So, this:
I’m trying to think of any other song I know with such a contrast in quality between the instrumental parts, and the singing. The instrumental parts are just banging, get me moving every time I hear them. And then…Just noisy growling singing.
I even kind of like the lyrics, just the way they’re sung annoys me.
Can anyone think of another song with such a contrast?
I can understand what you mean, but I love the vocals too. The very first time I ever heard the song was in the movie, and I told my ex- that we’d be hearing that song for the rest of our lives. The yelling kind of reminds me of Joe Strummer of The Clash, who I love, so that might be part of it. That said, I’m sure you can find an instrumental version.
ETA: Dropkick Murphys - I'm Shipping Up to Boston (Instrumental) - YouTube
It turns out to be a very simple song without the lyrics. A couple of stanzas on repeat.
But then, I literally just found this, later in the YouTube playlist that brought me here in the first place:
Plus, there’s several comments there that agree with me about the shouting. What are they, Vogons? 
I counter with
So they absolutely can be melodic if they want to. I agree that their Shipping up to Boston is a shouty song, but it’s definitely a choice they made rather than a question of talent. It’s very much an angry young man song in style and vocals. The band as a whole is a lot more about tradition and emotion than they’re about making ‘beautiful’ music IMHO.
Oh, I don’t deny it was a choice. It’s just a weird choice. If they’d backed off maybe 20%, it would be perfect. I like a lot of their other stuff, it’s just they went a bit too hard on this one.
Well, maybe if you lost your wooden leg climbing up the topsail and had to ship up to Boston to find it, you wouldn’t have such an angelic singing voice either.
Yeah, but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be making such a good instrumental bit, either!
While we’re at it, let’s have Christmas in August.
