LANKUM - Hunting the Wren (Live in Dublin) 

I'm Scottish and came here through surfing RU-vid for traditional Scottish/Irish music. I am a big fan of this kind of music which transports you. I was listening to Brìghde Chaimbeul before this who enjoys similar types of sounds but on the Scottish smallpipes. Wow, this song is a true masterpiece of the modern age and deserves to be up there with the most famous of Irish songs. Absolutely stunning, powerful and magnificent. Also a dark reminder of the horrors and evils of british colonialism inflicted on so many. Unfortunately for Scotland, the struggle continues.

Can't stop listening but can't hardly bear to hear it.

Lyrics : Sharp is the wind Cold is the rain Harsh is the livelong day Upon the wide open plain By Donnelly's hollow Under sod, gorse and furze There lies a young wren oh By the saints she was cursed The wren is a small bird How pretty she sings She bested the eagle When she hid in its wings With sticks and with stones All among the small mounds They come from all over To hunt the wren on the wide open ground They flock round the soldiers In their jackets so red For barrack room favours Pennies and bread The soldier is rough In anger or fun And he causes much bloodshed With his big musket gun They’re birds of the earth The beasts of the field By spite and by fury Are people revealed Attacked in the village Spat on in town They come from all over To hunt the wren on the wide open ground The wren is a small bird Though blamed for much woe Her form is derided Wherever she goes With cold want and whisky She soon is run down Her body paraded On a staff through the town Her head for her ceiling The sod was her floor She chose the cold open plain Cold open plan o'er The dark workhouse door With two broken wings And feathers so brown They come from all over To hunt the wren on the wide open ground

The power of the drone is considerable and transporting

An icy draught from the sacred, dark well of the collective memory. Extraordinary ritual music.

One of the most emotive, profound, masterfully performed pieces of music I have ever heard. Thank you so much for the music you make!

Isso é lindo d+ !!! sou do brasil e me senti conectado com essa música de uma forma incrível, valeu youtube por me apresentar .

Just wow. I have tears running down my face. Heart wrenchingly powerful music

So moving and powerful. The Curragh Wrens. The name for the prostitutes that serviced the army camp on the Curragh. "...she chose the cold open plains o'er the dark workhouse door." Heartbreaking. The wren-o, why is it so derided in Europe? It beat the Eagle to be the king of birds. An ancient story that.

With Lankum C-Major still sounds like doom. Absolutely wonderful.

a paradigm shift!i,ve been playing and singing for the last 60 years and i am glad i lived long enough to enjoy this amazing new musical breakthrough.unique.magical.evolution in action.superb.

Damn. Just found this group (and the awesome Radie Peat!) and was checking out their tunes, and didn't really listen to this one closely, or all the way through. "That was dolorous, wunnit?" And it haunted me. It kept coming back and I finally went back, listened to the lyrics, realized what it was, and now I'm blown away, listening to different versions, over and over. It takes courage and creativity to come up with something so soulful and unique. Damn.

Immediately start weeping every time this begins

Listening to this on St. Stephen's day. Can't articulate the emotional impact of this song . If this is the future of folk music I'm in

I'm not sure if there is a more beautiful song that exists. So powerful.

I have yet to hear anything more powerful than this

ORANGE: The amp choice of Druids for centuries......

The force that is LANKUM

Never heard of this group before, didn't know what to expect... just a few seconds into the song i knew this was pure gold. Man, i cried my eyes out.

I have added this masterpiece to my Townes Van Zandt playlist, enough said.

Spellbinding, truly spellbinding.

Radie Peat`s voice is haunting.

May God keep us, and favor us I n these times.

Extraordinary group of musicians. Transcendent, their music reaches in and plucks your soul.

I came here because I just heard Natalie Merchant's new cover of it. Incredibly powerful and moving. Thank you Natalie for getting me to find this incredible band ... Lankum

I had wait 50 years for such a beautiful music ! Thanks

Shivers down my spine...on the night itself and this brings it right back.

the most inspiring thing i've heard in a decade...truly great stuff...

Well, this wasn't the Wren Song I was looking for, but it is starkly fantastic.

Congratulations on winning Irish Album of the Year.

The most amazing, genuine & engaging band i have heard in many years, both tearful & joyful simultaneously, Kudos

this is so good i cut my own ears off so they wouldnt be tarnished by another song

So raw and real and beautiful. An amazingly comforting meditation in processing pain. A privilege to listen and hear and feel. Thank you, you are amazing musicians and storytellers.

Adore this group. Is there a better singer in the world today than Radie Peat. The guy with the water in the can is cool too.

Holy moly, I cant get this chant melody out of my head. A strange female voice, but just beautiful and almost haunting.

By this gorgeous piece of art, I believe I can, not only listen but remotely feel , see, touch even taste and smell the great Irish heritage.

