Red At Night

Not a very complex song lyrically but I was just wondering what Brian means when he says
"Got an Irish name and an injury"
Obviously the Irish bit is quite clear as his dad is of Irish descent but the injury part caught my attention.
Ideas?

During the late 1800's, people discriminated against the Irish, some even had signs posted "No Irish Need Apply", even songs where made. My guess is that, this is the "injury" he is referring too, that he is proud to be Irish but it may cause him some hardship finding work.

Kinda like me growing up Polish, and all the jokes associated with it.

I always interpreted the "injury" as having the blues (as in "ain't nobody got the blues like me").

Here are the lyrics...this one is really growing on me lately...I'm going to have to chew on it:

I was born in a town where the rivers flow free
On a January night when the cold winds freeze
I got an Irish name and an injury
Blessing and a curse cast down on me
Ain't nobody got the blues like me
Ain't nobody got the blues like me

Was a blood red sky on the morning tide
Was a cold wind blowing when I left that night
And the morning bells rang, alright, alright
Shoulda stayed home with you that night
Ain't nobody played the fool like I
Ain't nobody played the fool like I

Things got bad and things got worse
Half like blessing, half like curse
It's these blessings so hard to see sometimes
Gotta little clearer about dusk last night
Ain't nobody got a blessing like mine
Ain't nobody got a blessing like mine

It's a red sky night and I'm doing alright
It's a red sky night and I'm doing just fine

J.B.R. wrote:

During the late 1800's, people discriminated against the Irish, some even had signs posted "No Irish Need Apply", even songs where made. My guess is that, this is the "injury" he is referring too, that he is proud to be Irish but it may cause him some hardship finding work.

Kinda like me growing up Polish, and all the jokes associated with it.

i disagree.

I was thinking about this at the gym today, and I think J.B.R. may be onto something. Perhaps it's like in the movie "Cinderella Man" when Braddock hurt his hand and the guy didn't want to pick him to work on the docks because of the injury. Talking about being Irish at the time and having a strike against him, and also an injury so he couldn't work.

He feels blessed to be Irish, as he loves his heritage, but cursed as they were not thought highly of back in the day.

Not quite sure what to make of this stanza, though. Something happened but can't figure it out:

Was a blood red sky on the morning tide
Was a cold wind blowing when I left that night
And the morning bells rang, alright, alright
Shoulda stayed home with you that night