While it has been confirmed that the band has officially retired, former members Alan Doyle and Séan McCann have continued performing in their own solo careers typically including music from Great Big Sea in their setlists.
The band played its first official concert on March 11, 1993, opening for The Irish Descendants at Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John's, Newfoundland. The founding band members included Alan Doyle (vocals, guitar, bouzouki, mandolin), Séan McCann (vocals, bodhrán, guitar, tin whistle), Darrell Power (vocals, bass, guitar, bones), and Bob Hallett (vocals, fiddle, accordion, mandolin, concertina, bouzouki, whistles, bagpipes).
Power, McCann and Hallett had already been playing together in another band. In the winter of 1989, the band, a six-piece with guitar, bass, fiddle, accordion and mandolin played its first show at the Memorial University's winter carnival talent show under the name "Newfoundland Republican Army" or NRA, and won first prize. The band's only other appearance as NRA was later that winter at the university "Grad House". The band then dropped the fiddler, accordion player and the name.
The band found its new name as original bassist Jeff Scott rented an apartment on Rankin Street, St. John's, where the members first met and discussed the formation of the band. As a four-piece, the band first appeared as "Rankin Street" at a little pub in downtown St. John's called "The Rose and Thistle", playing for $100 and beer. They played through Sean McCann's stereo system, as renting a PA would have cost more than the night's earnings. Susan Hickey (guitar and vocals) left the band months later to attend school in Halifax and was replaced by Darrell Power. The band gained much popularity playing such local pubs as Bridget's and Greensleeves. In 1991 Jeff Scott was replaced by Jackie St. Croix on bass. The band released one recording on cassette titled "Rankin Street".
In 1997, the band reached the top ten of the Canadian RPM pop chart with "When I'm Up (I Can't Get Down)", a cover of a song by the British folk group Oysterband. They performed at the 1999 Stardust Picnic festival at Historic Fort York, Toronto.
The band won the Entertainer of the Year award at the East Coast Music Awards for every year between 1996 and 2000. In 2001, they decided not to submit their name for nomination in order to allow other bands to compete. They have also been nominated for several Juno Awards, including Group of the Year in 1998, 2005, 2009, and 2011.
Darrell Power retired from Great Big Sea in 2003 to spend more time with his family and friends. Supporting members of the band include Canadian freelance drummer Kris MacFarlane (2002) (drums, accordion, guitar, backing vocals) and Murray Foster (2003, formerly of the band Moxy Früvous) (bass, backing vocals).
In late 2005, the band released its long-awaited "traditional" album, The Hard and the Easy, on which they recorded their favourite Newfoundland party songs. The title of the album comes from a line of the song "Tickle Cove Pond", one of two songs on the album about a horse falling through ice.
On June 13, 2007, the band announced they would return to the studio with producer Hawksley Workman. On March 14, 2008, the band announced that the title of the new album would be Fortune's Favour, borrowing a phrase from one of the songs on the album, "England". The album was officially released on June 24, 2008 across all of North America.
On February 23, 2010, band member Séan McCann released his debut solo album Lullabies for Bloodshot Eyes to pleasing critical success.
On July 13, 2010, Great Big Sea released their new album Safe Upon the Shore in North America. Alan's "From the Road" blog on the band's website, originally confirmed its production in an April posting, speaking also of the album's subsequent release in July. "Nothing But A Song" was the first single off the bands' ninth studio recording, with a subsequent tour kicking off at the end of the summer 2010.
Great Big Sea announced a 'greatest hits' album titled "XX" in October 2012, accompanied by a 20th anniversary tour with 32 dates in 28 cities across the US and Canada which kicked off on March 5, 2013 in Los Angeles and finished in St. John's on April 23, 2013.
In 2013, McCann announced that he would be leaving the band at the end of the XX tour, much to the dismay of his bandmates. Struggling to maintain his new sobriety, he told his bandmates in January of 2013 that XX would be his last tour with the band, but the rest of the band and its management refused to announce this publicly. Finally, in November 2013 with XX almost over, McCann announced his departure himself in a tweet, feeling that the fans needed to know. While largely vilified by Great Big Sea fans with little said by the band or management to counter this view, McCann claims he was devastated by how Great Big Sea ended and wishes it could have gone differently.
