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 EÃmhÃn 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.
Carry Me Away
The Saw Doctors Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the twilight of the evening
Follow the tail light trail
Like fairy lights in the boreens
On the drumlins of the lake
And fill the air with stories
From early until late
Where I lie in wait
Carry me away
And when the moment feels right
Take me to the shore
With your torches and your flashlights
Be careful in the boats
Turn north at rabbit island
And up past green fields bay
May the night be calm and gentle
And the moonlight light your way
Carry me away
And some where up near inchagoill
In the embers of the night
Switch of all the engines
At the birth of dawns first light
And someone sing a happy song
When everyone's arrived
And scatter me forever
Where I've felt most alive
Carry me away
Where I'll hear the water lapping
Up against the island
See the may flies dapping
Hear the trout a-rising
And see the camp fire burning
And the oul' black kettle boiling
And hear a reel a-singing
Off towards the horizon
Carry me away
Copyright D.Carton/L.Moran.
In "Carry Me Away," The Saw Doctors sing about fulfilling the final wish of their friend, Ray Buckley, who loved fishing in Lough Corrib. The song's lyrics provide a detailed description of how Buckley's friends should scatter his ashes on the lake after he has passed away. The chorus, "Carry me away," is the refrain throughout the song and reflects Buckley's desire to be forever connected to the lake he loved so much.
The song has a distinct Irish folk feel that is characteristic of The Saw Doctors' music. The opening lines of the song, "In the twilight of the evening, follow the tail light trail," set the scene for the journey that Buckley's friends will undertake to scatter his ashes. The lyrics describe the "fairy lights in the boreens" and "drumlins of the lake," which are reflective of the Irish countryside. The line, "fill your empty glasses where I lie in wait," is a nod to Irish drinking culture, and the song's overall tone feels celebratory despite the somber subject matter.
Line by Line Meaning
In the twilight of the evening
At dusk
Follow the tail light trail
Follow the trail of fairy lights
Like fairy lights in the boreens
Treat them like twinkling, magical lights
On the drumlins of the lake
On the small, round hills by the lake
And fill the air with stories
Share stories with others
From early until late
All day and into the night
And fill your empty glasses
Have a drink
Where I lie in wait
Where the artist's ashes are scattered
Carry me away
Take my ashes away
And when the moment feels right
When the time is appropriate
Take me to the shore
Bring my ashes to the lake's edge
With your torches and your flashlights
Using light to guide the way
Be careful in the boats
Be safe while in the boats
Turn north at rabbit island
Go in the direction of Rabbit Island
And up past green fields bay
Go past Green Fields Bay
May the night be calm and gentle
Wishing for a peaceful night
And the moonlight light your way
Using the moon as a guide
And some where up near inchagoill
In the vicinity of Inchagoill
In the embers of the night
Late at night, when the fire is dying down
Switch of all the engines
Turn off all the engines
At the birth of dawns first light
At the beginning of the day
And someone sing a happy song
Sing a joyful song
When everyone's arrived
After everyone has gathered
And scatter me forever
Disperse my ashes permanently
Where I've felt most alive
In the place where I experienced the most life
Where I'll hear the water lapping
In a spot near the water's edge
Up against the island
Next to an island
See the may flies dapping
Watch mayflies skimming the water
Hear the trout a-rising
Hear the fish jumping
And see the camp fire burning
Watch the campfire blaze
And the oul' black kettle boiling
Watch a black kettle boil
And hear a reel a-singing
Hear a happy tune being played
Off towards the horizon
In the distance
Contributed by Carson V. 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.