Lead singer Paul McKenzie leads a high-energy act which does extensive concert tours, including an eight-month, twenty-three-country tour in a van. On these tours they have shared the stage with Shane MacGowan, Rancid, NOFX, Flogging Molly, The Misfits, and even Metallica.
In addition to their original music, the McKenzies also resurrect old Scottish and Irish favorites, giving them a modern arrangement. Their songs have been used in beer commercials and featured in video games
* Paul McKenzie — vocals
* Dirty Kurt Robertson — guitar, vocals
* Matthew MacNasty — bagpipes real name: Matthew James Hawley
* "Little" Joe Raposo (RKL) — bass guitar
* Sean Sellers (Good Riddance) — war drums
* Mark "Bone" Boland — guitar, vocals
* Dave Gregg (D.O.A) - Guitar
* Gwomper ( Avail, Smoke or Fire.) -Bass, Vocals.
* Gord Taylor ( The Stirling Pipe Band ) --Bagpipes.
* Karl Alvarez ( All, The Descendants.) --Bass.
Bastard
The Real McKenzies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Early in the morning into the dead of night
They're closin' down the bars and they're screamin' about, alright
Well, all my friends are bastards, each and every one
And if you want to find 'em, you can find 'em in the pub
There's the MacKannogh Fulkinator hangin' by the loo
For a whisky and a cigarette and a place to spend the night
And doin' all the kinky things he knows that just ain't nice
And when I go, I want to go to whisky heaven
I said I know I've got a really thirsty soul
Hell I dunno maybe we'll all end up in whisky heaven
Yeah just sittin' 'round and drinkin' watchin' rivers of whisky flow
Now, we enjoy the feaky people hangin' about this place
Their Punk Rock hair, the devil may care
And pierced throughout the face
But we're much worse than all of that
If the truth be known
We'll drink te you, you'll drink to us
We'll drink te you and yours
And when I go, I want to go to whiskey heaven
Yeah, I said I know I've got a really thirsty soul
Hell I dunno maybe we'll all end up in whiskey heaven
Yeah just sittin' 'round and drinkin' a lot
And watchin' all the rivers of whiskey flow
Oh yeah, oh no!
The Real McKenzies’s song Bastards is an ode to the joy of drinking and socializing in pubs. The lyrics describe a group of friends who are “bastards”, but loved all the same because they can be found in the pub. The song sets the tone in the first line by mentioning that the drinking and socializing goes on from early in the morning until the dead of night, indicating that they spend a lot of time in the pub. The MacKannogh Fulkinator is mentioned, waiting for someone and hoping for a good night, and the lyrics describe some of the “kinky things” that might happen. Despite their imperfections, the singer loves the “freaky people” they meet in the pub with their “punk rock hair” and “pierced face”. The song concludes by expressing a desire to go to “whiskey heaven” and watch the “rivers of whiskey flow”.
Overall, the lyrics depict a community of people who are united by their love of drinking and socializing, and who accept each other in spite of their flaws. The song celebrates the joy of a sense of belonging and friendship found in the pub.
Line by Line Meaning
And if you want to find 'em, you can find 'em in the pub
If you're looking for my friends, you can find them at the pub anytime of the day, whether it's morning or night.
Early in the morning into the dead of night
You can find my friends at the pub anytime of the day, whether it's morning or night.
They're closin' down the bars and they're screamin' about, alright
As the bars close, my friends become rowdy and start screaming.
Well, all my friends are bastards, each and every one
All of my friends are mischievous and troublesome people.
There's the MacKannogh Fulkinator hangin' by the loo
One of my friends, MacKannogh Fulkinator, is hanging around the toilet waiting for someone.
Waitin' for that special someone, will he go askew?
Will MacKannogh Fulkinator go astray if he meets the right person?
For a whisky and a cigarette and a place to spend the night
He's looking for someone to share a drink, a cigarette, and a place to sleep with.
And doin' all the kinky things he knows that just ain't nice
MacKannogh Fulkinator is known for engaging in questionable and inappropriate behavior.
And when I go, I want to go to whisky heaven
When I die, I want to go to a place where I can find an unlimited supply of whiskey.
I said I know I've got a really thirsty soul
I am aware that I have an insatiable thirst for whiskey.
Hell I dunno maybe we'll all end up in whisky heaven
It's possible that all of us will go to whiskey heaven when we die.
Yeah just sittin' 'round and drinkin' watchin' rivers of whisky flow
In whiskey heaven, we will spend our time drinking and watching torrents of whiskey flowed by.
Now, we enjoy the feaky people hangin' about this place
We like the strange and bizarre people who frequent this establishment.
Their Punk Rock hair, the devil may care
We appreciate their punk rock hairstyles and carefree attitudes.
And pierced throughout the face
They have multiple facial piercings.
But we're much worse than all of that
We are even more troublesome and mischievous than those strange people.
If the truth be known
To tell the truth.
We'll drink te you, you'll drink to us
We will drink with and toast to each other.
We'll drink te you and yours
We will drink to you and your friends and family.
Oh yeah, oh no!
An expression of excitement and possibly confusion.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: NIKKI SIXX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind