Dear Editor,
I couldn’t help but notice a glaring omission in Frank McNally’s article on the melancholic themes in songs from his youth (An Irishman’s Diary, March 30th). It seems he completely overlooked Gilbert O’Sullivan’s melancholy hit, “Alone Again (Naturally),” which resonated with audiences globally in 1971.
The narrative embedded in the song is quite distressing – the lead character is deserted at the wedding-venue, he loses both his parents, and even contemplates suicide by taking a leap from a high-rise building. All of these tragic events occur in less than four minutes of the song.
BRENDAN McMAHON,
Naas,
Co Kildare.