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.
Tim Finnegan's Wake
The Clancy Brothers And Tommy Makem Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A gentle Irishman, mighty odd
He'd a beautiful brogue so rich and sweet
And to rise in the world he carried a hod
You see he'd a sort of the tipp' lin' way
With the love of the liquor, poor Tim was born
And to help him on with his work each day
He'd a drop of the craythur every morn
Chorus:
Whack fol the da, now, dance to your partner
Welt the floor your trotters shake
Wasn't it the truth I tell you
Lots of fun at Finnegan's wake
One mornin' Tim was rather full
His head felt heavy, which made him shake
He fell from the ladder and he broke his skull
And they carried him home his corpse to wake
They rolled him up in a nice clean sheet
And laid him out upon the bed
With a gallon of whiskey at his feet
And a barrel of porter at his head
His friends assembled at the wake
And Mrs. Finnegan called for lunch
First they brought in tay and cake
Then pipes, tobacco and whiskey punch
Biddy O'Brien began to cry
"Such a nice clean corpse did you ever see?
Tim Mavourneen why did you die?"
"Arrah hold your gob" said Paddy McGee
Then Maggie O'Connor took up the job
"O Biddy," says she "you're wrong I'm sure"
Biddy gave her a belt in the gob
And left her sprawling on the floor
Then the war did soon engage
It was woman to woman and man to man
Shillelagh law was all the rage
And a row and a ruction soon began
Then Mickey Maloney raised his head
When a bucket of whiskey flew at him
It missed and falling on the bed
The liquor scattered over Tim
Tim revives, see how he rises
Timothy rising from the bed
Said "Whirl your whiskey around like blazes
Thundering Jesus, do you think I'm dead?"
"Tim Finnegan's Wake" is a traditional Irish folk song that tells the story of a man named Tim Finnegan. The song begins by describing Tim as a good-natured, hardworking Irishman who enjoyed a sip of whiskey each morning to help him with his work. However, one day Tim had a bit too much to drink and fell off a ladder, resulting in his death.
At Tim's wake, his friends and family gathered to mourn his passing and celebrate his life. They drank whiskey and porter and shared stories about Tim's life. As the party went on, tensions rose, and a fight broke out between two women, which quickly turned into a full-blown brawl. During the chaos, a bucket of whiskey was accidentally spilled on Tim's body, which miraculously revived him.
The song is a humorous and lighthearted take on an otherwise somber event, poking fun at Irish wake traditions, excessive drinking, and the tendency for fights to break out at wakes. The lyrics are filled with Irish slang and phrases, making it a challenging song for non-Irish listeners to understand fully.
Line by Line Meaning
Tim Finnegan lived in Walkin Street
Tim Finnegan was a resident of Walkin Street.
A gentle Irishman, mighty odd
Tim Finnegan was a kind Irishman but also quite peculiar.
He'd a beautiful brogue so rich and sweet
Tim Finnegan spoke with a charming and melodious accent.
And to rise in the world he carried a hod
In order to better himself, Tim Finnegan worked as a labourer carrying a hod.
You see he'd a sort of the tipp' lin' way
Tim Finnegan had a particular way of walking that was quite unique.
With the love of the liquor, poor Tim was born
Tim Finnegan had a natural affection for alcohol.
And to help him on with his work each day
Every day, Tim Finnegan would drink a bit of alcohol to give him strength for his work.
He'd a drop of the craythur every morn
Each morning, Tim Finnegan would drink a bit of alcohol, which is also known as the 'craythur.'
Whack fol the da, now, dance to your partner
A lively tune is playing and everyone is encouraged to dance with their partners.
Welt the floor your trotters shake
Everyone is dancing so energetically that the floor is shaking.
Wasn't it the truth I tell you
The events about to be recounted are actually true.
Lots of fun at Finnegan's wake
The wake of Tim Finnegan was a particularly lively event.
One mornin' Tim was rather full
One morning, Tim Finnegan had drank too much alcohol.
His head felt heavy, which made him shake
As a result of drinking too much, Tim Finnegan had a heavy and unsteady head.
He fell from the ladder and he broke his skull
Tim Finnegan fell from a ladder and hit his head, which caused a serious injury.
And they carried him home his corpse to wake
Tim Finnegan's friends brought his lifeless body home for his wake.
They rolled him up in a nice clean sheet
Tim Finnegan's friends wrapped his body in a fresh and clean sheet.
And laid him out upon the bed
They placed Tim Finnegan's body on a bed so that mourners could pay their respects.
With a gallon of whiskey at his feet
Tim Finnegan's friends left a full gallon of whiskey at the foot of his bed.
And a barrel of porter at his head
They also left a barrel of porter at Tim Finnegan's head.
His friends assembled at the wake
Tim Finnegan's friends and acquaintances gathered together to mourn his passing.
And Mrs. Finnegan called for lunch
Tim Finnegan's wife called for food to be served.
First they brought in tay and cake
Initially, they served tea and cake to the assembled mourners.
Then pipes, tobacco and whiskey punch
After the cake, they brought out tobacco pipes and made whiskey punch for everyone.
Biddy O'Brien began to cry
One woman named Biddy O'Brien started to cry.
"Such a nice clean corpse did you ever see?
Biddy O'Brien observed how clean and well-presented Tim Finnegan's body was.
Tim Mavourneen why did you die?"
Then, Biddy O'Brien expressed her grief at Tim Finnegan's passing.
"Arrah hold your gob" said Paddy McGee
Another mourner, Paddy McGee, told Biddy O'Brien to be quiet and stop crying.
Then Maggie O'Connor took up the job
Another woman named Maggie O'Connor decided to carry on the mourning and lament for Tim Finnegan's passing.
"O Biddy," says she "you're wrong I'm sure"
However, Maggie O'Connor disagreed with Biddy O'Brien's statement about Tim Finnegan's clean corpse.
Biddy gave her a belt in the gob
Biddy O'Brien punched Maggie O'Connor in the mouth.
And left her sprawling on the floor
As a result of the punch, Maggie O'Connor fell to the ground.
Then the war did soon engage
As a result of the altercation, the other mourners became angry and began to fight.
It was woman to woman and man to man
The fight involved both men and women fighting each other.
Shillelagh law was all the rage
Shillelagh law, or fighting with wooden sticks, became the main way people were fighting.
And a row and a ruction soon began
The situation descended into chaos as a big fight broke out.
Then Mickey Maloney raised his head
Amidst the chaos, a man named Mickey Maloney stood up.
When a bucket of whiskey flew at him
Another mourner threw a bucket of whiskey at Mickey Maloney.
It missed and falling on the bed
However, the bucket missed and the whiskey spilled on Tim Finnegan's body.
The liquor scattered over Tim
The spilled whiskey covered Tim Finnegan's body.
Tim revives, see how he rises
As a result of the whiskey being spilled on him, Tim Finnegan's body comes back to life.
Timothy rising from the bed
Tim Finnegan rises up from his deathbed, full of life again.
Said "Whirl your whiskey around like blazes
Tim Finnegan exclaims that they should keep drinking whiskey with great energy and enthusiasm.
Thundering Jesus, do you think I'm dead?"
Tim Finnegan asks whether anyone truly believed he was actually dead.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: LIAM CLANCY, PAT CLANCY, TOM CLANCY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind