Formed while the members were working in America, the initial impetus was to record an album of Irish rebel songs (released as "The Rising of the Moon") as one of the first releases in 1956 of new folk label, Tradition Records. Paddy Clancy's harmonica provided the only musical accompaniment for this debut album.
Little thought was given at that point to continuing as a singing group. The four were all were busy establishing careers (in the theatre) for themselves, in addition to their work at Tradition Records. With the album being a local success, requests were often demanded for the brothers and Makem to sing some of their songs at parties and informal pub settings. Slowly, the singing gigs began to outweigh the acting gigs and by 1959, serious thought was given to a new album. Liam had developed some guitar skills, Tommy's hand, which hasd been injured, had healed enough that he was again able to play tin whistle and Uilleann pipes, and the times spent singing together had improved their style. No longer were they the rough, mostly unaccompanied group of actors singing for an album to jump-start a record label; they were becoming a professional singing group.
The Clancy Brothers were an influential Irish folk music singing group. Most popular in the 1960s, they were famed for their woolly Aran jumpers and are widely credited with popularizing Irish traditional music in the United States. The brothers were Patrick "Paddy" Clancy, Tom Clancy, Bobby Clancy and Liam Clancy. Paddy, Tom, Bob, and Liam are best known for their work with Tommy Makem, recording dozens of albums together as The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. They were a primary influence on a young Bob Dylan and on many other emerging artists.
The release of their second album, this one of Irish drinking songs called "Come Fill Your Glass with Us", solidified their new careers as singers. The album was a success, and they made many appearances on the pub circuit in New York, Chicago, and Boston. It was at their first official gig after "Come Fill Your Glass With Us" that the group finally found a name for themselves. The nightclub owner asked for a name to put on the marquee, but they had not decided on one yet. Unable to agree on a name (which included suggestions like "The Beggermen", "The Tinkers", and even "The Chieftains") the owner decided for them, simply billing them as "The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem". The name stuck. They decided to try singing full-time for six months. If their singing was successful, they would continue with it; if not, then they would return to acting. The Clancy brothers and Tommy Makem proved successful as a singing group and in early 1961, they attracted the attention of scouts from The Ed Sullivan Show.
The Clancy Brothers' mother read news of the terrible ice and snow storms in New York City so she sent Aran sweaters for her sons and Tommy Makem to keep them warm. Paddy and Liam Clancy stated they wore the sweaters for the first time in the Blue Angel club. When Marty Erlichman, their manager, saw the sweaters, he was beside himself! "That's it!" he exclaimed. I've been looking for a special costume for the group. It was also the night that Barbra Streisand sang in the Blue Angel for the first time. The sweaters became the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem's trademark. When back in their hometown, the band purchased their Aran jumpers from Babington, on the main street. Babington had a local woman by the name of Betty McGillivray née Duggan knit the jumpers and supply the shop on regular occasions.
On 12 March 1961, the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem performed for 16 minutes in front of a televised audience of 80 million people on The Ed Sullivan Show. As Pearl Bailey did not show that night, the Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem were given her time. The televised performance instantly attracted the attention of John Hammond of Columbia Records. The group was offered a five-year contract with an advance of $100,000, a huge sum in 1961. For their first album with Columbia, they enlisted Pete Seeger as backup banjo player for the live album A Spontaneous Performance Recording It included songs that would soon become classics, such as "Brennan on the Moor," "Jug of Punch," "Reilly's Daughter," "Finnegan's Wake," "Haul Away Joe," "Roddy McCorley," "Portlairge" and "Moonshiner." The album was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1961.
By the end of 1961, they had released two more albums, one final one with Tradition Records, and another with Columbia, Hearty and Hellish: A Live Nightclub Performance, and they were playing Carnegie Hall. Additionally, they were making appearances on major radio and television talk-shows in America.
1962 proved to be an even better year. Ciarán MacMathuna, a popular radio personality in Ireland, was visiting America when he heard of the group. He collected the few albums they had out at the time, brought them back home to Ireland and played them on his radio show. The broadcasts skyrocketed the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem to fame in Ireland, where they were still unknown. In Ireland, songs like "Roddy McCorley," "Kevin Barry" and "Brennan on the Moor" were slow, depressing songs full of melancholy, but the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem had transformed those songs (the disgruntled purists in Ireland said "commercialized") and made them lively. For generations the songs had been a reminder of the troubles in Ireland and therefore they weren't anything anybody sang proudly. The Clancy Brothers changed all that, and the transformed songs reinvigorated Ireland's pride in her music. The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem were brought over for a sold-out tour of Ireland in late 1962. Popularity in England and other parts of Europe soon followed, as well as Australia and Canada. By 1963, appearing on major talk-shows in America, Canada, England, Australia and Ireland, as well as their own TV specials, the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem were "the most famous four Irishmen in the world" as said by Ireland's Late Late Show host, Gay Byrne, in a retrospective interview in 1984. In 1964, one third of all the albums sold in Ireland were Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem records.
The 1960s continued to be a successful decade with the release of approximately two albums per year, all of which sold millions of copies. They continued to peak with television appearances in front of President John F. Kennedy in 1963.
Their popularity is the result of several factors. There was already an American folk revival beginning in the United States, and men such as Ewan MacColl popularizing old songs on the other side of the Atlantic. But it was the Clancys' boisterous performances that set them apart, taking placid classics and giving them a boost of energy and spirit (not that they took this approach with all their songs; they would still sing the true mournful ballads with due reverence).
But by the late 1960s, rock music had taken full swing, and the ballad and folk boom was waning. To keep the band at the top, Teo Macero began producing their records for Columbia. Macero introduced new instrumentation to their music, including Louis Killen coming in to play concertina on backup, particularly on their 1968 album of sea songs, Sing of the Sea. But their last three albums for Columbia Record in 1969 and 1970 are considered by many to be overproduced, with a multitude of string instruments and synthesizers added to the simpler traditional Clancy mix of guitar, banjo, tin whistle and harmonica.
In 1969, the group recorded a song for a two-minute-long TV ad for Gulf Oil: "Bringin' Home the Oil". They adapted a traditional Scottish tune they had recorded, "The Gallant Forty Twa," with new words about large-capacity supertankers. The song and commercial featured the then-largest supertanker in the world, the Universe Ireland, which operated with sister ships Universe Kuwait, Universe Japan and Universe Portugal, all mentioned in the song and which operated from the seaport at Bantry Bay.
1969 marked the amicable departure of Tommy Makem from the group. Giving them a year's notice, Makem left in April 1969 to pursue a solo career armed with such recent compositions as "Four Green Fields", debuted on 1968's Clancy Brothers album, Home Boys Home.
The "other brother", Bobby Clancy, filled Tommy Makem's vacancy and the band became The Clancy Brothers.
The Real Old Mountain Dew
The Clancy Brothers And Tommy Makem Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Beside a hill there is a still,
Where the smoke runs up to the sky;
You ean always tell by the whiff and the smell
That the liquor boys are nigh.
Refrain:
That the liquor boys are nigh,
That the liquor boys are nigh,
That the liquor boys are nigh.
This mountain dew is made from grain,
And mixed with water pure,
And the alcohol that it eontains
Will all your troubles cure.
Refrain:
Will all your troubles cure,
Will all your troubles cure,
And the alcohol that it contains
Will all your troubles eure.
AII learned men who use the pen
Have writ its praises high;
It fills the air with perfume rare
Distilled with wheat and rye.
Refrain:
Distilled with wheat and rye,
Distilled with wheat and rye,
It fills the air with perfume rare
Distilled with wheat and rye.
Away with pills,'twill cure the ills
Of Pagan, Christian and Jew,
Off with your coat and wet your throat
With the real old mountain dew.
Refrain:
With the real old mountain dew,
With the real old mountain dew,
Off with your coat and wet your throat
With the real old mountain dew.
So before we roll won't you have another bowl
Of the good old mountain dew?
Of the good old mountain dew?
Of the good old mountain dew?
Refrain:
Of the good old mountain dew?
Of the good old mountain dew?
So before we roll won't you have another bowl
Of the good old mountain dew?
WE DO
"The Real Old Mountain Dew" is a traditional Irish folk song that describes the process of making and drinking moonshine. The lyrics paint a picture of a hidden still in the mountains, where the air is filled with the aroma of freshly distilled whiskey. The song's melody is infectious, with a catchy refrain that encourages listeners to join in and drink a bowl of moonshine.
The first stanza describes the location of the still and sets the scene for the rest of the song. The use of the word "still" in both senses, as a noun and an adjective, emphasizes the presence of the moonshiners and their product. The refrain repeats the same melody and words four times, which creates a sense of familiarity and encourages participation from the audience.
The second and third stanzas describe the process and the benefits of drinking moonshine. The use of the word "pure" to describe the water used in the distillation process suggests that the resulting whiskey is of high quality. The line "Will all your troubles cure" is an invitation to forget one's problems by drinking whiskey. The fourth stanza refers to the song's popularity among writers and intellectuals who praise its aroma and quality.
Overall, "The Real Old Mountain Dew" is a playful and lively song that celebrates the pleasures of drinking whiskey. Its catchy melody and easy-to-remember lyrics have made it a popular traditional Irish folk song that continues to be sung and enjoyed to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
Beside a hill there is a still,
There's a moonshine still located next to a hill.
Where the smoke runs up to the sky;
The smoke from the still rises high into the air.
You ean always tell by the whiff and the smell
You can always recognize if moonshine is being made by the scent in the air.
That the liquor boys are nigh.
The people making moonshine are nearby.
Will all your troubles cure.
Drinking this moonshine can cure all your problems.
AII learned men who use the pen
Many smart people have written about this moonshine in the past.
Have writ its praises high;
They all spoke of it in a positive light and praised it highly.
It fills the air with perfume rare
The scent produced by the moonshine is a unique and pleasant aroma.
Distilled with wheat and rye.
The moonshine is made from a mix of wheat and rye.
Away with pills,'twill cure the ills
There's no need for medication, just drink this moonshine to cure whatever ails you.
Of Pagan, Christian and Jew,
This moonshine can cure anyone, regardless of their religion.
Off with your coat and wet your throat
Take off your coat and drink up some moonshine.
With the real old mountain dew.
This specific moonshine is known as the 'real old mountain dew.'
So before we roll won't you have another bowl
Before we leave, would you like to drink some more moonshine?
Of the good old mountain dew?
More of this specific type of moonshine.
WE DO
We want more moonshine!
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: J BAIRD, PD TRADITIONAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@RastaBananaJah
Let grasses and waters flow in a free and easy way,
But give me enough of the fine old stuff that's made near Galway Bay,
And policemen all from Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim too,
We'll give them the slip and we take a sip
Of the rare old Mountain Dew
Chorus
At the foot of the hill there's a neat little still,
Where the smoke curls up to the sky,
By the smoke and the smell you can plainly tell
That there's poitin brewin' nearby.
It fills the air with a odor rare,
And betwixt both me and you,
When home you stroll, you can take a bowl,
Or a bucket of the Mountain Dew
Chorus
Now learned men who use the pen,
Have wrote your praises high
The sweet poitin from Ireland green,
Distilled from wheat and rye.
Throw away with your pills, it'll cure all ills,
Of Pagan or Christian or Jew,
Take off your coat and grease your throat
With the rare old Mountain Dew.
Chorus
@Fabzil
We NEED the lyrics in the comment section :)
Edit after 6 month :
Let grasses grow and waters flow
In a free and easy way,
But give me enough of the rare old stuff
That's made near Galway Bay,
Come gangers all from Donegal,
Sligo and Leitrim too,
Oh, we'll give the slip and we'll take a sip
Of the rare old Mountain Dew
Hi the dithery al the dal, dal the dal the dithery al, al the dal, dal dithery al dee x2
There's a neat little still at the foot of the hill,
Where the smoke curls up to the sky,
By a whiff of the smell you can plainly tell
That there's poitin, boys, close by.
For it fills the air with a perfume rare,
And betwixt both me and you,
As home we roll, we can drink a bowl,
Or a bucketful of Mountain Dew
Now learned men as use the pen,
Have writ the praises high
Of the rare poitin from Ireland green,
Distilled from wheat and rye.
Away with yer pills, it'll cure all ills,
Be ye Pagan, Christian or Jew,
So take off your coat and grease your throat
With a bucketful of Mountain Dew.
Y'all lazy bastards :D !
@sydthecool
The Real Old Mountain Dew
Beside a hill there is a still,
Where the smoke runs up to the sky;
You ean always tell by the whiff and the smell
That the liquor boys are nigh.
Refrain:
That the liquor boys are nigh,
That the liquor boys are nigh,
You ean always tell by the whiff and the smell,
That the liquor boys are nigh.
This mountain dew is made from grain,
And mixed with water pure,
And the alcohol that it eontains
Will all your troubles cure.
Refrain:
Will all your troubles cure,
Will all your troubles cure,
And the alcohol that it contains
Will all your troubles eure.
AII learned men who use the pen
Have writ its praises high;
It fills the air with perfume rare
Distilled with wheat and rye.
Refrain:
Distilled with wheat and rye,
Distilled with wheat and rye,
It fills the air with perfume rare
Distilled with wheat and rye.
Away with pills, 'twill cure the ills
Of Pagan, Christian and Jew,
Off with your coat and wet your throat
With the real old mountain dew.
Refrain:
With the real old mountain dew,
With the real old mountain dew,
Off with your coat and wet your throat
With the real old mountain dew.
So before we roll won't you have another bowl
Of the good old mountain dew?
Of the good old mountain dew?
Of the good old mountain dew?
Refrain:
Of the good old mountain dew?
Of the good old mountain dew?
So before we roll won't you have another bowl
Of the good old mountain dew?
WE DO
@CraziNarutoMan
What Irish gamers listen to.
@kylepfleider1899
CraziDude1 I know right
@synthwavecat96
Found the fun hater
@tyler20647brad
Idk why but I found this way too funny 😂
@oisin7695
As an irish gamer myself i can confirm that this information is correct
@cole1866
Indeed
@HarryBalzak
I memorized this album in college. People thought I was insane when I would get hammered and start singing it.
@jamesbrooks8733
Harry Balzak sameeeeeeeeeeee
@jamesbrooks8733
Some people just don’t understand how fun it is to get hammered and sing and this is one of the many I love singing
@shamfella13
That's the right way to do it lad