The band was formed in Kingston, ON, Canada, in 1990 by Fintan "Finny" McConnell and Barry Williams, as a one-off band for a St. Patrick's Day party.
The Mahones have released ten albums to date (Draggin' The Days, Rise Again, The Hellfire Club Sessions, Here Comes Lucky, Paint The Town Red - The Best Of, Live At The Horseshoe, Take No Prisoners, The Irish Punk Collection, Whiskey Devils - A Tribute To The Mahones and The Black Irish Album), and one very rare cassette (Clear The Way). The Black Irish Album, The Mahones' critically-acclaimed 7th studio album, was released along with a tribute album in 2011, featuring 20 international bands covering Mahones' songs.
The band's cited influences included The Clash, The Pogues, The Who, The Waterboys and Hüsker Dü. The group's lineup has changed a number of times, with McConnell and Williams as the main constant members. Pogues members Terry Woods and Phil Chevron joined the band on tour in 2003.
The Mahones have shared stages and toured around the world with legends such as The Dropkick Murphys, Stiff Little Fingers, Shane MacGowan and The Popes, Billy Bragg, Chuck Ragan, The UK Subs, Sick Of It All, The Defects, Agnositic Front, The Buzzcocks, D.O.A., Against Me, The Tragically Hip, The Damned, Suicidal Tendencies, The Prodigy, Gwar, Skunk Anansie, Tricky, Blue Rodeo, Steve Earle, The Alarm, Sinead O'Connor, The Street Dogs, Roger Miret and The Disasters, Flogging Molly, Spirit Of The West, The Dubliners, Christy Moore, The Band and Van Morrison. More recently, Scuffy Wallace of The Dropkick Murphys joined The Mahones onstage for a few shows as Tin Whistle player in Toronto and Montreal during a recent Dropkick Murphys Canadian tour.
Over the years, The Mahones' music has appeared in several major International Hollywood film releases. Recently, their song "Paint The Town Red 2010" was featured in the climactic final fight scene of the 2 x Academy Award/ 2 x Golden Globe winning Mark Wahlberg/Christian Bale/Amy Adams film "The Fighter" (2010). The Mahones also co-wrote and recorded the title track for the Hollywood Pictures movie "Celtic Pride" (Wally High/The Mahones) featuring Damon Wayans, Daniel Stern, and Dan Akroyd which was composed specifically for the film. The song 100 Bucks was also featured in the movie " Dog Park ", featuring Natasha Henstridge, Luke Wilson, Janeane Garofalo, as well as Bruce McCulloch and Mark McKinney from Kids in the Hall. The Mahones' song 'A Little Bit of Love' is in the new film Ecstasy, based on Irvine Welsh's (Trainspotting) critically acclaimed book.
In 1999, bassist Joe Chithalen died in Amsterdam shortly after a concert. He had accidentally ingested food containing peanuts, to which he was allergic. The Joe Chithalen Memorial Musical Instrument Library, Joe's M.I.L.L., was established in Kingston soon after by Wally High.
Spanish lady
The Mahones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As I came down from Dublin city
empty out and full at night
this is why come the Spanish lady
wash the feet but the candle light.
Fresh you washed them, then she tight them
over the fire of.because I
They call my life whenever see
...
'Cause I ain't been back in Dublin city
at the hour if half past ten
who the baddest of the. light
.the she customed, as I serve the.
...
As I turn to.
that's a .who's just like a Spanish lady
I guess I'm not on the.
Precious army... everybody go on her name
All my life whenever I see,
the place I see.
...
Hey hey hey hey
Hey hey hey hey
Hey hey hey hey
As I'm hangin' down the Dublin city
at the hour of .the night
.Spanish lady.candle light
.over fire ever put
.sweet soul
...
Hey hey hey hey
Hey hey hey hey
Hey hey hey hey
...
The Mahones's "Spanish Lady" is a traditional Irish folk song that has been interpreted in many ways through the years. The song depicts a man who has come down from Dublin city at night, and he meets the Spanish lady, who washes his feet by candlelight. He sings about how she is able to make his life better because of her beauty and warmth. The lyrics of the song are very poetic and full of imagery, creating a romantic, nostalgic and melancholic atmosphere.
In the song, the singer reminiscences about the Spanish lady and describes how she serves him. He missed her and wished he was still with her. However, he also acknowledges his own limitations, recognizing that he has not been back to Dublin city in a while, and he feels like he is no longer a part of the city's life. The song is beautiful and has a strikingly simple melody that captures the essence of Irish folk music. "Spanish Lady" remains relevant and loved by many people from all over the world.
Line by Line Meaning
As I came down from Dublin city
As I descended from Dublin city
empty out and full at night
Completely exhausted and satisfied from the night
this is why come the Spanish lady
This is why the Spanish lady appears
wash the feet but the candle light.
She is washing feet by candlelight
Fresh you washed them, then she tight them
She washed the feet and then bandaged them tightly
over the fire of.because I
Over the fire for a certain reason
They call my life whenever see
Whenever I see them, they remind me of my life
it makes it sweet a better soul.
It makes life sweeter and enriches the soul
...
The rest of the lyrics are unintelligible or incomplete
Cause I ain't been back in Dublin city
Because I haven't returned to Dublin city
at the hour if half past ten
At 10:30pm
who the baddest of the. light
Who has the prettiest light
.the she customed, as I serve the.
She customarily wears this as I serve her
...
The rest of the lyrics are unintelligible or incomplete
As I turn to.
As I turn to face her
that's a .who's just like a Spanish lady
She is like a Spanish lady
I guess I'm not on the.
I don't belong there
Precious army... everybody go on her name
Everyone adores her and calls her name
All my life whenever I see,
Whenever I see her throughout my life
the place I see.
The place where I always see her
...
The rest of the lyrics are unintelligible or incomplete
Hey hey hey hey
Repeated chorus
Hey hey hey hey
Repeated chorus
Hey hey hey hey
Repeated chorus
As I'm hangin' down the Dublin city
As I am hanging out in Dublin city
at the hour of .the night
At night
.Spanish lady.candle light
The Spanish lady by candlelight
.over fire ever put
Over any fire ever lit
.sweet soul
A very kind person
...
The rest of the lyrics are unintelligible or incomplete
Contributed by Hannah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.