The Dubliners started off in O'Donoghue's pub in Dublin in 1962 under the name of "the Ronnie Drew Folk Group". Then they were four, Ronnie Drew (vocals and guitar), Luke Kelly (vocals and 5-string banjo), Barney McKenna (tenor banjo, mandolin, melodeon and vocals) and Ciarán Bourke (vocals, guitar, tin whistle and harmonica). In 1963, they played at the Edinburgh festival where they met the head of Transatlantic Records, Nathan Joseph, for whom they started recording. In 1964, Luke Kelly left, and Bobby Lynch (vocals and guitar) and John Sheahan (fiddle, tin whistle, mandolin, concertina, guitar and vocals) were added. When Luke Kelly returned and Bobby Lynch left in 1965, we have what is considered as the original Dubliners, five individualists, five men whose talents were mixed together in a superb blend and just wanted to play and have a good craic. If they only knew what was awaiting them!
In 1967 their major breakthrough came as a result of a coincidence. Their song, "Seven Drunken Nights" which was recorded in one take, was snapped up by a pirate radio station which started playing it along with the Beatles, the Mamas & the Papas, the Who, the Kinks and Jimi Hendrix. Suddenly, The Dubliners was a major band, playing all over the world, getting into the charts, and receiving gold discs. Not what you expected from a bunch of hairy people who "looked like they'd just been dragged out of a seedy bar via a hedge(backwards) and dropped on London from a very great height".(Colin Irwin in the reissue of "Live at the Albert Hall")
The seventies started like the sixties ended; wild touring, drinking, playing. They started doing regular tours, and they were still recording, of course. Then, in 1974, Ciarán Bourke collapsed on stage with a brain haemmorrage, which eventually led to his death. He first, though, recovered remarkably , and was back on stage with The Dubliners, but collapsed again. At the same time, Ronnie decided to take a break, and Jim McCann took his and Ciaráns place in the group.
In 1979, Ronnie decided to make a comeback as a member of the group, although he probably never really left it. In the five years, he had recorded two solo albums, and The Dubliners three albums. With Ronnie returning, Jim left, and The Dubs were almost back where they started. Then Luke Kelly became ill, he collapsed on stage with a brain tumour, for which he received surgery several times. He too, made remarkable recoveries, and went on touring with the Dubliners, at the same time continuing his wild and unhealthy lifestyle. Seán Cannon, a long time friend, stepped in for Luke, when he couldn't be on stage. Seáns appearence wasn't that well received by the audiences at the beginning, but he has later turned out to be an important addition to The Dubliners, and their repertoir. In 1984, Luke Kelly died, but The Dubliners, now with Seán Cannon as a member, decided to keep on.
1987 turned out to be one of the best - and busiest - years for the Dubliners. Their long time friend, and guest musician, Eamonn Campbell (29 November 1946 – 18 October 2017), brought the group together with the Pogues on the hit single the Irish Rover. This single took the Dubliners back to the charts, and also gave them a completely new audience; people who weren't even born when The Dubliners started off. And with Dublin celebrating its milennium in 1988, The Dubliners also received more attention than for years. Eamonn Campbell joined them on regular basis, a move which has turned out to be one of the most important in their history. In 1988 Ciarán Bourke died, after years of pain and difficulties. He always was, and still is very much remembered by The Dubliners, just like Luke Kelly is.
The eighties finished off with rumours that The Dubliners were to retire, probably something that's always been following the group. However, they didn't, and celebrated their 30th anniversary in 1992, with a double cd and extensive tour. The nineties have later brought a tour video from the German tour 1995, and the "shock" news that Ronnie Drew was leaving. He left in December 1995, after releasing a superb album, "Dirty Rotten Shame" a few months earlier.
Now, even the most optimistic Dubliners fans thought it was the end, but the remaindours decided to convince Paddy Reilly to join them, and they continued their busy touring and recording schedule. This move has also turned out to be excellent. Paddy, not very well known in Europe, had never been touring there, so he too enjoyed the experience, as well as being part of a band. He still, though, does tours in the USA in the winter and summermonths.
2002, they temporarily reunited with Ronnie Drew and Jim McCann, for their 40th anniversary tour. They made a string of appearances on Irish television throughout this time, including a memorable appearance with Phil Coulter and George Murphy on RTÉ 1.
After the tour, Jim McCann was diagnosed with throat cancer and, though he fully recovered, his voice was severely damaged, and he has not been able to sing since his illness
In 2005, Paddy Reilly moved to the United States, and Patsy Watchorn joined the group. Watchorn made a name for himself with The Dublin City Ramblers; like Kelly, he accompanies his songs on the five-string banjo.
The band toured Europe every year. A planned tour of Denmark two weeks after the death of McKenna on 5 April 2012 went ahead as planned. From the first show in Copenhagen on 18 April onwards he was replaced by the Irish banjo player Gerry O'Connor.
The band celebrated their 50th anniversary with an extensive year-long European tour and the release of a live DVD recorded live at Dublin's Vicar Street.
In the fall of 2012 the band announced their retirement, effective after their 50th anniversary shows at the end of the year. The Dubliners played the final shows at Vicar Street in Dublin on 28/29/30 December 2012 the band were joined by former band member Jim McCann.
The band made their final TV appearence in the UK on the BBC's New Year's Eve edition of Jools Holland Annual Hootenanny' on 31 December. Their last public appearance as the Dubliners was on 27 January 2013 in memory of Barney McKenna. The remaining members Sean Cannon, Eamonn Campbell, Patsy Watchorn and Gerry O'Connor continue to tour Europe in 2013/14.
People probably don't recognize what The Dubliners have meant to the world of music. By the way, not only the world of music, but the world as a whole. They have first of all paved the way for dozens of bands from Ireland and Scotland, like the Chieftains, the Pogues, U2, Ossian, the Fureys and so on. The number of artists that list The Dubliners as one of their major influences and idols, is endless. They have brought folk music to millions of people all over the world, people who never would have been interested at all. That isn't only because of the folk music, the instrumentals alone, it's because of The Dubliners, their astonishing voices, their undescribable instrumentals, the wild life style and drinking, late sessions, their enormous beards, their extensive touring, their charisma and characters. It was, and still is to a certain extent, a blend the world will never see again.
The Dubliners have brought Ireland to the world in a way that no emigration has, they have brought the world to Ireland, and they have brought people all over the world closer together. Whenever it ends, the world will never be the same again.
Black Velvet Band
The Dubliners Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Apprentice to trade I was bound
And the many an hour's sweet happiness
Have I spent in that neat little town
A sad misfortune came over me
Which caused me to stray from the land
Far away from me friends and relations
Her eyes they shown like diamonds
I thought her the queen of the land
And her hair, it hung over her shoulder
Tied up with a black velvet band
I took a stroll down Broadway
Meaning not long for to stay
When who should I meet but this pretty fair maid
Come a-traipsing along the highway
She was both fair and handsome
Her neck, it was just like a swan
And her hair, it hung over her shoulder
Tied up with a black velvet band
Her eyes they shown like diamonds
I thought her the queen of the land
And her hair, it hung over her shoulder
Tied up with a black velvet band
I took a stroll with this pretty fair maid
And a gentleman passing us by
Well, I knew she meant the doing of him
By the look in her roguish black eye
A gold watch she took from his pocket
And placed it right into my hand
And the very first thing that I said, was
Bad 'cess to the black velvet band
Her eyes they shown like diamonds
I thought her the queen of the land
And her hair, it hung over her shoulder
Tied up with a black velvet band
Before the judge and the jury
Next morning, I had to appear
The judge, he says to me
"Young man, you're case it is proven clear
We'll give you seven years penal servitude
To be spent far away from the land
Far away from your friends and relations
Betrayed by the black velvet band"
Her eyes they shown like diamonds
I thought her the queen of the land
And her hair, it hung over her shoulder
Tied up with a black velvet band
So come all you jolly young fellows
A warning take by me
When you are out on the town, me lads
Beware of the pretty Colleens
They'll feed you with strong drink, me lads
'Til you are unable to stand
And the very first thing that you'll know is
You've landed in Van Diemens Land
Her eyes they shown like diamonds
Her neck, it was just like a swan
And her hair, it hung over her shoulder
Tied up with a black velvet band
The Dubliners' song "Black Velvet Band" tells the story of a young man who falls victim to a pretty girl's schemes and ends up serving a seven-year sentence in Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) far away from his home, family, and friends. The song is set in Belfast, where the singer works as an apprentice, and he recalls fondly the happy times he spent in the city. However, his life takes a tragic turn when he meets a beautiful girl whose eyes shine like diamonds and whose hair is tied up with a black velvet band. He takes a stroll with her and encounters a gentleman whom she robs of his gold watch, which she then passes to the singer. The next day, he is arrested and sentenced to serve time in Australia, betrayed by the "black velvet band."
The song warns young fellows to beware of pretty colleens who might ply them with strong drink and lead them into trouble. It also highlights the harsh punishment that 19th-century justice system inflicted on people for relatively minor offenses. The singer's sentence seems disproportionate to his crime and suggests a lack of mercy and compassion on the part of the authorities. Overall, "Black Velvet Band" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of naivete, deception, and excessive drinking.
Line by Line Meaning
In a neat little town they called Belfast
I used to live in a tidy town called Belfast
Apprentice to trade I was bound
I had started an apprenticeship
And the many an hour's sweet happiness
I had enjoyed many happy hours in that place
Have I spent in that neat little town
I had spent a lot of time there
A sad misfortune came over me
Unfortunate events unfolded in my life
Which caused me to stray from the land
These events led me to leave the country
Far away from me friends and relations
I was separated from my loved ones
Betrayed by the black velvet band
I was deceived by the black velvet band
Her eyes they shown like diamonds
The woman's eyes sparkled like diamonds
I thought her the queen of the land
I considered her to be the most beautiful woman
And her hair, it hung over her shoulder
Her hair flowed down her shoulder
Tied up with a black velvet band
Her hair was tied with a black velvet band
I took a stroll down Broadway
I walked down the street called Broadway
Meaning not long for to stay
I didn't intend to stay there for long
When who should I meet but this pretty fair maid
I met a beautiful woman on my way
Come a-traipsing along the highway
She was walking along the road
She was both fair and handsome
The woman was beautiful
Her neck, it was just like a swan
Her neck was slender and graceful
And her hair, it hung over her shoulder
Her hair flowed down her shoulder
Tied up with a black velvet band
Her hair was tied with a black velvet band
I took a stroll with this pretty fair maid
I walked with the beautiful woman
And a gentleman passing us by
A man walked past us
Well, I knew she meant the doing of him
I knew that she planned to rob him
By the look in her roguish black eye
I could tell by the mischievous look in her eyes
A gold watch she took from his pocket
She stole a gold watch from him
And placed it right into my hand
She put the watch in my hand
And the very first thing that I said, was
My immediate reaction was
Bad 'cess to the black velvet band
I cursed the black velvet band for leading me to this situation
Before the judge and the jury
I had to appear in court
Next morning, I had to appear
The next morning, I had to go to court
The judge, he says to me
The judge said to me
"Young man, you're case it is proven clear
"Young man, it's clear that you're guilty
We'll give you seven years penal servitude
You'll be sentenced to seven years imprisonment
To be spent far away from the land
You'll spend those years far away from home
So come all you jolly young fellows
All young men, listen to my warning
A warning take by me
Learn from my experience
When you are out on the town, me lads
When you're out in town, boys
Beware of the pretty Colleens
Be cautious of the beautiful young women
They'll feed you with strong drink, me lads
They'll give you plenty of alcohol, boys
'Til you are unable to stand
Until you're too drunk to stand up straight
And the very first thing that you'll know is
Before you know it
You've landed in Van Diemens Land
You'll end up in Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania, Australia), just like me
Her eyes they shown like diamonds
The woman's eyes sparkled like diamonds
Her neck, it was just like a swan
Her neck was slender and graceful
And her hair, it hung over her shoulder
Her hair flowed down her shoulder
Tied up with a black velvet band
Her hair was tied with a black velvet band
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Barney Mac Kenna, Ciaran Bourke, John Sheehan, Luke Kelly, Ronnie Drew
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@niklar55
FOR those that want to sing along;
Lyrics
In a neat little town they call Belfast
Apprentice to a trade I was bound
And many's an hour's sweet happiness
Have I spent in this neat little town.
A sad misfortune came over me
Which caused me to stray from the land
Far away from my friends and relations
Betrayed by the black velvet band.
Her eyes they shone like diamonds
I thought her the queen of the land
And her hair hung over her shoulders
Tied up with a black velvet band.
I took a stroll down Broadway
Meaning not long for to stay
When who should I meet but this pretty fair maid
Came a traipsing along the highway
She was both fair and handsome
Her neck it was just like a swans'
And her hair is hung over her shoulder
Tied up with a black velvet band.
Her eyes they shone like diamonds
I thought her the queen of the land
And her hair hung over her shoulders
Tied up with a black velvet band.
I took a stroll with this pretty fair maid
And the gentleman passing us by
Well I knew she meant the doing of him
By the look in her roguish black eye
A gold watch she took from his pocket
And placed it right into my hand
And the very first thing I said was
Bad 'cess to the black velvet band.
Her eyes they shone like diamonds
I thought her the queen of the land
And her hair hung over her shoulders
Tied up with a black velvet band.
Before the judge and the jury
Next morning I had to appear
And the judge he said to me 'Young man
Your case is proven clear'
We'll give you seven years penal servitude
To be spent far away from the land
Far away from your friends and companions
Betrayed by the black velvet band.
Her eyes they shone like diamonds
I thought her the queen of the land
And her hair hung over her shoulders
Tied up with a black velvet band.
@NK-iu5tf
I took a trip to Dublin, then North to Belfast and the north coast, was an amazing trip.
The people were very pleasant and friendly in both the Republic and the North, Dublin and Belfast were different and had their own unique charms.
The countryside was shades of green I've never seen with my own eyes before, and I go to see Cerrick Castle and Malahide. What a wonderful experience and I encourage those to take a trip if you can.
I'm from the US of Greek descent, most of my friends are of Irish ancestry so I grew up hearing about their family stories, but didn't expect to be so impressed with Ireland. A complex and fascinating history, very kind but very tough people, great sense of humor, witty.
I'd love to see Cork, or head to Clare and Tipperary counties and see the Rock of Cashel.
Thank you to Ireland for a wonderful trip I won't forget!
@ivanviti404
In a neat little town they call Belfast
Apprentice to a trade I was bound
And many's an hour's sweet happiness
Have I spent in this neat little town.
A sad misfortune came over me
Which caused me to stray from the land
Far away from my friends and relations
Betrayed by the black velvet band.
Her eyes they shone like diamonds
I thought her the queen of the land
And her hair hung over her shoulders
Tied up with a black velvet band.
I took a stroll down Broadway
Meaning not long for to stay
When who should I meet but this pretty fair maid
Came a traipsing along the highway
She was both fair and handsome
Her neck it was just like a swans'
And her hair is hung over her shoulder
Tied up with a black velvet band.
Her eyes they shone like diamonds
I thought her the queen of the land
And her hair hung over her shoulders
Tied up with a black velvet band.
I took a stroll with this pretty fair maid
And the gentleman passing us by
Well I knew she meant the doing of him
By the look in her roguish black eye
A gold watch she took from his pocket
And placed it right into my hand
And the very first thing I said was
Bad 'cess to the black velvet band.
Her eyes they shone like diamonds
I thought her the queen of the land
And her hair hung over her shoulders
Tied up with a black velvet band.
Before the judge and the jury
Next morning I had to appear
And the judge he said to me 'Young man
Your case is proven clear'
We'll give you seven years penal servitude
To be spent far away from the land
Far away from your friends and companions
Betrayed by the black velvet band.
Her eyes they shone like diamonds
I thought her the queen of the land
And her hair hung over her shoulders
Tied up with a black velvet band.
So come all you jolly young fellows
A warning take by me
When you go out on the town, me lads
Beware of the pretty colleens.
They'll treat you to strong drink, my lads,
Till you are unable to stand;
And the very first thing that you'll know is
You're landed in Van Dieman's land.
Her eyes they shone like diamonds,
I thought her the queen of the land,
And her hair it hung over her shoulder
Tied up with a black velvet band.
@NicoScorpio
Mr Kellys voice is so crisp, so articulated with such force, incredible 🤩
@declanwhelan5531
What a great balladeer voice! The one and only Luke Kelly!
@markflanagan521
I cannot get over the charisma of Luke, powerful and needed today more than ever
@davidharkin8554
The irish bard m8..
@deejaykay1975
100%
@darrengriffin9842
Luke could sing the contents of the phonebook. And still be the Greatest
@geraldmanion484
Facts!
@mikeyates7931
Bloody well right , mate 👍 Cheers 🍻
@cathalrooney3564
Just leave out Van Diemen! 😂
@pathat3027
Heya darren Griffiths get ur camera out ballyer 🎶👌🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