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.
The rose
The Dubliners Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the Banks of the Roses me love and I sat down
And I took out me fiddle for to play me love a tune
And in the middle of the tune-o she smiled and she said
Ere Johnny, lovely Johnny won't ya leave me
When I was a young one I heard me father say
That he'd rather see me dead and buried in the clay
By the lovely sweet banks of the roses
And then I am no runaway and soon I'll let them know
That I can take a bottle or can leave it alone
And if her daddy doesn't like it he can keep his daughter at home
And young Johnny will go rovin' with some other
And when I get married t'will be in the month of May
When the leaves they are green and the meadows they are gay
And me and me true love we'll sit and sport and play
By the lovely sweet banks of the roses
The Dubliners’ song Banks of the Roses is a folk song that recounts the story of a young man and woman who sit down on the banks of the river, and the man takes out his fiddle to play a tune. The young lady then smiles and asks him to leave her alone. The lyrics of the song narrate how the young man relates his father's words, who would prefer to see him dead than married to a runaway bride. The young man then initiates his own stance, saying how he is not a runaway and can handle his liquor. He goes on to tell the father that if he doesn't like it, he can keep his daughter at home while Johnny goes off roving with someone else. The last stanza of the song brings together the couple's dream of getting married in May among the green leaves and gay meadows along the banks of the roses.
The song has been popular for its timeless romantic story of two young lovers enjoying each other's company in the serene setting of the riverbank. It has been performed by many musicians through the years, and it is one of the tracks in the Dubliners album "At It Again." Interesting facts about the song "Banks of the Roses" include that it is also known as "Johnny Raee" and is traditionally an Irish folk song. Another point is that it has been sung traditionally not just in Ireland but also in different versions in Scotland, Wales, and England. Additionally, among the covers recorded and the renditions made, it has been sung by famous musicians like Anam Cara and the Kilfenora Ceili Band. Another exciting fact is that the tune has been borrowing from several other existing songs, proving that inspiration has no limit.
In terms of the musical notation, the song is played in the Key of C and follows a 3/4 time signature. Below are the possible chords for the song sequence:
Verse:
(C)On the banks of the (F)Roses, my (C)love and I (G)sat down
And (C)I took out my (F)fiddle for to play my (C)love (G)a tune
And (C)in the middle of the (F)tune, oh she (C)smiled and she (G)said
"There's (C)Johnny, lovely Johnny, would you (F)leave me?" (G)
Chorus:
(G)With your (C)hup, two, three, four (G)Hup, two, three, four,
(C)With your hup, two, three, four(G)Hup, two, three (C,f)four.
(C)With your (G)hup, two, three (F)four, (C)fiddle in (G)hand,
(C)For (G)Johnny'll never (C,Am,F,G)leave you. (C)
Line by Line Meaning
Chorus: On the Banks of the Roses me love and I sat down
My love and I sat down on the riverbank of the Roses
And I took out me fiddle for to play me love a tune
I played a tune on my fiddle for my love
And in the middle of the tune-o she smiled and she said
While I was playing, she smiled and spoke up
Ere Johnny, lovely Johnny won't ya leave me
She asked me, Johnny, please leave me alone
When I was a young one I heard me father say
When I was young, I heard my father tell me
That he'd rather see me dead and buried in the clay
He said he'd rather see me dead and buried than to marry a runaway
Sooner than be married to any runaway
My father would rather I die than marry a runaway
By the lovely sweet banks of the roses
Here, by the beautiful banks of the Roses
And then I am no runaway and soon I'll let them know
But I am not a runaway, and I will make it clear to them soon enough
That I can take a bottle or can leave it alone
I can drink alcohol or not, it's up to me
And if her daddy doesn't like it he can keep his daughter at home
If her father doesn't like me drinking, he can keep his daughter at home
And young Johnny will go rovin' with some other
I will find another girl to be with if her father doesn't approve
And when I get married t'will be in the month of May
If and when I do get married, it will be in May
When the leaves they are green and the meadows they are gay
When the leaves are green and the meadows are full of life
And me and me true love we'll sit and sport and play
My true love and I will sit and enjoy the beautiful scenery
By the lovely sweet banks of the roses
Here, by the beautiful banks of the Roses
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BARNEY MCKENNA, CIARAN PADRAIG MAIRE BOURKE, LUKE KELLY, RONALD JOSEPH DREW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind