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An Encounter

from The Stern Task of Living by Hibsen

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    The CD for the Stern Task of Living is a beautifully designed 4 panel package with a booklet containing some background information about how the album was conceived plus lyrics of all the songs. The artwork, which was painted by Mark Keogh, captures the guests arriving at the 'Little Christmas' dinner from the short story 'The Dead', which is the most famous short story from James Joyce's Dubliners.

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lyrics

[Chorus]
Two young boys a mitching from their school
Two young boys a breaking all the rules
Two young boys adventurous wee fools
But what lies in store if only they knew

[Chorus]

Every evening after school the boys went down the road
To Joe Dillon’s garden where mock battles ran their course
As time went by the two lads longed for something more
‘cause real adventures never happen to boys who stay at home

Oh where will we go said one boy to his mate?
Let’s take the Liffey ferry across the river bed
Pretend we’re in the Wild West and I have come prepared
As the other pulled a catapult from the pocket of his shirt

[Chorus]

They walked along the North Strand and down to the quays
There they gazed in awe at the big ships out to sea
Climbed aboard the riverboat feeling wild and free
With the wind in their hair and the world at their feet

By the time they got to Ringsend the boys began to tire
Lay down in a field without speaking for a while
Along came an old man shabbily attired
Sat down beside them with a yellow toothed smile

[Chorus]

“Do you read many books?” the old man asked the boys
The words that came from his mouth seemed innocent enough
But the boys became uncomfortable when asked about sweethearts
The man grew more excited shivering once or twice

Whipped into a frenzy the old josser took his leave
Barely made it over to the near end of the field
The boys could not believe what their eyes appeared to see
Daydreams full of hope turned to nightmares full of fear

[Chorus]

credits

from The Stern Task of Living, released May 26, 2023

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Hibsen Dublin, Ireland

Hibsen are an Irish contemporary folk music ensemble formed by folk artists Gráinne Hunt and Jim Murphy. They released their debut album 'The Stern Task of Living' on 26th May 2023. The album was inspired by the book of short stories 'Dubliners' by James Joyce. Each of the 15 songs on the album is named after the short story on which it is based. ... more

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