Following McCann's departure, the remaining band members spent a year or so trying to find an amicable way that they could continue without him. Eventually coming to the realization that they didn’t want to go on like that, and happily retiring the band.
The Night Pat Murphy Died
Great Big Sea Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning | Line by Line Meaning
Some of the boys got loaded drunk, and they ain't got sober yet;
As long as a bottle was passed around every man was feelin' gay
O'Leary came with the bagpipes, some music for to play
[Chorus]
That's how they showed their respect for Paddy Murphy
That's how they showed their honour and their pride;
They said it was a sin and shame and they winked at one another
And every drink in the place was full the night Pat Murphy died
As Mrs. Murphy sat in the corner pouring out her grief
Kelly and his gang came tearing down the street
They went into an empty room and a bottle of whiskey stole
They put the bottle with the corpse to keep that whiskey cold
[Chorus]
About two o'clock in the morning after empty'ing the jug
Doyle rolls up the ice box lid to see poor Paddy's mug
We stopped the clock so Mrs. Murphy couldn't tell the time
And at a quarter after two we argued it was nine
[Chorus]
They stopped the hearse on George Street outside Sundance Saloon
They all went in at half past eight and staggered out at noon
They went up to the graveyard, so holy and sublime
Found out when they got there, they'd left the corpse behind!
[Chorus]
Oh the night that Paddy Murphy died, is a night I'll never forget
Some of the boys got loaded drunk and they ain't been sober yet;
As long as a bottle was passed around every man was feelin' gay
O'Leary came with the bagpipes, some music for to play
[Chorus]
The Night Pat Murphy Died by Great Big Sea is a classic Irish drinking song that tells the story of Paddy Murphy’s wake. The song opens with a vivid description of the night Paddy died and how his friends got drunk in his honor. As the night progresses, more and more people join the party and the drinking continues. Friend of Paddy, O’Leary, even brings in a bagpipe to play some traditional Irish music.
In the second verse, the focus shifts to Paddy’s widow, Mrs. Murphy, who mourns her husband’s passing. While she grieves, Kelly and his friends come in and steal a bottle of whiskey, which they later place next to Paddy’s corpse keep it chilled. As the night wears on, the drunken antics continue, and even Paddy’s clock is stopped to avoid being told the time. Eventually, his friends take him to the graveyard, but they realize upon arrival that they forgot the most important thing, Paddy’s body.
The lyrics of The Night Pat Murphy Died reflect the traditional Irish wake, where mourners would come together to celebrate the life of the deceased. The song is filled with imagery of drunkenness and revelry, showcasing the Irish cultural love for good times and living life to the fullest.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh the night that Paddy Murphy died, is a night I'll never forget
The speaker couldn't forget the night Paddy Murphy died.
Some of the boys got loaded drunk, and they ain't got sober yet;
Some of the boys got really drunk, and they haven't recovered from it yet.
As long as a bottle was passed around every man was feelin' gay
When the bottle was passed around, everyone felt joyful.
O'Leary came with the bagpipes, some music for to play
O'Leary brought his bagpipes to play music.
That's how they showed their respect for Paddy Murphy
That's how they showed their honour and their pride;
They said it was a sin and shame and they winked at one another
And every drink in the place was full the night Pat Murphy died
The group showed their honor and respect for Paddy Murphy by enjoying a night of drinking and revelry. They knew that being so happy at a wake was wrong, but they did it anyway.
As Mrs. Murphy sat in the corner pouring out her grief
Mrs. Murphy sat in the corner and mourned her husband's death.
Kelly and his gang came tearing down the street
They went into an empty room and a bottle of whiskey stole
They put the bottle with the corpse to keep that whiskey cold
Kelly and his friends stole a bottle of whiskey and put it next to Paddy's body to keep it cold.
About two o'clock in the morning after empty'ing the jug
Doyle rolls up the ice box lid to see poor Paddy's mug
We stopped the clock so Mrs. Murphy couldn't tell the time
And at a quarter after two we argued it was nine
At around 2 am, Doyle opened the icebox to see Paddy's face. They stopped the clock so Mrs. Murphy wouldn't know the real time, and then argued it was much later than it actually was.
