The Island was written by Tyrone songwriter Paul Brady and released in 1985, at the height of The Troubles in his native Northern Island. He compares what is going on there to the war in Lebanon and then contrasts it to an imaginary and more peaceful scene with a lover on an unknown island.
The song stands out for the way it captures the heartache and tragedy of war. And for the beautiful piano accompaniment part.
It was played by a British pianist and composer called Kenny Craddock, and in Brady’s words, ‘his sensitivity and understanding of the emotional and musical space the song needed to inhabit was crucial to the recording’s success’.
It was the last song recorded for Brady’s 1985 album ‘Back to The Centre’, and according to this BBC article, Brady felt under pressure to a) finish the song in time, and b) to get it right. It dealt with sensitive political content which was taking place on his doorstep and he was nervous about addressing it.
The sparse nature of the song makes the piano accompaniment stand out all the more. It is a masterpiece. SImple yet hugely effective, and it certainly stands the test of time.