I'm Not Really Here

by Victoria Keating

/

about

I wrote this song in 2014-15 as a response to my own mental health issues as well those of others. I find that writing about this gave me some clarity and also a sense of ownership of my experiences and hope for the future. This, in my opinion, is the real power of art in our lives.
The song contains some lines from Seán O’ Riordáin’s beautiful 1947 poem ‘Oíche Nollaig na mBan’. In this poem, O’Riordáin wishes for a storm to carry him off in death rather than simply fading away quietly from the TB that plagued him all his life. It’s a very rock and roll idea before rock and roll was even around! This was a favourite poem of mine from my teenage years, and it helped me enormously. I hope that this song, in turn, will be of help to anyone in pain. It is also my wish that stigma and shame be removed from our experiences of mental health issues, and that we can speak about them as we would a cold or a flu.

credits

released January 6, 2023

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Victoria Keating

Victoria is a singer, writer and blogger from West Cork, Ireland. She has toured and recorded extensively with Christy Moore and Declan Sinnott. Victoria's music is very individual, and engaging, she is as comfortable writing a protest song as a hymn; a medieval ballad or a rock song. Victoria writes and sings from the heart with a voice that will make you fall in love with her and her music. ... more

contact / help

Contact Victoria Keating

Streaming and
Download help

Report this track or account

Victoria Keating recommends:

If you like Victoria Keating, you may also like: