Songs about Ireland by foreign artists

Tchaikovsky

At the moment I have:
'Give Ireland Back to the Irish' - Paul McCartney
'The Luck of the Irish' - John Lennon
'Galway Girl' - Steve Earle
'Ireland' - Garth Brooks
'Irish Girls Are Pretty' - The Proclaimers

seanybiker

40 shades of green - johnny cash I think.

383Ger

Les Lacs Du Connemara - Michel Sardou.....classic anthemic song!! Look it up on youtube

Illkillya

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zb8a2qoHjLk
/me runs

niallon

Dirty Old Town, I know it's not about Ireland but in fairness, we've knicked it as our own!

Tchaikovsky

niallon wrote: »

Dirty Old Town, I know it's not about Ireland but in fairness, we've knicked it as our own!

Ewen MacColl wrote it about Salford didn't he?

chicha

look for Orthodox Celts on youtube

Elliemental

I'm sure Spandau Ballet's hearts' were in the right place when they wrote 'Through the Barricades'.
Unfortunately, this is the only song exclusively about Ireland, by a non Irish artist that springs to mind.
However, Dublin and more specifically, the Liffey get name checked on Radiohead's How to Disappear Completely.

niallon

Tchaikovsky wrote: »

Ewen MacColl wrote it about Salford didn't he?

He did, but as it has been knicked through the The Dubliners and such as being about Ireland I thought I'd include it on a wing and a prayer!

greendom

383Ger wrote: »

Les Lacs Du Connemara - Michel Sardou.....classic anthemic song!! Look it up on youtube

+1 classic

Tchaikovsky

niallon wrote: »

He did, but as it has been knicked through the The Dubliners and such as being about Ireland I thought I'd include it on a wing and a prayer!

You mean the Pogues?

DerekD Goldfish

Gang of Four had a song called "Ether" about northieland
Scott Walker mentions "I'll punch a donkey in the streets of galway" in the song Jolson and Jones haven't a bloody clue what its about though

niallon

Tchaikovsky wrote: »

You mean the Pogues?

They may have popularised it but The Dubliners had it first.

mike65

Simple Minds - Belfast Child? Pretty sure its late era Minds so awful.

Latchy

Portobello Belle by Dire Straits .

Has the line

'' sing a song about a long gone Irish girl .I got one for you , Portabello Belle ''

rednik

The Police - Invisible Sun.

madson

neon neon - belfast

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vJi1fmdYbg

ynotdu

Clare to here by Ralph McTell(same guy who wrote streets of London)

Kilkelly Ireland according to wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilkelly:link below

Latchy

Doctor! Doctor-The Thomson twins

Apparently this song was written back in the early 80s after the band members witnessed ' up close and personall ' some kids shooting up smack after , or before one of their Dublin gigs .

ynotdu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmDfehaYayE


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN2s0J3Y8mc

greendom

Boney M Belfast

Spandau Ballet Through the Barricades

delbertgrady

From Galway to Graceland by Richard Thompson

Drummerboy2

Carrickfergus by Bryan Ferry

flyswatter

Neon Neon have a song called Belfast and their song Raquel contains the lyric ''Your daddy came from Bolivia, Your Irish mother gave you star''.

The Swordsman

Dublin by Prefab Sprout

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

Tori amos and dredg both have songs called Ireland, different songs though.

senape

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_331AAH704

Cielo di Irlanda (Ireland's sky) Is quite a famous Italian song about Ireland

ynotdu

senape wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_331AAH704

Cielo di Irlanda (Ireland's sky) Is quite a famous Italian song about Ireland

senape thanks for that one,has to be the most unusual so far!
do you know any more detail about it?
I hav,nt a word of Italian!(really surprised Italy would have any interest in us to be honest!)

senape

Here are some of the lyrics translated to give an idea

Il cielo d'Irlanda e' un oceano di nuvole e luce
Ireland sky is an ocean of clouds and light

ll cielo d'Irlanda è un enorme cappello di pioggia
Ireland's sky is an enormous hat of rain

il cielo d'Irlanda a volte fa il mondo in bianco e nero
ma dopo un momento i colori li fa brillare più del vero
Ireland's sky a times makes the world black and white
but a moment later it makes colours shine brighter than reality

Il cielo d'Irlanda è una donna che cambia spesso d'umore
Ireland's sky is a women who changes mood often

il cielo d'Irlanda è Dio che suona la fisarmonica
si apre e si chiude con il ritmo della musica
Ireland's sky is God playing the accordion
it opens and closes with the rhythm of the music

Dal Donegal alle isole Aran
e da Dublino fino al Connemara
dovunque tu stia viaggiando con zingari o re
il cielo d'Irlanda si muove con te
il cielo d'Irlanda è dentro di te

From Donegal to the Aran Islands
and from Dublin to Connemara
Wherever travelling with gypsies or kings
Ireland's sky moves with you
Ireland's sky moves within you.

ynotdu

senape wrote: »

Here are some of the lyrics translated to give an idea

Il cielo d'Irlanda e' un oceano di nuvole e luce
Ireland sky is an ocean of clouds and light

ll cielo d'Irlanda è un enorme cappello di pioggia
Ireland's sky is an enormous hat of rain

il cielo d'Irlanda a volte fa il mondo in bianco e nero
ma dopo un momento i colori li fa brillare più del vero
Ireland's sky a times makes the world black and white
but a moment later it makes colours shine brighter than reality

Il cielo d'Irlanda è una donna che cambia spesso d'umore
Ireland's sky is a women who changes mood often

il cielo d'Irlanda è Dio che suona la fisarmonica
si apre e si chiude con il ritmo della musica
Ireland's sky is God playing the accordion
it opens and closes with the rhythm of the music

Dal Donegal alle isole Aran
e da Dublino fino al Connemara
dovunque tu stia viaggiando con zingari o re
il cielo d'Irlanda si muove con te
il cielo d'Irlanda è dentro di te

From Donegal to the Aran Islands
and from Dublin to Connemara
Wherever travelling with gypsies or kings
Ireland's sky moves with you
Ireland's sky moves within you.

It is like a poem set to music!
Wow thanks for the trouble You went to,really appreciated!
as well as its poetry I really enjoyed the *Irelands sky is a woman who changes mood often:)(sorry ladies)

Fantastic song with ALL the passion and romance Italions are reknowned for!
again thank you:):)

niallon

Haven't listened to the song well enough to really gather the proper context of it but Every Beat Of My Heart by Rod Stewart contains the lyric:

And well drink a toast
To the blood red rose
Cheer a while the emerald isle

ynotdu

Tchaikovsky wrote: »

At the moment I have:
'Give Ireland Back to the Irish' - Paul McCartney
'The Luck of the Irish' - John Lennon
'Galway Girl' - Steve Earle
'Ireland' - Garth Brooks
'Irish Girls Are Pretty' - The Proclaimers

Hi Tchaikovsky,have the luxury of time to youtube them,hope ya dont mind if i add links?:)just i can see if i like them and YOUR suggestions available to view by link as i check them out(great idea for a thread you got!)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaO4XeHhwo8 (macca)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qHYFwWK1Dk&feature=related ( Len)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG7CONywuvw (S Earle)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeEfKZnxNuc (garth brooks)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtsuA9Ahk8A (proclaimers)

I found the first two very educational but glad we have moved on(at least a bit)
I had never heard of Steve Earl.
could not find a video of G Brookes singing *Ireland*but love the video (Garths voice,but it is also signed,fascinating to see the gestures for the words)

eh the proclaimers were erm.......... ok:) the video has some very funny posters(well worth a look)

Cheers&keep em coming guys?please?

ynotdu

seanybiker wrote: »

40 shades of green - johnny cash I think.

Hi seanybiker,I was sure you were wrong that Johnny Cash wrote forty shades of green,so i checked wikipedia and it kindda said he did too!
still not convinced I checked Youtube and the man himself confirmed it just before he sang it at link below.

You were right! I was wrong!(ya should see the colors i changed to!:D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0oTDS9ur_U

ynotdu

383Ger wrote: »

Les Lacs Du Connemara - Michel Sardou.....classic anthemic song!! Look it up on youtube

Wow what power in that song&a good time to be reminded of what is good about our country.I,m really enjoying checking out the suggested songs:)

Do You know anything more about Michel Sardou or what inspired him to write/sing the song(I love the changes in tempo)the version i watched is at the link below.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l11GyqVu_-o

ynotdu

delbertgrady wrote: »

From Galway to Graceland by Richard Thompson

Hi could not find a version i was sure was Richard Thompson(dont know what he looks like:))

There is something sad about Elvis fans(I dont mean sad in a smart way)I know of a guy who saved from his social welfare money to go to Graceland.
I dont understand how Elvis seems to have touched so many people in such a deep way?
the version i found below does have that whistfull property about it that often comes over a dedicated fans face when they talk about him though,thanks for the suggestion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFq_4u1Z0zQ&feature=related

seanybiker

ynotdu wrote: »

Hi seanybiker,I was sure you were wrong that Johnny Cash wrote forty shades of green,so i checked wikipedia and it kindda said he did too!
still not convinced I checked Youtube and the man himself confirmed it just before he sang it at link below.

You were right! I was wrong!(ya should see the colors i changed to!:D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0oTDS9ur_U

Ha ha go me. Only reason I came back into this thread is because I thought I was wrong to ha ha.

niallon

Always felt this was the best version of Galway to Graceland:

guinnessdrinker

One of John Lennon's angriest songs, Sunday Bloody Sunday, check out his lyrics! Link

Quint

Lets get rid of Ireland Call for rugby and replace it with something to the tune of Michel Sardou's les lacs du Connemara!

ynotdu

guinnessdrinker wrote: »

One of John Lennon's angriest songs, Sunday Bloody Sunday, check out his lyrics! Link

Hi Guinnesdrinker,followed the link to the lyrics!thanks!

It sure is an angry song bit that struck me most was:

:Leave Ireland to the Irish,not for London or for Rome.

Dont want to go political but an overview of our history no rational person could deny that British rule,or Catholic institutions had they not happened Ireland would be a better place.

Amazing that things many people think are recent law here(divorce etc)were already the law under Breton law

ynotdu

Quint wrote: »

Lets get rid of Ireland Call for rugby and replace it with something to the tune of Michel Sardou's les lacs du Connemara!

Lol well sounds ok but......................................


doubt ya would find enough guys in Connemara that have even heard of Rugby let alone make up a team:pac:

Sr. Pirotecnic

Dexys Midnight Runners - Knowledge of Beauty, later retitled My National Pride

Check out the video, Kev in the wilds of Mayo (?)

Dan Dare

The More That I See (the less I believe) by Fun Boy Three.:pac:

melahide

"As the people pass galway" by Vinny Samways

Jeanious

ynotdu wrote: »

Hi seanybiker,I was sure you were wrong that Johnny Cash wrote forty shades of green,so i checked wikipedia and it kindda said he did too!
still not convinced I checked Youtube and the man himself confirmed it just before he sang it at link below.

You were right! I was wrong!(ya should see the colors i changed to!:D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0oTDS9ur_U

jaysus i knew he did a version of it alright but i never knew he wrote it!

Scubadevils

Orbital - Belfast (a spectacular and timeless piece of electronic brilliance).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HNtsdtnBfk

Executive Steve

Boney M - Belfast (a spectacular and timeless piece of German disco).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P55xTlD95eo

hawthorn

Surprised it took so long for this one to be mentioned....

Song For Ireland composed by Phil and June Colclough (English)

Of course most old music-hall type Irish songs were written by Americans..

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling, Irish Molly etc