Top Of The Morning To Ye!!!!
Ahem. Sorry about that. I do realise that is the Irish equivalent of people saying ‘throw another shrimp on the baaaarbie’.
Anyway, in honour of St Patrick, this months mix tape is going green. St Paddy’s Day has always been something close to my heart. With red hair and white skin like mine, I’ve always felt my Irish heritage rather keenly. Most playlists for St Patrick’s Day are filled with songs about drinking and alcohol – there’s a few of those here, but mostly this is a list of my favourite Irish artists and tunes. Disclaimer – this list is definitely not kid-friendly, particularly the Denis Leary song.
Snow Patrol – Chasing Cars
if i just lay here, would you lie with me and just forget the world?
I love this song. I know it got played to death on every radio station and sometimes makes no sense, but I love it anyway.
Denis Leary – Traditional Irish Folk Song
our children are leaving and we have no heads, we drink and we sing and we drink and we die
This song cracks me up. So many Irish folk songs are about people coming and stealing land, or killing people. It’s best listened to around three green beers in.
Flogging Molly – Drunken Lullabies
cause we find ourselves in the same old mess singing drunken lullabies
I discovered Flogging Molly the way most people do, in a smoky hotel basement that had been converted into an Irish bar. It was love at first listen. This is definitely my favourite of their songs. It’s was even better live when I got to see them play at Soundwave a few years back.
Van Morrison – Brown Eyed Girl
standing in the sunlight laughing, hide behind a rainbow wall
I challenge anyone to hear this song and not start tapping their feet. It’s so damn catchy!!!
The Cranberries – Linger
Things wouldn’t be so confused and I wouldn’t feel so used, But you always really knew, I just wanna be with you.
This is my favourite Cranberries song ever. Most people pick Zombies but I love how melancholy this song is. It speaks to my heart in a way I can’t quite understand.
What are your favourite tunes to score St Patrick’s Day? Share in the comments!