To the Moon. 2020
By Randall Stephen Hall ©
I grew up in Belfast. None of my relations
or my mum and dad were from Belfast. Yet
this is where I grew up.
My mother’s family mostly, were from North Antrim
and quite probably Scotland. My father’s relations can be traced back to Cavan and Westmeath. To go back further might take you to the borders of England and Scotland and the Reiver clans with more besides.
I’ve often felt like an outsider in Belfast for all sorts of reasons yet
a substantial part of me has a connection with Belfast. I grew up hearing the sound of the city together with the sound of the country.
I neither love nor hate Belfast but I do remain hopeful for its future and the future of my children and grand children.
This song, “To the Moon” is about my hopes for Belfast in the future. If I just fitted in, if I saw myself as purely a Belfast man I wouldn’t think about the place in the way that I do.
I think beyond the problems, beyond all the gate keepers, the divisions
the broken culture, the fractured community and the mental violence that still keeps us all apart.
Belfast will change but only slowly. So long as politics is the cork in the bottle here we will never drink the wine of redemption, forgiveness, humility and peace.
To the Moon
By Randall Stephen Hall ©
Look at the sun it is so far away
And my heart is locked up with your keys now.
When will you return, oh when will you set me free
and we will fly to the moon.
Chorus.
I am calling can you hear me?
I am with you I am listening.
Give me shelter from the wind and the rain in my face
and we will fly to the moon.
My love for you has so long been in this place.
Generations lost but we search for each other.
They put us all together, then they set us all apart.
But still, we will fly to the moon.
Chorus.
Sisters and mothers, fathers and brothers.
We are coming in from the cold now.
Put those toys away they won’t do you any good.
Can’t you see we are flying to the moon.
Chorus.
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