In 1968, the predecessor of the Juno’s named The Irish Rovers Canada’s, “Folk Group of the Year”, and the following year, they received a Grammy nomination for “Folk Performance of the Year”.
As hosts of three national television series in Canada and Ireland, through the 1970's and 80s, The Irish Rovers increased the popularity of Irish music by way of the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation).
Canada's Prime Minister, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, personally asked the band if they could “please become Canadian” so that they could officially represent Canada throughout the world. Since then, they have represented Canada at no less than five world Expos, and in recognition for a quarter century of contributions to the International music world, The Irish Rovers won the Performing Rights Organization's (PROCAN) 'Harold Moon Award'.
Although all members of the band hail from Ireland, a number of their biggest hits were often "non-Irish". Their own rousing, traditional Irish compositions, however, do comprise the bulk of their music.
By the 90’s, their songwriting was even more prolific than their early years, and production of albums wasn’t about to slow down. Since they desired the freedom that as a younger band, they could not afford, in ’93 The Irish Rovers established their own record company, Rover Records. Their songs tell the story of the Irish, whether it’s a lost love, a sailor on leave, or the simple good taste of a Guinness. Rover Records has put out their last eleven albums, including Celtic Collection, Come Fill Up Your Glasses, Down by the Lagan Side, Another Round, Still Rovin', a Christmas album, and their greatest hits, 40 Years A-Rovin'.
Founding member George Millar is from Ballymena, original member Wilcil McDowell is from Larne, John Reynolds from Belfast, Sean O'Driscoll from Cork, Ian Millar from Ballymena, and percussionist Fred Graham is also from Belfast.
Former members include founding member Jimmy Ferguson who passed away in 1997 and Joe Millar.
Mama's Got A Squeezebox
The Irish Rovers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When Daddy comes home, he never gets no rest
'Cause she's playin' all night
And the music's all right
Mama's got a squeezebox, Daddy never sleeps at night
Well the kids don't eat and the dog can't sleep
There's no escape from the music in the whole damn street
And the music's all right
Mama's got a squeezebox, Daddy never sleeps at night
She goes in & out & in & out & in & out & in & out
She's playin' all night
And the music's all right
Mama's got a squeezebox, Daddy never sleeps at night
She goes squeeze me, come on and sqeeze me
Come on and squeeze me like you do
I'm so in love with you
Mama's got a squeezebox, Daddy never sleeps at night
Well the kids don't eat and the dog can't sleep
There's no escape from the music in the whole damn street
'Cause she's playin' all night
And the music's all right
Mama's got a squeezebox, Daddy never sleeps at night
She goes in & out & in & out & in & out & in & out
She's playin' all night
And the music's all right
Mama's got a squeezebox, Daddy never sleeps at night
Mama's got a squeezebox, Daddy never sleeps at night
The Irish Rovers' Mama's Got A Squeezebox is a playful and upbeat song about a woman who plays an accordion-like instrument, which is also known as a squeezebox. The song starts off by setting the scene, "Mama's got a squeezebox, she wears on her chest, when Daddy comes home, he never gets no rest." The lyrics convey the idea that the mother plays the squeezebox all night long, causing a continuous noise and musical entertainment. The song's main idea is that the family must deal with the noise caused by the mother's playing of the instrument. The father never sleeps, the kids don't eat, and even the dog can't sleep because of the constant musical entertainment provided by the mother.
The chorus of the song is repetitive, highlighting the mother's love for the squeezebox, "She goes in & out & in & out & in & out & in & out, she's playin' all night, and the music's all right. Mama's got a squeezebox, Daddy never sleeps at night." The mother's love for the squeezebox is also demonstrated when she sings, "squeeze me, come on and squeeze me, come on and squeeze me like you do, I'm so in love with you."
Overall, The Irish Rovers' Mama's Got A Squeezebox is a fun and lively song that highlights the love for music and the difficulties that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Mama's got a squeezebox, she wears on her chest
Mama has an accordion that she holds close to her heart
When Daddy comes home, he never gets no rest
When Daddy returns home, he can never relax
'Cause she's playin' all night
Because Mama is playing her accordion throughout the entire night
And the music's all right
The music is enjoyable and pleasing
Well the kids don't eat and the dog can't sleep
The children are too distracted to eat and even the dog cannot get any rest
There's no escape from the music in the whole damn street
The music can be heard throughout the entire neighborhood with no escape
She goes in & out & in & out & in & out & in & out
She continuously plays her accordion with a consistent rhythm
She goes squeeze me, come on and sqeeze me
She pleads with her lover to play her accordion for her
Come on and squeeze me like you do
She wants her lover to play her accordion with the same affection and attention as they show her
I'm so in love with you
She is deeply in love with her partner and wants them to express their love through playing her accordion
Mama's got a squeezebox, Daddy never sleeps at night
Mama's accordion playing prevents Daddy from getting any sleep at night
Contributed by Henry H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ian Burt
on Bluenose
You have missed out a verse.