Dempsey's earliest musical influences were the post-pub singsongs that his parents used to have at their home when he was a toddler. Good, bad or indifferent, everyone had to sing. Today his unique sound reflects the influence of traditional Sean-Nós as well as his musical heroes: Bob Marley and Elvis Presley.
After completing his secondary education,Dempsey went on to the Ballyfermot "Rock School" for 2 years where he studied musical performance as well as the practical side of the music industry. The school had its own small record label and star students were awarded a release on the label. Damien was chosen for that honour and the EP, "The Contender", was released in 1995.
In 1997 "Dublin Town", Dempsey's first commercial single, reached No. 18 in the Irish charts. Ireland's HOT PRESS remarked that it was "..an underground anthem for disaffected youth and closet balladeer alike". A re-recorded version of the song appeared on Dempsey's first album; "They Don't Teach This Shit In School" released in 2000.
His next release, the "Negative Vibes EP", (2002) featured Sinéad O'Connor on the title track and led to an invitation to support Sinéad on her 2002/2003 Irish, UK and European tour.
Dempsey's second album, "Seize the Day", was released May 2003 in Ireland on Clear Records via Sony and entered the charts first week of release at No. 5. It has since achieved double-platinum sales. Released in May 2004 in the UK on IRL, the album was awarded "CD of the Week" in the Sunday Times and received enthusiastic reviews in the National and music press.
Nominated in 4 categories in the 2004 Irish Meteor Awards, Dempsey walked away with two, the only 2004 double winner.
A documentary, "It's All Good: The Damien Dempsey Story" by independent filmmaker Dara McCluskey, that followed Dempsey's career progression up to the release of "Seize the Day", was broadcast on Ireland's national TV station RTE and shown at film festivals in Ireland and New York.
During 2004, Dempsey toured extensively headlining his own shows as well as supporting Bob Dylan during the Irish leg of his European tour and making his debut appearances at The Fleadh and Womad.
Dempsey has earned the passionate support of his peers, one of whom is Morrissey who invited him to support him on various UK and Irish dates as well as his autumn 2004 US tour. Morrissey went on to sign Dempsey to his Attack label, and "Seize the Day" had its U.S. release in October 2004.
His third album, "Shots", simultaneously released in Ireland and the UK in March 2005, entered the Irish album charts at Number 1 and achieved platinum status in December 2005.
In February 2006, Dempsey increased his Meteor Awards by winning in The Best Irish Male category.
Recorded in December 2005 at Dublin's Olympia Theatre and released in June 2006 in both Ireland and the UK, Dempsey's first live album, "Live at The Olympia", entered the Irish album chart at Number 10.
The Rocky Road
Damien Dempsey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
June from our home we started
Left old Eireann's Isle, to Poland we departed
Hope within our hearts
We can win a trophy
We're a part of Trapattoni's army
Get behind the team, hear the Irish scream
C'mon you boys in green, Ireland's bouncing back again
We'll not forget you Jack on the Rocky Road to Poland
One, two, three, four, five
Irish eyes are smiling
Let your voices ring
Trapattoni's army
Everybody sing
You'll never beat the Irish
Make your mother proud, inflate your plastic hammer
Bate your bodhrán loud and learn your Polish grammar
Credit union loan, sold the Opel Corsa
Hired a camper van, picked it up in Warsaw,
Been so close before, hopes slammed in the door
Now we're back for more, we can win the battle
C'mon you boys in green, never have we seen
Such a fearless team on the Rocky Road to Poland
One, two, three, four, five
Irish eyes are smiling
Let your voices ring
Trapattoni's army
Everybody sing
You'll never beat the Irish
You'll never beat the Irish
You'll never beat the Irish
You'll never beat the Irish
Ireland abú
We love
Damien Dempsey's song The Rocky Road to Poland is a lively and upbeat tune that tells the story of Ireland's journey to the 2012 European Championships, which were being held in Poland. The song begins in June, a month of hope and optimism, as Ireland sets out from its home country to compete in the tournament. The lyrics convey a clear sense of national pride and a determination to succeed against all odds, with the Irish football team being likened to an army, marching forward to do battle on the football pitch.
The chorus of the song is particularly catchy, inviting listeners to join in and sing along. It is a call to arms for Irish fans to get behind their team, show their support, and let their voices ring out loud and proud. The lyrics also contain a number of playful references to Irish culture and tradition, such as the use of a bodhrán drum and the suggestion that fans should learn Polish grammar in order to communicate with the locals.
The song is ultimately a celebration of Irish identity and a tribute to the resilience and perseverance of the Irish people. It speaks to the hope and determination that can be found in times of struggle and adversity, and encourages listeners to stand together and remain strong in the face of whatever challenges they may encounter.
Line by Line Meaning
'Twas in the merry month of June from our home we started
In the happy month of June, we began our journey from our homeland
Left old Eireann's Isle, to Poland we departed
We left the island of our old beloved country, Eireann, to make our way towards Poland
Hope within our hearts
We carry hope within our hearts
We can win a trophy
We believe that we have the potential to emerge victorious and win a trophy
We're a part of Trapattoni's army
We are a united part of Trapattoni's army
Get behind the team, hear the Irish scream
Join us in supporting the team and hear the passionate screams of Irish fans
C'mon you boys in green, Ireland's bouncing back again
Our beloved Irish team in green, we have the power and the potential to bounce back and emerge victoriously
We have got our Trap, the cat is in the sack
We have Trapattoni, our skilled and capable leader, and our victory is guaranteed
We'll not forget you Jack on the Rocky Road to Poland
We remember you, Jack, as we continue on the challenging, rocky road towards Poland
One, two, three, four, five Irish eyes are smiling
The spirits of the Irish people are high and optimistic
Let your voices ring Trapattoni's army
Let our united voices ring in support of Trapattoni's army
Everybody sing You'll never beat the Irish
We sing proudly and unitedly, knowing that the Irish team has unbeatable strength
Make your mother proud, inflate your plastic hammer
Let us make our mothers proud by waving our inflated plastic hammers in support of the team
Bate your bodhrán loud and learn your Polish grammar
Play your bodhrán drums loudly and learn the Polish language and culture, to show our appreciation towards our host nation
Credit union loan, sold the Opel Corsa
We secured a credit union loan and sold our Opel Corsa to support our journey to Poland
Hired a camper van, picked it up in Warsaw
We rented a camper van which we collected upon arrival in Warsaw
Been so close before, hopes slammed in the door
We've been so close to victory before but our hopes had been abruptly rejected
Now we're back for more, we can win the battle
Now, we've returned with stronger determination, believing in our capabilities to win the battle
C'mon you boys in green, never have we seen
Irish team, we have faith in you and have never seen such a brave and fearless team
Such a fearless team on the Rocky Road to Poland
As we journey on the rocky road towards Poland, we have immense faith in our fearless team
Ireland abú
Long live Ireland
We love
We have immense love and passion towards our country and the game of football
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DAMIEN DEMPSEY, EAMONN DE BARRA, JOHN MCLOUGHLIN, UNKNOWN PD WRITER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Michael Dineen
A great version. I love the way he says, all the way to "Dubalin". It is great, to hear a man singing in his own accent.
Alannah Gough
love it <3
naughtynurseh
a rare voice.top man.
Derek Cullen Outdoors
Just brilliant.