The Once: Valley of Kilbride
The song Valley of Kilbride, like more than one Newfoundland classic, is said to be written by Johnny Burke. It is the story of a young World War 1 soldier from Newfoundland who is killed on the battlefield in France. As he lies dying, his last words are to his comrades of his family, his love and his home.
It is painful, it is haunting and it is beautiful.
If I really listen, the lyrics resonate in a way that makes me cry (and I'm not a crier). I think lot of the emotional heft comes from the choice to have the story related as a first-person narrative from the soldier himself. It's powerful and immediate.
The video above is the rendition of the song by The Once from their album Row Upon Row of the People They Know.
For me, it's the definitive recoding… but then, The Once have a knack for making definitive recordings.
