# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![dinahmoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@dinahmoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dinahmoe)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/41 "2007-03-16T14:25:37Z")
“Fields of Athenry” and “Rocky Road To Dublin”, the Dropkick Murphys versions. For singing along in the pub: “I’ll Tell Me Ma” and “The Wild Rover.” ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/42 "2007-03-16T14:46:15Z")
[QUOTE=fishbicycle] “Black Velvet Band” by The Irish Rovers. [/QUOTE] Mine, too! I don’t care much for the sentiments expressed, but I do love the music and it brings back happy memories for me. There’s an awful midi (in case you didn’t catch that, WARNING: SOUND) and lyrics on [this page](http://12121.hostinguk.com/blackvelvet.htm). ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/43 "2007-03-16T14:48:46Z")
[QUOTE=GingerOfTheNorth] Mine, too! I don’t care much for the sentiments expressed, but I do love the music and it brings back happy memories for me. There’s an awful midi (in case you didn’t catch that, WARNING: SOUND) and lyrics on [this page](http://12121.hostinguk.com/blackvelvet.htm). [/QUOTE] Here’s Luke this time with the band (The Dubliners) singing it. Aint youtube grand 🙂 ![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/fKfxGIsJu60/maxresdefault.jpg)https://www.youtube.com/embed/fKfxGIsJu60?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/44 "2007-03-16T14:57:31Z")
_She Moved Through The Fair_ _The Water Is Wide_ and some other song in which the title escapes me but the gist is about a girl who wants to marry a particular guy but realizes he’s her half-brother because her Da had an affair. Then she wishes to marry another guy but it’s the same story. This goes on a few times then she cries to her Ma how all of the men she wishes to marry turn out to be her brothers but her Ma tells her to marry who she wishes because her Da is not the one that sired her. Ha! Love that twist. Anyone know the name of that one? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/45 "2007-03-16T15:03:52Z")
[QUOTE=Largo62] I remember the words to a song I learned when I was a kid, but I don’t think I ever knew the title. [/QUOTE] “Molly Malone”. Fun fact! Molly was really a whore. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/46 "2007-03-16T15:10:55Z")
And she has a great rack. [http://www.samjking.co.uk/Ireland/photos/23-24%20Aug%202002%20Dublin/Molly%20Malone.JPG](http://www.samjking.co.uk/Ireland/photos/23-24%20Aug%202002%20Dublin/Molly%20Malone.JPG) ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/47 "2007-03-16T15:14:42Z")
I’m fond of a song called **The Orange and the Green** by the Irish Rovers. It’s about a guy whose father is Protestant and mother is Catholic. I like it because it shows real Irish humor and pathos at the same time. ---
**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, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/48 "2007-03-16T15:16:12Z")
**yojimbo** youtube is great innit, search “captain planet” and “belfast” for the best laugh you’ll have had in ages. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/49 "2007-03-16T15:21:41Z")
[QUOTE=An Gadaí] **yojimbo** youtube is great innit, search “captain planet” and “belfast” for the best laugh you’ll have had in ages. [/QUOTE] That’s just too funny. “Saint’s alive” That guy should go to Iraq. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/50 "2007-03-16T15:30:59Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] “Molly Malone”. Fun fact! Molly was really a whore. [/QUOTE] …and the down side is? ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/51 "2007-03-16T15:32:23Z")
[QUOTE=Saltire] “Follow Me Up to Carlow” [/QUOTE] My parents used to play that, “Arthur McBride” and another about a beggar king taking off with a farmer’s daughter after seeking shelther in their home a lot on the way through Ireland on holidays. What was the name of that second song? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/52 "2007-03-16T15:37:13Z")
[QUOTE=TV time] …and the down side is? [/QUOTE] She died of a fever 😉 ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/53 "2007-03-16T15:56:45Z")
_Danny Boy._ ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/54 "2007-03-16T16:00:08Z")
