Formed by Leo Moran and Davy Carton, members have included singer, guitarist, and mandolin player John "Turps" Burke; bass player Pearse Doherty; keyboard and accordion player Tony Lambert; keyboard player and guitarist Derek Murray; and drummers Padraig Stevens, John Donnelly, Jimi Higgins, and Fran Breen. The current line-up is Leo Moran (vocals, guitar), Davy Carton (vocals, guitar), Kevin Duffy (keyboards), Anthony Thistlethwaite (bass guitar, saxphone), and Eímhín Craddock (drums).
There is a special place in rock 'n' roll mythology reserved for that rare phenomenon, the people's band. The Grateful Dead, The Faces, Status Quo and Bruce Springsteen during his years as leader of the E Street Band are examples which define the breed: performers who have established a special relationship with their audience irrespective of marketing budgets and media approval, and for whom the dictates of fashion are broadly meaningless. The Saw Doctors are the latest in this strangely noble line" - The Times
"One of the Great Live Bands"
Chris Evans, BBC Radio 2
"The Saw Doctors are the very definition of the people's band." - Q Magazine
"The band's formula can best be described as one part Creedence, one part Hootie, and one part Irish Historical Society" - Rolling Stone Magazine
"One of the world's most appealing roots rock outfits." - Washington Post
During 2010 the band played a number of music festival appearances, including playing at the 40th anniversary of the Glastonbury Festival. September 2010 saw the release of their seventh album, The Further Adventures of... The Saw Doctors.
In 2013 the band decided to quit touring .Three members (Moran, Thistlethwaite and O'Neill) have formed a band with fellow Galway musicians called The Cabin Collective. It is currently unknown whether the Saw Doctors will be returning from their break.
Blah Blah Blah
The Saw Doctors Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The citys all stuffy but I like fast food
Waiting on buses, going down the tubes
You get used to the noise, the fumes from
The cars
I don't know the last time that
I looked at the stars
Blah blah blah
Looking for income, looking for hope
Most times you're treated like a bit of a joke
There's nothing so bad that couldn't be worse
They say one man's blessing's
Another man's curse
Blah, blah, blah
Going to the market
Going to the pub
You go to your boss and you
Ask for a sub
We cycled all over, seen all the sight
But I like nothing better than the hot city nights
Blah blah blah
Trying it make contact but there's
No-one at home
They're all out to lunch and they've switched
Off their phones
Searching and searching, what do
You get
Total frustration, surfing the net
Blah balh blah
Concrete drives you crazy
My mind is getting lazy
Give me your answer daily
Give mE your answer do
Things are getting hAzy
You know it isn't aisy
I'll be over maisie
Cock a doodle do
Blah blah blah blah blah
Blah blah blah blah blah blah
Copyright D.Carton/L.Moran/P.Doherty/P.Stevens
In these lyrics, The Saw Doctors explore the contrast between urban and rural life, with the singer expressing mixed feelings about city living. While enjoying the convenience of fast food and the excitement of hot city nights, they lament the lack of fresh air, the noisy and claustrophobic urban environment, and the sense of disconnection and loneliness in a crowded city where everyone is too busy to connect. The repetition of "blah blah blah" could be interpreted as a metaphor for the meaningless chatter and noise of city life, which muffles the more meaningful human connections and experiences that the singer is craving.
The lyrics suggest that the search for income and hope in the city can be a frustrating and unfulfilling experience, where people are treated like a joke and there's always someone worse off than you. The line "one man's blessing's another man's curse" reflects a sense of relativism and a recognition of the diverse experiences and values of different people in the city. The singer tries to make contact with others, but finds that they're all out to lunch or switched off, highlighting the difficulty of finding meaningful connections in a busy and fragmented city.
Overall, the song paints a complex picture of urban life, acknowledging both its appeal and its challenges, and suggesting that the singer is still searching for a sense of belonging and meaning in this environment.
Line by Line Meaning
The citys all stuffy but I like fast food
Although the city can feel closed in and suffocating, I enjoy the convenience of fast food restaurants.
Waiting on buses, going down the tubes
Spending time waiting for buses and stuck in traffic is tedious and frustrating.
You get used to the noise, the fumes from
The cars
Living in the city desensitizes you to the noise pollution and exhaust fumes from the constant traffic.
I don't know the last time that
I looked at the stars
Amidst the city lights, I can't remember the last time I looked up at the sky and admired the stars.
Looking for income, looking for hope
Most times you're treated like a bit of a joke
In the city, it's a constant struggle to make a living and things don't always go as planned, leaving you feeling disrespected.
There's nothing so bad that couldn't be worse
They say one man's blessing's
Another man's curse
People often say 'it could be worse' and a situation that is considered good for one person might not be ideal for another.
Going to the market
Going to the pub
You go to your boss and you
Ask for a sub
In the city, people frequent markets and pubs while also having to ask their bosses for extra money.
We cycled all over, seen all the sight
But I like nothing better than the hot city nights
Despite exploring the city's sites and taking in the sights while cycling, there is nothing more enjoyable for me than experiencing lively city nights.
Trying it make contact but there's
No-one at home
They're all out to lunch and they've switched
Off their phones
Despite trying to make contact with others, everyone seems to be unavailable or unresponsive because they're either out to lunch or have their phones turned off.
Searching and searching, what do
You get
Total frustration, surfing the net
The act of constantly searching for something can lead to feelings of disappointment and frustration, resorting to browsing the internet.
Concrete drives you crazy
My mind is getting lazy
Give me your answer daily
Give mE your answer do
Things are getting hAzy
You know it isn't aisy
I'll be over maisie
Cock a doodle do
The presence of concrete everywhere is maddening, making my mind slow and dull. I need a response from someone, preferably on a daily basis to alleviate the stress. Things are getting unclear and life isn't easy. I'll be there soon! (Note: this particular set of lines seems to be nonsensical and unrelated to the rest of the song.)
Blah blah blah blah blah
All these words can feel like meaningless chatter and excessive detail.
Blah blah blah blah blah blah
There's just too much going on sometimes and it can be hard to keep up.
Contributed by Allison M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jim
on Howya Julia
This song is about a famous interview done by venerable talk show host Gay (Gay-bo) Byrne on he weekly talk show "The Late Late Show". The Late Late was broadcast live on one of Ireland's two TV channels and was a major cultural touchstone for Irish people. When the narrator in the song asks "Did you hear about yer one" it demonstrates how reasonable it would be to assume any random "Julia" in Ireland would have seen the interview.
The interview is of the lover of a famous Irish bishop named Eamon Casey. Widely regarded as an incredible man. Casey was known for a series of well thought out initiatives that helped the most vulnerable Irish people in the world.
When he "slipped and broke his fast" they're referring to how he fell in love with a woman and fathered a child with her whom he provided for. The chorus is a ribald distillation of all the jokes going around Ireland about the bishop having sex.
"Oh the blind and faithful followers are worried and distraught
And the only thing that's botherin' them is that the poor man he got caught"
refers to the fact that the people of Ireland could care less about him having sex with a woman. They're just sad that because he got caught that he was exiled to Brazil and he wouldn't be around to do his good works in Ireland any more.
The song finishes by bringing you back to the start and reminding you this is a conversation about the interview on The Late Late Show. The repetition of How ya Julia is to show that this conversation was repeated around Ireland by everyone and how it was the main topic of conversation for some time.