The band put out a series of EPs and was signed by Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong's label Hellcat Records. In 1998, the Dropkick Murphys released their first full-length album, Do Or Die. Lead singer Mike McColgan, who left the band later that year, was replaced by The Bruisers lead singer Al Barr. In 1999, they released their followup album, The Gang's All Here. In 2001, they released their third album, Sing Loud, Sing Proud. The album showcased the group’s developing sound and included collaborations with The Pogues' frontman Shane MacGowan and Cock Sparrer's Colin McFaull. It also marked a significant lineup change for the band. Original guitarist Rick Barton was replaced by former The Ducky Boys' guitarists James Lynch and Marc Orrell; instruments were added and played by new members Ryan Foltz and Spicy McHaggis.
The Dropkick Murphys' next album, Blackout, was released in 2003. The new album included the radio hit "Walk Away," as well as the songs "Fields of Athenry" and "The Dirty Glass." The latter features female vocals by Stephanie Dougherty (Deadly Sins). Around the same time, the band released a re-working of the Boston Red Sox anthem "Tessie," which then became the official song of the team's 2004 World Series run. "Tessie" was also used throughout the major motion picture Fever Pitch and was included on the EA Sports MVP Baseball 2005 soundtrack. In 2005, the Dropkick Murphys released Singles Collection Volume 2, featuring covers, B-sides, and other material that didn't make it onto previous albums, and the band contributed a recording of "We Got the Power" to Rock Against Bush, Volume 2.
The Dropkick Murphys' fifth studio album, The Warrior's Code, was released on June 21, 2005. It features the singles "Sunshine Highway," "The Walking Dead," "The Warrior's Code," as well as the bonus track "Tessie." It also includes a song that was inspired by a Woody Guthrie poem, which the group named "I'm Shipping Up to Boston." The song was featured in Martin Scorsese's 2006 film The Departed. Scorsese mentioned the band in an interview after winning his first Oscar.
The Dropkick Murphys released their sixth studio album, The Meanest of Times, on September 18, 2007. It was their first release not on the Hellcat Records label but instead on the label Born & Bred.
In early 2008, Marc Orrell left the band. Thereupon Tim Brennan, who had been playing mandolin, accordion, banjo, tin whistle, and guitar for the band since 2004, replaced Orrell on lead guitar. Tim's previous musical duties were taken over by Jeff DaRosa, former member of The Vigilante and Pinkerton Thugs.
In September of 2022, This Machine Still Kills Fascists was released. It's an acoustic album with unused words and lyrics written by Woody Guthrie, selected and given to the band to use by Guthrie's daughter Nora. It did not feature Al Barr, who was on hiatus for family matters.
The band will release their twelfth album, Okemah Rising, on May 12, 2023. The album was recorded during the same sessions for This Machine Still Kills Facists and like that album will feature songs using the unused lyrics by Woody Guthrie. The album was preceded by the singles "I Know How it Feels" on March 1, 2023, and "Gotta Get to Peekskill" (featuring Violent Femmes) on March 30, 2023.
Studio albums
Do or Die (1998)
The Gang's All Here (1999)
Sing Loud, Sing Proud! (2001)
Blackout (2003)
The Warrior's Code (2005)
The Meanest of Times (2007)
Going Out in Style (2011)
Signed and Sealed in Blood (2013)
11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory (2017)
Turn Up That Dial (2021)
This Machine Still Kills Fascists (2022)
Okemah Rising (2023)
The Auld Triangle
Dropkick Murphys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Came o'er me stealing
And the mice were squealing
In my prison cell
And that auld triangle went jingle-jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal
Oh! To start the morning
"Get up out of bed, you! And Clean out your cell!"
And that auld triangle went jingle-jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal
Oh! the screw was peeping
And the like was sleeping
As he lay weeping
For his girl Sal
And that auld triangle went jingle-jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal
On a fine Spring evening
The like lay dreaming
And the sea-gulls were wheeling
High above the wall
And that auld triangle went jingle-jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal
Oh! the wind was sighing
And the day was dying
As the like lay crying
In his prison cell
And that auld triangle went jingle-bloody-jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal
In the women's prison
There are seventy women
And I wish it was with them
That I did dwell
Then that auld triangle could go jingle-jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal
The Auld Triangle by Dropkick Murphys is a traditional Irish ballad about the feelings of confinement and the struggles of prison life. The song tells the story of a prisoner who is hungry and listening to the squeals of mice in his cell. The jangling of the auld triangle, an instrument used to wake up prisoners, adds to the misery of the morning routine. The lyrics reveal the harshness of the prison system and the dehumanizing effect it takes on the prisoners.
The song also portrays the influence the warden has over the inmates. The warden's shouting emphasizes his power and authority over the prisoners, who are entirely reliant on him for their basic human needs. The use of the auld triangle to wake the prisoners is a symbolic reminder of their captivity and the harsh life they live in prison.
