☝️ Key Points
- The song is about a mother whose son goes off to war.
- Mrs. McGrath is shocked to see that her son no longer has legs.
- Nevertheless, she embraces and kisses him and asks why he didn't run away from the cannonball.
- At the end of the song, Mrs. McGrath vows to be against any war and hold the responsible parties accountable.
- The song reminds us of how war changes people's lives and the importance of advocating for peace.
Interpretation
"Mrs. McGrath" is a song about a mother whose son goes off to war. The song was written by
Pete Seeger and tells the story of Mrs. McGrath and her son Ted.
In the song, a sergeant asks Mrs. McGrath if she would like to have a soldier like her son Ted. He describes a soldier with a tattered coat and a big, crooked hat. But Mrs. McGrath is unsure if she really wants that.
After seven long years, Mrs. McGrath sees a ship arrive in the bay and realizes that her son Ted has returned. But as he gets closer, she notices that he no longer has legs. Instead of his legs, he has wooden legs.
Mrs. McGrath is shocked, but she still embraces and kisses her son. She asks him if he was drunk or blind when he left his legs behind. But Ted explains that a cannonball ripped his legs off in the war.
Still, Mrs. McGrath is disappointed and asks why her son didn't run away from the cannonball. She is sad that he now has to live with wooden legs.
At the end of the song, Mrs. McGrath vows that she is against any war and that she will hold accountable those who took her son's legs.
The song "Mrs. McGrath" tells the story of a brave mother who continues to fight for peace despite her son's injuries and turns her pain into anger. It is a powerful reminder of how war changes people's lives and the importance of advocating for peace.