Flogging Molly has released six major studio albums, Swagger, Drunken Lullabies, Within a Mile of Home, Float, Speed of Darkness, and Life is Good as well as an independent live album entitled Alive Behind the Green Door. Also, they released a CD/DVD combo entitled Whiskey On A Sunday, which included a CD with acoustic tracks of many of the band's songs and a brand new studio track, "Laura". They have toured with the Warped Tour and Larry Kirwan's American Fléadh Festival. They also contributed to the Rock Against Bush project. Also, as of late they have done extensive touring with the self proclaimed Gypsy punk band, Gogol Bordello, which is also signed under SideOneDummy Records.
Their music is heavily influenced by such bands as The Pogues,The Dubliners, Johnny Cash and ranges from boisterous punk rock like the pirate-themed "Salty Dog" and "Seven Deadly Sins," or the defiant "What's Left of the Flag" and "Rebels of the Sacred Heart" to more somber songs like "Far Away Boys", "The Sun Never Shines (On Closed Doors)", or "Death Valley Queen". In the Whiskey On A Sunday DVD King describes the band's music as a '21st century version of The Dubliners.'
The driving forces behind the music tend to be Dave King's gravelly voice and Bridget's manic fiddling. Prior to forming Flogging Molly, Dave King was the vocalist for Fastway, a late 80s-early 90s heavy metal band, featuring guitarist Eddie Clarke of Motörhead.
The band released a DVD and a full-length album entitled "Whiskey on a Sunday" on July 25th 2006.
The DVD "Whiskey on a Sunday" contains a two hour documentary that gives viewers insight into how the band members found each other and also talks about the members' attitude towards life, events that have shaped their lives and their motivation for making music.
The band released "Float" on March 4, 2008. It includes the band's first two chart hits: "Requiem for a Dying Song" (#35 Billboard Modern Rock) and "Float" (#40 on the same chart). During the tour for the album, vocalist Dave King married the band's fiddle player Bridget Regan in Tokyo, Japan.
The Speed of Darkness Songfacts says the band's fifth album, Speed of Darkness was released on May 31, 2011 by the band's own record label, Borstal Beat Records.The set was recorded at Echo Mountain, an old church building turned recording studio in Asheville, North Carolina. It was produced by Ryan Hewitt, who has also worked with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Avett Brothers.
Life Is Good is the name of the sixth studio album by Flogging Molly that was released on 2 June 2017. Their first studio album in 6 years (following 2011's Speed of Darkness), it is also their first album to feature drummer Mike Alonso.
http://www.floggingmolly.com
The Rare Ould Times
Flogging Molly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I got passing tales and glories that once was Dublin Town
The hallowed halls and houses, the haunting children's rhymes
That once was part of Dublin in the rare ould times
Ring a ring a rosey, as the light declines
I remember Dublin City in the rare ould times
Born hard and late in Pimlico, in a house that ceased to be
By trade I was a cooper, lost out to redundancy
Like my house that fell to progress, my trade's a memory
And I courted Peggy Dignam, as pretty as you please
A rogue and child of Mary, from the rebel Liberties
I lost her to a student chap, with skin as black as coal
When he took her off to Birmingham, she took away my soul
Ring a ring a rosey, as the light declines
I remember Dublin City in the rare ould times
The years have made me bitter, the gargle dims me brain
'Cause Dublin keeps on changing, and nothing seems the same
The Pillar and the Met are gone, the Royal long since pulled down
As the grey unyielding concrete, makes a city of my town
Ring a ring a rosey, as the light declines
I remember Dublin City in the rare ould times
Fare thee well sweet Anna Liffey, I can no longer stay
And watch the new glass cages, that spring up along the quay
My mind's too full of memories, too old to hear new chimes
I'm a part of what was Dublin, in the rare ould times
Ring a ring a rosey, as the light declines
I remember Dublin City in the rare ould times
Ring a ring a rosey, as the light declines
I remember Dublin City in the rare ould times
I remember Dublin City in the rare ould times
The Flogging Molly song "The Rare Ould Times" speaks of nostalgia for a Dublin that has now disappeared amidst the "grey unyielding concrete" of modernity. The lyrics are a lament for the once-beautiful city of Dublin, with its "hallowed halls and houses" and "haunting children's rhymes" that have been lost to time. The song calls to mind stories of heroes and glories that were once Dublin Town but are now just memories. The chorus "Ring a ring a rosey, as the light declines, I remember Dublin City in the rare ould times" is a melancholic refrain that emphasizes the sense of loss and sadness for what has been lost.
