I needed some cheering up. I have been in the depression phase of my mother’s passing for a week now. My sense of smell is attenuated so food has little taste. Nothing “important” seems important. And all the rest.
Being an old sailor I especially liked the phrase, “The liquor scuppered over Tim.”
Here is an annotated version by the Irish Rovers. They have “scuppered” as “scattered”.
The Dropkick Murphys have a more modern sound. I’m not enamored.
I like the The Dubliners version. But they prefer scattered to scuppered. Funny enough a search of “The liquor scuppered over Tim” turns up nothing. “The liquor scattered over Tim” turns up lots of stuff. Now isn’t that interesting?
As a Midnight Special fan since the fall of 1962 I’m going with the Clancy Brothers.
Of course all this may be a mishearing. I still like it.
Well I’m still trying out different versions. This has more banjo.
With folky commentary. Amusing And. Ah. Yes. The brownies.
Well enunciated by Christy Moore.
And how could I leave out Tangerine Dream? All 59 minutes of it.
Schooner Fare. Lots of banjo. And a “son of a bitch”.
The Blarney Lads. A bass voice. Some nice fiddlin’.
Whistlin and fiddlin by a band called Finnegans Wake.
The Highwaymen do Finnegan. With a bit of tin whistle at the end.
A lady singing acapella.
Update: 15 Sept 2016 0146z
“The liquor scuppered over Tim.” Now turns up on a Google search. Naturally I’m at the top of the list. In fact I’m the only one on the list.
Comments
7 responses to “Finnegan’s Wake”
Will the Circle be Unbroken?
Despite most versions you’ve heard, it’s not an answer song; it wasn’t written that way – it’s a question – asked by someone in pain.
I can’t answer it – anymore than you can, or the writer could. But you need tears. I did too.
And eat, it’s important – I had the same problem.
riverrun, past Eve and Adam’s, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to
Howth Castle and Environs.
Kathy,
I eat when I’m hungry. Fortunately I’m not identified with my psychological state. More an observer. So that helps.
Smoking anti-depressants helps. Tobacco in case you were wondering. Which is why I like Finnegan’s. “Pipes, tobacco, and whiskey punch.”
Simon
I eat when I’m hungry.
Which reminded me of another Irish drinking song. The Moonshiner, as interpreted by Tommy Makem and the Clancy Brothers.
I’m a rambler, I’m a gambler
I’m a long ways from home
And if you don’t like me well leave me alone
I’ll eat when I’m hungry
I’ll drink when I’m dry
An’ the moonshine don’t kill me
I’ll live ’till I die
I was introduced to Tommy Makem and the Clancy Brothers when I was 14. I enjoyed the drinking songs, which involved a certain amount of forgetfullness on my part. When I was 6, I was a passenger in a car that a drunk hit head-on, killing our driver. I was sitting right behind the driver, a family friend, and can still see him hitting the steering wheel. The driver was so drunk that the tavern owner had to help him into the car. Hard to juggle that with Irish drinking songs.
Heh. Well, then eat. 😛
And try a bit of moonshine – that stuff’s magic – but only if you can stop.
And if you want a smoke – have one. But consider vape – even if you can’t do it all the time. It gives you the antidepressant without nasty stuff. (No, I can’t do it always. Sometimes smoke is the only thing that works.)
Simon, I am sorry to hear of the Death of your mother. I shall face that myself sometime in the future, and I dread going through what you must be feeling now.
My heart goes out to you.