Other-waters

Hold me now, oh hold me now
’til this hour has gone around
And I’m gone on the rising tide
For to face Van Diemen’s land

Van Diemen’s Land is an island near Australia, later renamed Tasmania after the first European who set foot ashore, Dutch sea-farer Abel Tasman. At the time Tasman’s discoveries were thought of little value, but later (1700s) the British moved in and started using both Australia and Van Diemen’s Land as penal colonies … which is exactly what this U2 song is about, an Irishman being sent away.