So proud to be Irish right now. Lankum and For Those I Love. Pure raw honesty.

Wow! What a fantastic piece of music!

In the early eighties I had a tape called "songs of the Irish Travelers " Radie and the rest of the band manage to recreate that feeling of sincerity and tradition , with an added mastery of voice and instruments those oldtimers in their wagons often lacked ..

Pure magic, my favorite cut of The Livelong Day

Shamefully just discovered this group today so glad I did. I have chills and the hairs stand on the back of me neck. Wow

In the mythical competition to find the bird who could fly highest. The wren hid under the wing of the eagle and when it got to its highest, the wren popped out and flew higher.

This rendition breaks my heart every time. I can’t say for certain the intent behind Lankum’s variation on the Wren, but I suspect their purpose. Regardless, it makes me want to hug every woman I’ve ever met tightly.

Can't stop listening to this. My dad was running around Dublin in the 60's, I think he'd really love where the musics going.

So good that words fail me. Hopefully you can tour Canada soon.

Raddy's voice is unearthly, weird, but utterly amazing. 100 out of 10. Absolutely fantastic sound.

You are the best, your songs are amazing, I hope someday I'll I'll have the chance to see you live when this situation is over. Best wishes from Toulouse, France.

I will listen to this band for the rest of my life. Go watch them live if you can. Thank you Lankum !

The sadness and tragedy of life for all of us is there, represented by the small wren bird(tradionally hunted every 26 December in the past though no more). Fantastic song, of course the Irish with their hard history have a deep undetstanding of the wren's lot.

So good but wish the audio from the ticket takers wasn’t included. Still gonna watch this a hundred times

Thanks for keeping the "moodyness" of Celtic music alive.

This is a masterpiece

Fecking grand........ goose bumps !

Man, what a song, wonderful haunting voices and music. I love what you do, thank you all so much for bringing your music in my life.

Divine !!!!! Voices are fabuloussss musical instruments with you !!!!!

I think I watch this almost once a week. Incredible performance.

I love this video so much. I watch it over and over again. Thank you guys so much for this version. I love it!

If you like some music with your magic, then this is for you. The wren is a small bird, but it controls a big space.

Feckin amazing lads. Wishing ye very success in the future. Druidic healers.

Mind blowing and so uplifting

Radie has the most beautiful smile ever

This is absolutely beautiful.

Unreal. Reminds me of the days of sigur ros. Very epic admins emotional.

Fuckin beautiful. Melted my face and soul on the Sunday night. Never been so moved at a gig ❤️ it was embarrassing

i was at this show and i'm still shaking

I heard about Lankum last year, thanks to the Italian music magazine Rumore. They became the soundtrack of my life...

Ahh ,I live in the past, for today is like tomorrow and like yesterday. a tale of woe Ahh there ye go...

A great antidote to the Christmas fervour, keep coming back to the song, and its deep compassion.

Oh my god - this is one of the most beautiful pieces I have ever heard!

Every day in my carving shop I listen. Thank you. Hope for more available albums soon. Would love an album from the recent songs I’ve heard through Myles O’Reilly’s film. Those are beautiful.

So far out I was weeping through the whole song in Vicar st. magic, thankyou

Absolutely magical

pure magic xxx

😱 who thought it a good idea to cut the queue in

Heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time

Very moving, thanks for being class 🖤

Tradition but so much up-to-dateness. So is the life and you express this wonderfully good. Thank you very much.

Nearby the same voice as Rosie Stewart. Haunting voice...........

fantastic vocal mix

I love the crowd pictures. They are sooo into it. They are Irish. I doubt you'd get a crowd like that in my town.

Really beautiful lament for the Ireland we should all inhabit!

I live in live Europe and it pretty much why you should never say anything about us. You do not compare to the Irish. We mourn for everyone when we don't need to.we just do, they grace the rish give...love thee irie

What a performance.

They played at the roundhouse last year. They were great❤

I just saw your performance on NPR and was speechless... powerful & beautiful are two words that spring to mind....BL£$$ x

Haunting- yet it made my day. I was completely unaware of the wrens.

much love to you and yours from oregon it's a very cold, windy day here, so waking up to this was magic

Powerful! Thank you!

Beautifully haunting. If ever a bird flew towards something like a soul...

oooh so beautiful

A musical masterpiece.

Performance art.

haunting and devastating and beautiful

Magnificent. I will definitely be looking for a high quality vinyl version from this miraculous group of musicians. Bravo and thank you.

Wonderful. Thanks from Toronto.

Wonderful

Beautiful...

Only recently discovered Lankum and now can’t get enough of them. Their music is so unique, haunting and healing. 🤗 will you be doing any tours in the UK In the future?

love this song. going to Ireland

So enjoyed this, sublime. Please could the song continue into the audience. I just wanted to experience again and our elation..