‘Tis the season for drunken singing in a sea of green! You can still celebrate this holiday by wearing green, drinking to your heart’s content(responsibly, of course), and even trying to catch a leprechaun in search of that pot of gold, but spice it up with some traditional Irish drinking songs. This list commends the classic Irish songs that revolve around beer, whiskey, and all around drunkenness that occurs during the four leaf clover holiday.
1. Beer, Beer, Beer
This song’s origin is unknown, making it an ancestral Irish drinking song. It has been redone by The Clancy Brothers. This song is about the fabled invention of beer by “Charlie Mops”. Charlie rhymes with barley, and Mops rhymes with hops, the two ingredients for beer.
Drinking Line: “Look what he has done for us, he’s filled us up with cheer, Lord bless Charlie Mops, the man who invented beer.”
2. The Rocky Road to Dublin
This song was originally written by D.K. Gavan, and first performed by music hall performer Harry Clifton in the 1800s. It has been recorded many times since then. This is a classic Irish song because its many references to Irish cities, mainly Dublin. It was recited by Mr. Deasy in James Joyce’s Ulysses, and was used in the 2009 film, Sherlock Holmes.
Drinking Line: “Took a drop of the pure to keep me heart from sinking; That’s a Paddy’s cure whenever he’s on drinking.”
3. Whiskey You’re the Devil
This song is a traditional Irish folk song that was rewritten and performed by The Pogues in the 1980s. The Pogues is an English and Irish band that mixes traditional music with punk and jazz.
Drinking Line: “Ah, whiskey you’re me darlin’, drunk or sober.”
4. All For Me Grog
This song is a classic “sea shanty”. It came about by sailors and became popular from there. It has been redone by many well-known Irish musicians and it still remains a favorite among music lovers.
Drinking Line: “Well it’s all for me grog, me jolly, jolly grog, it’s all for me beer and tobacco.”
5. Drink It Up Men
This song was written by The Dubliners, a popular Irish band who has influenced musicians such as Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, and Jimi Hendrix. This song is just one of their many hits.
Drinking Line: “At the pub on the crossroads there’s whiskey and beer, there’s brandy from cognac that’s fragrant but dear. But for killing the thirst and for raising the gout, there’s nothing at all beats a pint of good stout.”
6. Finnegan’s Wake
This song is another stable of the Dubliners. It is a comical tune and the title comes from the same title of a James Joyce book. It is about a liquor-lover named Tim Finnegan who falls from a ladder and is thought to be dead. At his wake, all of his mourners pour whiskey in his casket, and he comes back to life from the whiskey he loves.
Drinking Line: “And they laid him out upon the bed, with a gallon of whiskey at his feet and a bucket of porter at his head.”
7. Seven Drunken Nights
Yet another song popularized by The Dubliners, Seven Drunken Nights is an amusing song that even reached number seven on the UK charts in 1967. It has had many remakes since its success. Each night is a verse and is a popular song among crowds.
Drinking Line: “Ah, you’re drunk, you’re drunk, you silly old fool, still you cannot see.”
8. Drinking in the Day
The first part of this song is a poem written by Brendan Kelley, which is called Clearing a Space. The second part is written by Bono and Simon Carmody. The song is performed by The Tossers, a Celtic punk band which has a large cult following.
Drinking Line: “Drinking, drinking, drinking and not thinking, drinking, drinking, we’ll go drinking in the day.”
9. The Wild Rover
This song has an unknown origin, and is a crowd-pleasing tune when performed live and Irish pubs. It is very common to bang on the table and clap along with the beat during the song’s chorus.
Drinking Line: “I’ve been a wild rover for many’s the year, and I spent all me money on whiskey and beer.”
10. Irish Drinking Song
This list could not be complete without the song that bears the namesake of this entire top ten! So, last but not least, is a song made popular by many Irish groups, including Flogging Molly, Buck-O-Nine, and Dropkick Murphys.
Drinking Line: “Well drink, and drink, and drink, and drink, and drink, and drink, and fight!”
Hope you’re feeling lucky this St. Patrick’s Day, which is Wednesday, March 17th! Celebrate in style and remember why we even have an excuse to drink as much as we can on this joyous night!