In conclusion, The Auld Triangle is a poignant commentary on the harsh realities of prison life. The lyrics paint a picture of confinement, powerlessness, and despair. The jangling of the triangle and the warden's bellowing highlight the daily struggles of prisoners and their helplessness in the face of an oppressive system.
Line by Line Meaning
A hungry feeling
The singer feels a strong hunger that needs quenching.
Came o'er me stealing
The hunger came over the singer gradually.
And the mice were squealing
The singer hears the annoying sound of mice squealing.
In my prison cell
The artist is imprisoned and confined to a jail cell.
And that auld triangle went jingle-jangle
The sound of the triangle echoes throughout the prison.
All along the banks of the Royal Canal
The prison is located near the Royal Canal.
Oh! To start the morning
The warden orders prisoners to wake up early.
The warden bawling
The warden yells loudly, waking prisoners up.
"Get up out of bed, you! And Clean out your cell!"
The warden orders prisoners to get up and clean their cells.
Oh! the screw was peeping
A prison guard is secretly watching the prisoners.
And the like was sleeping
Other prisoners are sleeping peacefully.
As he lay weeping
A prisoner is crying, possibly because of his circumstances.
For his girl Sal
The prisoner is upset for missing his girlfriend Sal.
On a fine Spring evening
The singer describes a pleasant spring evening.
The like lay dreaming
Prisoners are dreaming and wishing to be free.
And the sea-gulls were wheeling
Seagulls are flying above the prison walls.
High above the wall
The seagulls are flying high above the prison wall.
Oh! the wind was sighing
The singer hears the moaning sound of the wind.
And the day was dying
The sun is setting and the day is coming to an end.
As the like lay crying
The artist hears a prisoner crying.
In his prison cell
The crying prisoner is confined to his jail cell.
And that auld triangle went jingle-bloody-jangle
The triangle sound becomes harsh as the song gets intense.
In the women's prison
Female prisoners are also incarcerated in the same prison.
There are seventy women
There are seventy female prisoners in the jail.
And I wish it was with them
The singer wishes to trade places with the female prisoners.
That I did dwell
The singer wants to live with the female prisoners instead of his current situation.
Then that auld triangle could go jingle-jangle
The singer imagines the triangle sound resonating with the female prisoners.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jeremy Max Finer, James Thirkhill Fearnley, Shane Patrick Lysaght Macgowan, Cait O'Riordan, Andrew David Ranken, Peter Spider Stacey, Dp
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@alexbrito1977
A hungry feeling, came o'er me stealing
And the mice were squealing in my prison cell
To begin the morning, the water boiling
Get up out of bed boy, and clean up your cell
And the auld triangle, went jingle jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal
On a fine spring evening, the lag lay dreaming
And the seagulls were squealing high above the wall
Oh the day was dying and the wind was sighing
As I lay there crying in my prison cell
And the auld triangle, went jingle jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal
Oh the screw was peeping and the lag was sleeping
As he lay there weeping for his poor gal
And the auld triangle, went jingle jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal
In the female prison there are seventy women
And I wish to God it was with them that I did dwell
And the auld triangle, went jingle jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal
And the auld triangle, went jingle jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal
@kacperpietrenko4477
I used to listen to this one when I was like 15, and it suddenly popped up in my mind like a month ago, after 15 years, and now I've been completely enamoured with the tune since a month.
@alexbrito1977
A hungry feeling, came o'er me stealing
And the mice were squealing in my prison cell
To begin the morning, the water boiling
Get up out of bed boy, and clean up your cell
And the auld triangle, went jingle jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal
On a fine spring evening, the lag lay dreaming
And the seagulls were squealing high above the wall
Oh the day was dying and the wind was sighing
As I lay there crying in my prison cell
And the auld triangle, went jingle jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal
Oh the screw was peeping and the lag was sleeping
As he lay there weeping for his poor gal
And the auld triangle, went jingle jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal
In the female prison there are seventy women
And I wish to God it was with them that I did dwell
And the auld triangle, went jingle jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal
And the auld triangle, went jingle jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal
@annem9195
Maverick thanks for the lyrics. Now to annoy the neighbours!
@lorraineb682
That's interesting - instead of the "the water boiling", the original lyrics were "the screws were bawling" as in, the prison guards were yelling
@alexbrito1977
Dropkick é uma das bandas que mais amo!!!!
@jajamicham8126
This is a fucking masterpiece
@Kratosx23
The opening is the greatest 32 seconds in music history.
@StoneageVultures
HOW CAN YOU NOT LIKE THIS!
@aidanbloodline
Anti - Fashie 😂😂
@seesa
It's good, but I still prefer the original song. It's funny how dkm turn it out these covers a totally different song, and they also tend to change some parts of the lyrics or the sequence. Overall, pretty creative!