They stopped the hearse on George Street outside Sundance Saloon
They all went in at half past eight and staggered out at noon
They went up to the graveyard, so holy and sublime
Found out when they got there, they'd left the corpse behind!
They stopped the hearse on George Street, went into Sundance Saloon at 8:30 am, and left at noon. They then went to the graveyard and realized they had left the body behind!
Oh the night that Paddy Murphy died, is a night I'll never forget
Some of the boys got loaded drunk and they ain't been sober yet;
As long as a bottle was passed around every man was feelin' gay
O'Leary came with the bagpipes, some music for to play
The speaker can never forget the night Paddy Murphy died. Some guys got really drunk and haven't recovered from it yet. When the bottle was passed around, everyone felt joyful. O'Leary played some music on his bagpipes.
That's how they showed their respect for Paddy Murphy
That's how they showed their honour and their pride;
They said it was a sin and shame and they winked at one another
And every drink in the place was full the night Pat Murphy died
The group showed their honor and respect for Paddy Murphy by enjoying a night of drinking and revelry. They knew that being so happy at a wake was wrong, but they did it anyway.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ALAN DOYLE, BOB HALLETT, DARRELL POWER, SEAN MCCANN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paco Escobar
LYRICS
(yer welcome ye feckin feckers)
Oh the night that Paddy Murphy died, is a night I'll never forget
Some of the boys got loaded drunk, and they ain't got sober yet;
As long as a bottle was passed around every man was feelin' gay
O'Leary came with the bagpipes, some music for to play
That's how they showed their respect for Paddy Murphy
That's how they showed their honour and their pride;
They said it was a sin and shame and they winked at one another
And every drink in the place was full the night Pat Murphy died
As Mrs. Murphy sat in the corner pouring out her grief
Kelly and his gang came tearing down the street
They went into an empty room and a bottle of whiskey stole
They put the bottle with the corpse to keep that whiskey cold
That's how they showed their respect for Paddy Murphy
That's how they showed their honour and their pride;
They said it was a sin and shame and they winked at one another
And every drink in the place was full the night Pat Murphy died
About two o'clock in the morning after empty'ing the jug
Doyle rolls up the ice box lid to see poor Paddy's mug
We stopped the clock so Mrs. Murphy couldn't tell the time
And at a quarter after two we argued it was nine
That's how they showed their respect for Paddy Murphy
That's how they showed their honour and their pride;
They said it was a sin and shame and they winked at one another
And every drink in the place was full the night Pat Murphy died
They stopped the hearse on George Street outside Sundance Saloon
They all went in at half past eight and staggered out at noon
They went up to the graveyard, so holy and sublime
Found out when they got there, they'd left the corpse behind!
That's how they showed their respect for Paddy Murphy
That's how they showed their honour and their pride;
They said it was a sin and shame and they winked at one another
And every drink in the place was full the night Pat Murphy died
Oh the night that Paddy Murphy died, is a night I'll never forget
Some of the boys got loaded drunk and they ain't been sober yet;
As long as a bottle was passed around every man was feelin' gay
O'Leary came with the bagpipes, some music for to play
That's how they showed their respect for Paddy Murphy
That's how they showed their honour and their pride;
They said it was a sin and shame and they winked at one another
And every drink in the place was full the night Pat Murphy died
Johnathan McMackin
It is LITERALLY written in my will that this song open my funeral. Along with a keg of Guinness and pint glasses next to my casket. True story
mybrickhead
God bless
Douglas Shane
Are we invited???
Dwayne Wells
@Douglas Shane Only if you bring Blue Star or Black Horse :)
Richard Pethel
Make sure you also talk about this to family BEFORE you die. Sometimes (due to circumstances) wills are not opened until after the body is interred (just an FYI)
peaderod
Massive respect to the Newfie musicians from a proud Irishman.
Loading
Your welcome across the water anytime b’y
TheMarcoFaust
Russel Crowe was listening to this in his car, and here I am.... Great stuff!
Skeletor Jopko
Where'd you come across that?
AJR 1986
@Skeletor Jopko His character in the movie State of Play jams out to this in his car. Russell Crowe is actually very good friends with Alan Doyle the lead singer of Great Big Sea - they met on the set Robin Hood and have been great friends ever since! They even perform together on occasion.