studied at Newbridge College, run by the Dominican Order. In college he formed the group Aes Triplex with his brother Andy and a school friend. He later attended a college in Limerick, but he dropped out after a couple of years to pursue a music career.
In 1987, Moore moved to the United States and began performing using the
stage name of "Luka Bloom". He chose the name "Luka" from the title of Suzanne Vega's song about child abuse and "Bloom" from the main character in James Joyce's novel Ulysses
