Industrial School Songtext
von Damien Dempsey

I missed a day or two of school, because I was called a fool
And beat around the place, because I was staring into space
He stole a little bit of coal, because his flat was cold
There′s mountains of coal on the docks
He took some and rain into the cops
And now we're packed off to school

Industrial school
We′ll learn the meaning of the word, meaning of the word
And now we're locked up in school
Industrial school
We'll learn the meaning of the word cruel


Tooralooraloo, Tooraloorali,
Tooralooraloo, Whackfoldadi,
Tooralooraloo, Tooraloorali,
Tooralooraloo, Whackfoldadi

My uncle was sent to Daingean
My Granda to Letterfrack
And the child that was locked up there
Never did come back
Some were raped and some were tortured
Some beaten and abused,
Frightened little children, so lonely and so confused


Now the Irish have their stories and their music that′s passed on
From distant generations, who were kept down for so long
But they also have the madness, child abuse and rage
Sexual frustration passed down from another age
Their language land and culture, their ancient pride was lost,
And sexual repression was what religion cost.
We have to break the cycle, cos it′s still passed down boss
We have to break the cycle before any more kids are lost