Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of Newgrange as a place steeped in ancient mystery and forgotten history. It's presented as a "Mysterious ring, a Magical Ring of Stones," a "circled tomb of a different age" where "Heroic Kings" were laid to rest. The dominant tone is one of awe mixed with a profound sense of loss for the people who built and inhabited this place, a "race that no-one knows." The central tension lies in the contrast between the enduring physical structure and the complete erasure of its creators' identity. The "secret lines carved on ancient stones" hint at a lost knowledge or purpose, yet the lyrics repeatedly emphasize that the builders are "Forgotten is the race that no-one knows." This creates a poignant feeling of time's passage and the ephemeral nature of even the most monumental human endeavors. The most striking element is the recurring, almost chant-like "Rum de rum 'rud a derimo." This non-lexical vocable acts as a sonic placeholder for the lost language and forgotten stories of the ancient people. It's a rhythmic echo, a ghost of sound where words should be, underscoring the profound silence left by their absence and drawing attention to the very act of remembering and forgetting. This lyrical approach is effective because it uses the tangible elements of Newgrange – the stones, the tomb, the winter solstice light – as anchors for an intangible feeling of deep time and lost connection. The repeated refrain of the unknown race, coupled with the evocative, wordless chant, creates a powerful atmosphere of wonder and melancholy, inviting listeners to contemplate the vastness of history and the mysteries that lie just beyond our grasp.