Wearing your “Irish Drinking Team” shirt won’t make you Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. Pat Brothwell suggests you at least acquaint yourself with Irish music.
“Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day” or so the saying goes, and plenty of people do hijack the Irish heritage on the weekends leading up to March 17th. Revelers slap on green boas and shamrock antennas and don all the green they can muster. They drink cheap beer died green and as many “Irish” cocktails as their constitution allows, all in an attempt to emulate the traditions of the Emerald Isle.
Now anyone who knows anything about anything knows that St. Patrick’s Day has become a very Americanized holiday and holds little authenticity to anything happening back in dear old Ireland. You know what’s an easy way to show some actual authenticity which so many people skip? Listening to Irish music.
Music is such an integral part of Irish culture and celebrations. Many pubs still hold trads, or traditional music sessions where anyone with an instrument or voice could join in the festivities. The traditions and influences of Celtic music have crossed the pond and their influences can be felt in anyone from Johnny Cash to Bruce Springsteen. As a big fan of Celtic and Celtic inspired music it breaks my heart to drink a Guinness on this most holy of days to the musical stylings of Kesha or One Direction, but I can’t get too mad. Bars play what the audience is familiar with and most people simply don’t know any Irish folk songs. I’m here to help. Below you’ll find 17 Celtic or Celtic inspired tunes. You’ve got some time to learn them. Share them with your friends and come this St. Paddy’s day, you could be the bringing the craic, like, to your local pub.
“I’m Shipping Up to Boston,” Dropkick Murphys: “I’m Shipping up to Boston” is undoubtedly going to be one of the more recognizable songs on this list. Boston is synonymous with Irish Americans and this song is by hometown Celtic punk band The Dropkick Murphys ,who will be frequent guests on this playlist. If the opening riff sounds familiar it’s because it gained fame from the 2006 Matt Damon/Leonardo DiCaprio /Scorsese vehicle, The Departed. It was also used in Sam Adams winter advertising campaigns.
“Kiss Me I’m Shitfaced,” Dropkick Murphys: “Kiss Me I’m Shitfaced” chronicles one drunk man’s attempt to land a pretty girl at a bar by bragging that, “I can bench press a car, I’m an ex-football star, with degrees from both Harvard and Yale. Girls just can’t keep up, I’m a love machine, I’ve had far better sex while in jail.” By the end of the night he’s being a tad more realistic. “I’m a pitiful sight, and I ain’t all the bright and I’m definitely not chiseled in stone. I’m a cheat. I’m a liar, no woman’s desire. I’ll probably die cold and alone.” I’m not proud to admit it, but I’ve been there before. I’d guess I’m not alone in that.
“The Wild Rover,” The Dubliners: For many people, “The Wild Rover” is the stereotypical Irish drinking song. The titular “Wild Rover” sings about how his days gallivanting and drinking are behind him, although it’s implied that he’s doing all of this with a healthy wink and a nod.
“The Irish Rover,” The Dubliners and The Pogues: The wild rover and the Irish rover are two separate entities. This version of the popular Irish folk song about the demise of a fantastical old sailing ship brings together two behemoths of the Irish music scene, The Dubliners and The Pogues.
“Danny Boy,” Bing Crosby: The Irish music catalog is home to a number of melancholy, yet beautiful ballads, which I’ve left off this list because we’re celebrating not mourning. However, it didn’t feel right to make a St. Patrick’s Day playlist and not include “Danny Boy.” Just don’t put this one on too late in the day, unless you want to unleash some waterworks.
“The Fields of Athenry,” Dropkick Murphys: “The Fields of Athenry” is an Irish folk song about a man named Michael from the town of Athenry in County Galway who’s been sent to the Australian penal colony in Botany Bay for stealing corn during the potato famine. It’s widely sung at many Irish sporting events and personally my favorite song on this list.
“The Rare Old Times,” Flogging Molly: I especially like “The Rare Old Times” (or “The Rare Auld Times” depending on how authentic you want to get) as it’s about the bittersweetness of the place where you grew up changing and in part, losing some of the character that made it home for you. The singer is talking specifically about his working class neighborhood in Dublin but this could really be talking about anywhere. While it does have the aforementioned melancholy, it’s of the nostalgic variety and nostalgia’s welcomed wholeheartedly at any pub.
“Fairytale of New York,” The Pogues: If you want to get technical,“Fairytale of New York” is actually a Christmas song, a tragic love story between an alcoholic and a junkie narrated from the drunk tank of a New York City police precinct. I’ve included it on this St. Patrick’s Day playlist because it’s legitimately one of my favorite songs of all time, it’s fairly well known and the line “Sinatra was singing, all the drunks they were singing, we kissed on the corner and danced through the night,” pretty much sums up how my ideal St. Patrick’s Day would end.
“Finnegan’s Wake,” The High Kings: Please don’t let James Joyce’s downer of a novel turn you off of this song, which seems to have birthed 100 bars of the same name. “Finnegan’s Wake” is the tale of Tim Finnegan, a man who had a “love for the liquor” and who was thought to have died in a tragic ladder accident. His wake gets rowdy and someone spills liquor over Tim, causing him to rise up and join in the festivities.
“Who Threw the Overalls in Mrs. Murphy’s Chowder,” Bing Crosby: My mother played cassette tapes by The Clancy Brothers, Irish Rovers and Bing Crosby in our home growing up in March to get ready for St. Patrick’s Day. This was always one of my favorites. It’s an obscure song but one I feel I always have to hear in order for it to really feel like St. Patrick’s Day.
“The Unicorn Song,” The Irish Rovers: Leave it to the Irish to have a Catholicized version of the demise of the mythical unicorn.
“The Black Velvet Band,” Luke Kelly: Not only is this a quintessential Irish drinking song, but it dispenses some handy advice: “Whenever you’re out on the liquor, me lads, Beware of the pretty colleens.”
“The Night Pat Murphy Died,” Great Big Sea: Another Irish Funeral, a lot more booze.
“Galway Girl,” Steve Earle: “Galway Girl” by famed Alt-Country artist Steve Earle is about falling in love with a local Galway Girl during his visit to the city. It’s also the one song on this list your girlfriend will immediately recognize as, “that song Gerard Butler sang on PS I Love You,” which is a terrible disservice to this song.
“When Irish Eyes Are Smiling,” Bing Crosby: This is best sung at the end of the night with your arms around your friends and a glint in your eye.
“Peg of My Heart,” Dropkick Murphys: You know what’s better than an Irish song on St. Patrick’s Day?” An Irish song with a cameo from the Boss.
“An Irish Party in 3rd Class,” Gaelic Storm: So you wanna go to a real party? Yes this is from Titanic. Yes it’s the moment Rose decides she’s going show Jack such an epic time he’s forced to slap the fogged window of that old car with reckless abandon. No, you should not hold that against this infectious medley. It you hear this and don’t get the urge to jig, you might possibly be dead inside.
That’s what I’ve got for you start but if any of these strike your fancy do a little online research yourself. There’s such a large catalog to explore and I’m already kicking myself in the rear for not including anything by the Clancy Brothers.
—modified photo Miguel Mendez /Flickr Creative Commons