# Dexie's Midnight Runner's **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 14, 2001, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexies-midnight-runners/54501 "2001-02-14T19:31:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2001, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexies-midnight-runners/54501/21 "2001-02-17T15:04:23Z")
Well, Shannon might have gotten the writing credit for “Going My Way,” but from [this site](http://www.listeningroom.lycos.com/fan/bands/bellobard/Song_17649.html), the words and music are traditional: > [@](#): > > \*\* > Lyrics: > An Irish Lullaby > (Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra) > > words and music traditional > Originally recorded by Bing Crosby > Recorded for Gullible’s Travels > > Over in Killarney > Many years ago, > Me Mither sang a song to me > In tones so sweet and low. > Just a simple little ditty, > In her good ould Irish way, > And l’d give the world if she could sing > That song to me this day. > > “Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li, > Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don’t you cry! > Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li, > Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that’s an Irish lullaby.” > > \*\* etc. Similar phrases are used in other Irish songs; “How are things in Glockamora” uses “Too-ra-lay,” and I have heard similar verses in songs by the Dubliners, etc. Dexy’s undoubtedly used the phrase because of its identity with Irish music; they certainly did not make it up. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2001, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexies-midnight-runners/54501/22 "2001-02-17T16:08:45Z")
Oh, back to the “meaning” of “toora loora toora loo-rye-ay!” In EVERY language, songs employ a certain number of meaningles, nonsensical “words” or phrases, just as filler. Heck, what does “fa la la la la la la la la” mean, in “Deck the Halls”? What does “Doo lang doo lang” mean, in “He’s So Fine”? What does “shoop shoop” or “doo dah”? mean? In Irish folk music, there are a host of meaningless syllables used all the time, including: 1. “Whack-fol the derry-oh” 2. “Toora loora lay” 3. “Skithery-idle-diddle-dum” Don’t try to figure out what any of this means! ---
**Author:** ![DonJuanDeMarco3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DonJuanDeMarco3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DonJuanDeMarco3)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2001, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexies-midnight-runners/54501/23 "2001-02-27T04:36:58Z")
I do not want the idle minds of 50’s vocalist to come into this debate. Just because for a period of musics history, making sense through words was not the most important thing, this does not mean it was always so. I am sure the connecting beat of “fa la la la la la la la la” in ‘Deck the halls’ means nothing but I wa interested in the fact that the beat of Dexy’s was not mere two letter repetition, this led to an assumption of more to it. I think Dexy’s writers had heads on their shoulders so I doubt they would be so shallow to “fa la la la”-allow along with such clique things. If it sounds like they are trying to say something, they may be doing so. Oh well. Thanks everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Marvel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marvel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvel)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2001, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexies-midnight-runners/54501/24 "2001-02-27T04:51:22Z")
Wasn’t _one_ of the band members from Ireland? The one who went on to form the band Black 47 and gave us the tune, “Funky Keylee?” (sp?) I thought it was a semi-autobiographical song… Getting My 80s Groove Thang On, Patty ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2001, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexies-midnight-runners/54501/25 "2001-02-27T07:19:14Z")
> [@](#): > > In EVERY language, songs employ a certain number of meaningles, nonsensical “words” or phrases, just as filler. Heck, what does “fa la la la la la la la la” mean, in “Deck the Halls”? What does “Doo lang doo lang” mean, in “He’s So Fine”? What does “shoop shoop” or “doo dah”? mean? … - astorian - - - “fa la la la la la la la la” - is usually not punctuated correctly: 1. “falal a la, la, la la la, la” = “Indonesia - is building - a rocket - of bamboo” 2. “fa lal a lala, la lal a la” = “A pickle in the nose is worth a leopard’s gaze” - an ancient Sunni expression, meaning unclear 3. “fa la la, la, la la la, la la” = “please place - your - trays - in the upright position” 4. “fala la lala, l ala, lal a” = “we smell your feet - before we see - your face” (Sioux indian) ~ -“Doo lang doo lang” is related to Chuck Berry’s ding-a-ling. “Doo dah” is Portuguese, it means to “rub forcefully”. “Shoop shoop” is, well, -it’s in a song Cher felt she had to cover. I can’t go typing that kind of stuff here. - MC [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexies-midnight-runners/54501.md?page=1)