The Auld Triangle
Dropkick Murphys Lyrics


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A hungry feeling
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
The warden bawling

"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

Overall Meaning

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
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@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



All comments from YouTube:

@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!

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