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.
The Drover's Dream
The Irish Rovers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There was not a star illuminate the sky
I was dreaming I suppose, for my eyes were partly closed
When a very strange procession passed me by
First there came a kangaroo with a swag of blankets blue
A dingo ran beside him as his mate
They were travelling mighty fast but they shouted as they passed
We'll have to jog along, it's getting late
The pelican and the crane they came in from off the plain
To amuse the company with a Highland fling
The dear old bandicoot played a tune upon his flute
And the native bears sat round him in the ring
The drongo and the crow sang us songs of long ago
The frilled necked lizard listened with a smile
The emu standing near with his claw up to his ear
Said, Funniest thing I've heard for quite a while
well The frogs from out the swamp where the atmosphere is damp
Came bounding in and sat upon the stones
for They each unrolled their swags and produced from little bags
The violin, the banjo and the bones
The goanna and the snake and the adder wide awake
With an alligator danced The Soldier's Joy
In the spreading silky oak the jackass cracked a joke
And the magpie sang The Wild Colonial Boy
Some brolgas darted out from the tea-tree all about
And performed a set of lancers very well
The parrot green and blue gave the orchestra its cue
To strike up The Old Log Cabin in the Dell
I was dreaming I suppose, for these entertaining shows
But it never crossed my mind I was asleep
Till the boss beneath the cart woke me up with such a start
Yelling, Prithee me, tell me where are all your sheep
The lyrics of The Irish Rovers' song The Drover's Dream tell the story of a drover who falls asleep while tending his sheep and has a vivid dream. In his dream, he sees a procession of Australian animals performing music and dancing. The kangaroo and dingo are the leaders of this parade, and they are followed by animals such as the pelican, crane, bandicoot, drongo, crow, frilled necked lizard, and emu. The frogs are also part of the show, producing musical instruments such as the violin, banjo, and bones from their little bags. The goanna, snake, adder, and alligator all take part in a dance, and the brolgas perform a set of lancers. The parrot gives the cue for the orchestra to strike up The Old Log Cabin in the Dell.
The song creates a vivid picture of the Australian bush and its indigenous creatures, presenting them in a whimsical and entertaining way. The lyrics are full of humor and playfulness, and they paint a picture of animals who are more than just wild creatures, they are performers and entertainers, and their antics are enjoyed by all.
Overall, the main theme of the song is the beauty and wonder of the Australian landscape and its unique fauna. It celebrates the magic of the bush and the importance of letting oneself be transported by the imagination.
Line by Line Meaning
One night when travelling sheep, my companions lay asleep
While travelling with sheep at night, my companions were sleeping.
There was not a star illuminate the sky
The sky was not lit by any stars.
I was dreaming I suppose, for my eyes were partly closed
I was half asleep and dreaming, with my eyes barely open.
When a very strange procession passed me by
A bizarre parade went by, catching my attention.
First there came a kangaroo with a swag of blankets blue
A kangaroo carrying blue blankets in a bundle was the first to pass by.
A dingo ran beside him as his mate
A dingo was running alongside the kangaroo.
They were travelling mighty fast but they shouted as they passed
Despite travelling quickly, they shouted a message as they went by.
The pelican and the crane they came in from off the plain
A pelican and a crane joined the parade from the plain.
To amuse the company with a Highland fling
They performed a Scottish dance to entertain the group.
The dear old bandicoot played a tune upon his flute
The bandicoot played a tune on his flute.
And the native bears sat round him in the ring
The bears gathered around the bandicoot in a circle.
The drongo and the crow sang us songs of long ago
The drongo and crow sang old songs for us.
The frilled necked lizard listened with a smile
The frilled necked lizard smiled as he listened to the music.
The emu standing near with his claw up to his ear
An emu nearby had his claw up to his ear to better hear the songs.
Said, Funniest thing I've heard for quite a while
The emu found the music to be very amusing.
The frogs from out the swamp where the atmosphere is damp
Frogs from the wet swamp joined the parade.
Came bounding in and sat upon the stones
They came hopping in and sat on the stones.
They each unrolled their swags and produced from little bags
Each frog opened a small bag and took out an instrument.
The violin, the banjo and the bones
The frogs played the violin, banjo, and bones.
The goanna and the snake and the adder wide awake
A goanna, snake, and adder all danced together while being awake.
With an alligator danced The Soldier's Joy
An alligator danced to the tune of 'The Soldier's Joy'.
In the spreading silky oak the jackass cracked a joke
A jackass made a joke under a wide oak tree.
And the magpie sang The Wild Colonial Boy
A magpie bird sang 'The Wild Colonial Boy' song.
Some brolgas darted out from the tea-tree all about
Brolgas appeared from the tea-tree and moved about.
And performed a set of lancers very well
They did a good job of performing a set of lancers, a type of dance.
The parrot green and blue gave the orchestra its cue
A green and blue parrot signaled the orchestra to begin playing.
To strike up The Old Log Cabin in the Dell
The orchestra started playing 'The Old Log Cabin in the Dell'.
But it never crossed my mind I was asleep
I never realized I was sleeping during all of this.
Till the boss beneath the cart woke me up with such a start
I only woke up when the boss under the cart scared me.
Yelling, Prithee me, tell me where are all your sheep
The boss demanded to know where my sheep were.
Contributed by Jordan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ian Burt
on Bluenose
You have missed out a verse.