[QUOTE=Pushkin] My parents used to play that, “Arthur McBride” and another about a beggar king taking off with a farmer’s daughter after seeking shelther in their home a lot on the way through Ireland on holidays. What was the name of that second song? 😕 [/QUOTE] I believe that would be [The Gypsy Rover](http://ingeb.org/songs/thegypsy.html), also one of my favorites. I’m going to be looking up a lot of the ones mentioned here; I’m a sucker for almost all Irish music. I can also recommend [Molly % the Tinker](http://www.mollyandthetinker.com/) for some good live recordings; I heard them perform at (of all places) a science fiction convention and immediately bought two of their CDs. For an interesting take on “the Irish Problem” check out “Ireland Is Different”" > [@](#): > > After 30 years, people could not wait. > So the wall of partition and division and hate > was destroyed by hands that celebrated > Germany’s unification. > Lithuanians cheered and Estonians sang > when they won their countries back again, > and the world agreed only evil men subjugate and rape a nation. > Oh, but Ireland is different. > Ireland is different. > Ireland is different, they say. ---
**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, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/55 "2007-03-16T16:11:29Z")
[QUOTE=An Gadaí] I think _She Moved Through the Fair_ is Irish. However if the [wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/She_Moved_Through_the_Fair) explanation of its origins are accurate then it highlights the problem with traditional songs and claiming origin for them. It seems to be Irish in origin, was published in England, but has been played by a variety of musicians from Ireland, Britain and elsewhere. It can be tricky to attribute certain songs with unknown precise origins and the air or lyrics or part thereof having travelled across Ireland and Britain. Certain airs have had lyrics attached to them in various countries, so Scotland’s Loch Lomond becomes Red is The Rose in Ireland but is also sung here (in Ireland) as Loch Lomond. There are also foreign songs that have become parts of the traditional repertoire such as The Lakes of Pontchartrain and latterly songs played by Irish-American bands that are claimed as Irish but wouldn’t be thought of so here, such as What Shall We Do With The Drunken Sailor and the like. Anyway there’s my rant over. I hope this made some sense. [/QUOTE] Absolutely! When I input my list of fav’s, I started on a disclaimer to apologize for the non-Irish ones, but ended up deleting it for whatever reason. The celtic stuff that settled in the N/E mountains morphing into folk, bluegrass, etc, I’m not enough of an expert to keep track - only know what makes me head and feet happy!!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/56 "2007-03-16T18:14:44Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] “Molly Malone”. Fun fact! Molly was really a whore. [/QUOTE] My, that _IS_ fun! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/57 "2007-03-16T18:17:24Z")
[QUOTE=yojimbo] And she has a great rack. [http://www.samjking.co.uk/Ireland/photos/23-24%20Aug%202002%20Dublin/Molly%20Malone.JPG](http://www.samjking.co.uk/Ireland/photos/23-24%20Aug%202002%20Dublin/Molly%20Malone.JPG) [/QUOTE] Judging from the picture, she must have been a busy whore. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/58 "2007-03-16T18:48:04Z")
I used to have Clancy Brothers with Tommy Makem album. They were all very good but my fav may have been Irish Rover. However Danny Boy when you have the right amount of green beer in your gullliver is pretty moving. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/59 "2007-03-16T19:06:33Z")
[QUOTE=The Chao Goes Mu] and some other song in which the title escapes me but the gist is about a girl who wants to marry a particular guy but realizes he’s her half-brother because her Da had an affair. Then she wishes to marry another guy but it’s the same story. This goes on a few times then she cries to her Ma how all of the men she wishes to marry turn out to be her brothers but her Ma tells her to marry who she wishes because her Da is not the one that sired her. Ha! Love that twist. [/QUOTE] That’s [“Johnny Be Fair”](http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/folk-song-lyrics/Johnny_Be_Fair.htm). [Iris and Rose](http://www.iris-n-rose.com/) do a really fun version of it. (Their “Fairy Story” is also a riot.) The Shantyman (Greg Csikos) does a version of “The Minstrel Boy” that he came up with while he was with the [Corsairs](http://corsairs.com/PB%20CDs.htm#The_WHITE) that I really like. The first part is the traditional song, then he bridges into a take on it from the minstrel’s perspective. It’s something of an emotional roller coaster, and I really like it. It’s one of my two favorite “serious” Irish songs; the other is [Amberhawke’s](http://www.amberhawke.com/) version of “Siuil A Run”. They take it traditional through the first couple of verses, then Linda goes into throaty torch-singer mode with the rest of it. It’s very cool. For drinking songs, it’s harder to judge. I think “Rambling Rover” is in the lead at the moment. “Johnny Jump Up” is another perennial favorite. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124/60 "2007-03-16T19:52:17Z")
The Irish Rover’s cover of Tom Paxton’s “Bottle of Wine” is great. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-time-for-paddys-day-whats-your-favourite-irish-song/396124.md?page=4)