The verse about Sean Dempsey is a specific reference to a real person from Dublin’s history, a man who was part of the Easter Rising of 1916. The song also touches upon themes of love and loss, with the singer mourning the loss of his love Peggy Dignam, taken away by a man with "skin as black as coal" to Birmingham. The song's narrator speaks of how the years have made him bitter and the alcohol has dulled his mind as Dublin continues to change, with old landmarks like The Pillar and The Met now gone. The final verse ends with a sad farewell to Dublin, with the singer admitting his mind is too full of memories to keep up with the new chimes, and that he is now just part of what once was Dublin in the rare ould times, a city long gone but still fondly remembered.
Line by Line Meaning
Raised on songs and stories, heroes of renown
Growing up in Dublin, I was surrounded by stories of brave and legendary individuals.
I got passing tales and glories that once was Dublin Town
I inherited a legacy of stories and triumphs that took place in Dublin's past.
The hallowed halls and houses, the haunting children's rhymes
Places of great importance and cherished memories from my childhood, alongside the songs and rhymes I learned as a kid.
That once was part of Dublin in the rare ould times
All of these things used to be common in Dublin, but they have since become a distant memory.
Well we name it is Sean Dempsey, as Dublin as can be
I'm a true Dubliner, born and raised in the heart of the city.
Born hard and late in Pimlico, in a house that ceased to be
I was born in a rough part of Dublin that has changed greatly since my childhood, when my childhood home was still standing.
By trade I was a cooper, lost out to redundancy
I used to work as a cooper, making barrels, but I lost my job due to changing times and industrial progress.
Like my house that fell to progress, my trade's a memory
My profession, like many other things in Dublin, has been lost to progress and the changing times.
And I courted Peggy Dignam, as pretty as you please
I was once in love with Peggy Dignam, who was a beautiful woman from the Liberties neighborhood.
A rogue and child of Mary, from the rebel Liberties
Peggy came from a family of rebels and was a bit of a troublemaker herself, but still deeply faithful.
I lost her to a student chap, with skin as black as coal
Peggy left me for a black student who came to Dublin to study, and whom she fell in love with.
When he took her off to Birmingham, she took away my soul
When they left Dublin and went to Birmingham in England, it was like she took a piece of me with her, and I was never the same again.
The years have made me bitter, the gargle dims me brain
Years of hard living and drinking have taken a toll on me, and I've become jaded and resentful.
'Cause Dublin keeps on changing, and nothing seems the same
Dublin is always changing, and it feels like everything that made the city special to me is slowly disappearing.
The Pillar and the Met are gone, the Royal long since pulled down
Iconic landmarks in Dublin, like the Nelson Pillar and the Royal Theatre, have been demolished and are now just memories.
As the grey unyielding concrete, makes a city of my town
Dublin is losing its charm and character as it becomes more and more modern, with dull and uninspiring concrete buildings taking the place of beloved landmarks.
Fare thee well sweet Anna Liffey, I can no longer stay
I can't stay in Dublin any longer because it has changed too much, and it's not the city I remember.
And watch the new glass cages, that spring up along the quay
All of the new and shiny buildings along the Liffey river remind me how Dublin has lost its soul and character.
My mind's too full of memories, too old to hear new chimes
I have too many fond memories of Dublin, and I'm too set in my ways to appreciate the new things that the city has to offer.
I'm a part of what was Dublin, in the rare ould times
Although things have changed, I still carry with me the memories and traditions of the old Dublin.
