The Commons
‘The Commons’ was written on a train journey from Dublin to Longford.
A letter was left on the table of an empty carriage “No Date, No Name”.
This letter told the heartbreaking story of a mother losing her 14 year old son to suicide.
The subject matter of suicide will always be a difficult topic to discuss, let alone write about - but the letter only highlighted the many other friends, students and family members whose lives have been affected by suicide. ‘The Commons’ was written before that train journey was over.
The name of the song ‘The Commons’ shows the unfortunate familiarity of the topic in question. We can all picture that ‘common’ area - whether it be the green of a housing estate, a local park, or a football field where kids and teenagers meet to play.
‘The Commons’ was not written to try and shed light on any solution or agenda, rather it is the expression of a feeling at a given time. Although the song, the letter and the topic itself are extremely sad, the ultimate feeling leaving that train carriage was of hope. The instrumental at the end of ‘The Commons’ is the musical expression of that hope.
