Home | Songs By Year | Songs from 2007
Clash of the Ash
Buy Clash of the Ash now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the song. And once you've experienced the song, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
'"Clash of the Ash"' is the first single from the Scottish Celtic rock band Runrig's thirteenth studio album 'Everything You See', which was released as a single in 2007. The song is about the sport of shinty and has become an anthem for the sport.[http://www.skyecamanachd.com/default.aspx.locid-087new14j.Lang-EN.htm Skye Camanachd] Runrig have previously referenced shinty in the songs "Pride of the Summer" from 'The Cutter and the Clan' and "Recovery" from the album of the same name. The song also appeared on the 2013 compilation album 'Larry Kirwan's Celtic Invasion'.
Themes
The song is about the sport of shinty and the first verse revolves around a team making their way to an away game, through "straths and glens". Prominent throughout the song is the use of nicknames, which are a common element.
The second verse is a portrayal of a game against Kinlochshiel, the only shinty team named in the song in the line: 'But if we do all that and theres no-one spare'
'Tell me whos gonna mark the Kinlochshiel Bear.' This verse refers to various positions on the shinty park as well as the 'sawdust', a reference to the penalty box aka the "D" which is often marked out with sawdust instead of paint.
The final verse references shinty's long history (shared with hurling) which stretches back to ancient Celtic history:
'And for every fighting Highland man'
'Stand by your brother, die for the clan.'
The song also praises the amateur status of those who play the sport:
'These shinty boys shine like the sun.'
'We dont play for fame, we dont play for cash'
'We just play for the glory, and the clash of the ash.'
Live performance history
"Clash of the Ash" was played live at the "Year of the Flood" concert in 2007 featuring Gary Innes. It is usually played towards the end of a concert,
it was played live at the "Party on the Moor" concert in 2013 as the 27th song.
References
Category:2007 singles
Category:Shinty
Category:Scottish songs
Category:2007 songs
Category:Sporting songs
Buy Clash of the Ash now from Amazon
<-- Return to songs from 2007