Ring a ring a rosey, as the light declines
This phrase is repeated throughout the song, suggesting that as the sun sets on Dublin, so too must the end of an era come to an end.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Pete St-John
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rudeboy 13
Raised on songs and stories, heroes of renown
I got passing tales and glories that once was Dublin Town
The hallowed halls and houses, the haunting children's rhymes
That once was part of Dublin in the rare ould times
Ring a ring a rosey, as the light declines
I remember Dublin City in the rare ould times
Well we name it is Sean Dempsey, as Dublin as can be
Born hard and late in Pimlico, in a house that ceased to be
By trade I was a cooper, lost out to redundancy
Like my house that fell to progress, my trade's a memory
And I courted Peggy Dignam, as pretty as you please
A rogue and child of Mary, from the rebel Liberties
I lost her to a student chap, with skin as black as coal
When he took her off to Birmingham, she took away my soul
Ring a ring a rosey, as the light declines
I remember Dublin City in the rare ould times
The years have made me bitter, the gargle dims me brain
'Cause Dublin keeps on changing, and nothing seems the same
The Pillar and the Met are gone, the Royal long since pulled down
As the grey unyielding concrete, makes a city of my town
Ring a ring a rosey, as the light declines
I remember Dublin City in the rare ould times
Fare thee well sweet Anna Liffey, I can no longer stay
And watch the new glass cages, that spring up along the quay
My mind's too full of memories, too old to hear new chimes
I'm a part of what was Dublin, in the rare ould times
Ring a ring a rosey, as the light declines
I remember Dublin City in the rare ould times
Ring a ring a rosey, as the light declines
I remember Dublin City in the rare ould times
I remember Dublin City in the rare ould times
4exgold
love how the guys blend the old traditional start into their own unique style later on. Superb 🍀🍀🍀
Rudeboy 13
Raised on songs and stories, heroes of renown
I got passing tales and glories that once was Dublin Town
The hallowed halls and houses, the haunting children's rhymes
That once was part of Dublin in the rare ould times
Ring a ring a rosey, as the light declines
I remember Dublin City in the rare ould times
Well we name it is Sean Dempsey, as Dublin as can be
Born hard and late in Pimlico, in a house that ceased to be
By trade I was a cooper, lost out to redundancy
Like my house that fell to progress, my trade's a memory
And I courted Peggy Dignam, as pretty as you please
A rogue and child of Mary, from the rebel Liberties
I lost her to a student chap, with skin as black as coal
When he took her off to Birmingham, she took away my soul
Ring a ring a rosey, as the light declines
I remember Dublin City in the rare ould times
The years have made me bitter, the gargle dims me brain
'Cause Dublin keeps on changing, and nothing seems the same
The Pillar and the Met are gone, the Royal long since pulled down
As the grey unyielding concrete, makes a city of my town
Ring a ring a rosey, as the light declines
I remember Dublin City in the rare ould times
Fare thee well sweet Anna Liffey, I can no longer stay
And watch the new glass cages, that spring up along the quay
My mind's too full of memories, too old to hear new chimes
I'm a part of what was Dublin, in the rare ould times
Ring a ring a rosey, as the light declines
I remember Dublin City in the rare ould times
Ring a ring a rosey, as the light declines
I remember Dublin City in the rare ould times
I remember Dublin City in the rare ould times
Jason S
I was the 7th like. I tell you that this song is like jesus crying over Jerusalem
Lu Ki
Thx
Thomas Collette
I challenge anyone to name a band that can channel joy and pain and whimsy and rage like Flogging Molly.
Trains and Music
I just got into this and I like it a lot . not one bit do I dislike it.
Lancaster Responding
Roller coaster Dude I suggest you listen to the entire Drunken Lullabies album and especially the Swagger album
Pat Malloy
The Drunken lullabies album is a solid album. Not a bad song on it
Jason S
I cry because of my dear irish friend that i would drink jack daniels with coca cola with. We would listen to irish drinking songs. We had love, we knew God
Victor Almeida
I demand Flogging Molly's version of Rocky Road to Dublin