# In Time For Paddy's Day, What's Your Favourite Irish Song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 16, 2007, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124 "2007-03-16T01:36:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/1 "2007-03-16T01:36:05Z")
Mine would probably be The Dubliners’ version of “On Raglan Road” by Patrick Kavanagh. A sad and beautiful song. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/2 "2007-03-16T01:40:12Z")
Be Thou my Vision ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/3 "2007-03-16T01:42:15Z")
I love “The Minstrel Boy to the War Has Gone,” as sung by John McCormack. Corny, but beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/4 "2007-03-16T01:44:01Z")
“Black Velvet Band” by The Irish Rovers. Flip side of “The Unicorn,” which is _not_ on my list of favorites. Either that, or “Come On Eileen.” ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/5 "2007-03-16T01:49:51Z")
[QUOTE=fishbicycle] “Black Velvet Band” by The Irish Rovers. [/QUOTE] Ditto. Other favorites? -“Foggy Dew”, the Chieftans, both versions with Sinead O’Connor and Sarah McLachlan -“Drowsy Maggie”, Gaelic Storm -“Toora-Loora-Loora” -“When Irish Eyes Are Smiling”, Bing Crosby -“Wearin’ O’ the Green” ---
**Author:** ![Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/6 "2007-03-16T01:59:21Z")
Lately, it’s “Big Strong Man.” (informally, “My Brother Sylvest”) I have a great version from Carbonleaf, always good to get me going. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/7 "2007-03-16T02:00:29Z")
I’ve been a wild rover for many a year, And I spent all my money on whiskey and beer. And now I’m returning with gold in great store, And I will never play the wild rover no more. And it’s no, nay, never No, nay, never, no more. Oh, I’ve played the wild rover, No, never, no more. Wild Rover for drinking. I’m fond of the Dropkick Murphys version. For sad songs, I like “Brokenhearted I’ll Wander (The Bonny Light Horseman),” the version by Niamh Parsons, which I’m having trouble finding lyrics for. ---
**Author:** ![2pelo\_honey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/ecb155/32.png) [@2pelo\_honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2pelo_honey)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/8 "2007-03-16T02:21:12Z")
I can’t just pick one…the links I put in belong to one of our local bands here…good stuff, IMHO. Drunken Sailor Jolly Ploughboy Roddy McCorley Carrickfergus Will Ye Go Lassie Go Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye I’ll Tell Me Ma Gallant 40 TWA Whistling Gypsy Rover Paddy Works on the Railway ([http://www.stoutmen.com/assets/multimedia/Paddy\_on\_the\_Railway2.mp3](http://www.stoutmen.com/assets/multimedia/Paddy_on_the_Railway2.mp3)) The Mermaid ([http://www.stoutmen.com/assets/multimedia/Mermaid2.mp3](http://www.stoutmen.com/assets/multimedia/Mermaid2.mp3)) New South Wales ([http://www.stoutmen.com/assets/multimedia/NewSouthClip1.mp3](http://www.stoutmen.com/assets/multimedia/NewSouthClip1.mp3)) ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/9 "2007-03-16T02:24:14Z")
“The Boys Are Back in Town,” Thin Lizzy. What? ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/10 "2007-03-16T02:28:35Z")
I think it’s Boston Irish, not Irish Irish, but I can’t help think of Great Big Sea’s “The Night Pat Murphy Died.” Grand fun. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/11 "2007-03-16T02:37:10Z")
I think that one is Newfoundland Irish but it’s a great auld song. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/12 "2007-03-16T02:43:05Z")
“Another Irish Drinking Song” by Da Vinci’s Notebook. ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/13 "2007-03-16T02:49:46Z")
“Follow Me Up to Carlow” And for comedy, “The Orange and the Green” \*One day me Ma’s relations came round to visit me. Just as my father’s kinfolk were all sitting down to tea. We tried to smooth things over, but they all began to fight. And me, being strictly neutral, I bashed everyone in sight. \* Of course, I have tons of other faves, but these are the two I thought of right now. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/14 "2007-03-16T02:56:38Z")
A few of you folks are posting titles that are Scots in origin, rather than Irish. And some are shanties (probably British.) I point this out just to be pedantic… er **accurate** , not because I actually care 😃 I like 'em all. Raglan Road is one of my favorites. I’m particularly fond of the version done by Susan Hickey, and the adaptation done by Seelie Court (called Sally Gardens.) Also like Eva Cassidy’s version of The Water Is Wide, and the Corrs’ Song For Ireland. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/15 "2007-03-16T02:59:50Z")
The Sally Gardens is a different air with words written by WB Yeats. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/16 "2007-03-16T03:03:57Z")
[QUOTE=LifeOnWry] A few of you folks are posting titles that are Scots in origin, rather than Irish. And some are shanties (probably British.) I point this out just to be pedantic… er **accurate** , not because I actually care 😃 I like 'em all. [/QUOTE] Thank you. I was wondering that, myself. Of course, most of my Scots/Irish songs are from groups that are so ecumenical it’s impossible to guess without knowing the exact history of the song. (And this doesn’t even get into the point that there’s a lot of cultural contamination between the Scots and Irish…) ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucky_13/32/13209_2.png) [@Lucky\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_13)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/17 "2007-03-16T03:06:58Z")
“Whisky in the Jar”. There’s a song I like by Thin Lizzy that I think is called “The Black Rose”. I wish I could remember if that was the exact name. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/18 "2007-03-16T03:09:17Z")
[QUOTE=An Gadaí] The Sally Gardens is a different air with words written by WB Yeats. [/QUOTE] You’re right, I just looked at the CD and the song I’m referring to is listed as Sally Gardens/Raglan Road. Seelie Court has them combined into one song. It’s gorgeous, regardless. **OtakiLoki** the Scots one that stood out for me in particular is Will Ye Go Lassie Go, also known as Wild Mountain Thyme. That song began life as a poem called The Braes O’ Balquhidder, by Robert Tannahill. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/19 "2007-03-16T03:13:14Z")
“All of the Hard Days are Gone” by [the McKrells.](http://www.mckrells.com) ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/20 "2007-03-16T03:25:52Z")
[QUOTE=LifeOnWry] **OtakiLoki** [/QUOTE] Sorry. I meant your correct username **OtakuLoki** , of course. Do we have an OtakiLou, or am I conflating people again? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124.md?page=2)