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.
Villains
The Saw Doctors Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A victim's asking for the road to Knock
There's a crowd of boys at Sugar's door
Like yesterday, and the day before
At the Pass machine beside the bank
It says "Minks are kinky – draw some tank"
But don't look around if you hear your name
Cos they call it and they look away
The shades are steamed and driving slowly
Wondering which way to go
While the slash hook merchants stand and wait
To pay respects at the graveyard gates
Here, buy a line, support the Stars
Can you tell me who the villains are? (tell me who the villains are?)
Tell me who the villains are? (tell me who the villains are?)
Tell me who the villains are? (tell me who the villains are?)
Can anyone tell me who the villains are?
High times up for grabs
Plastic pouches, grams, tabs
Come up the flat man, skin one up
World class, yeah, tome enough
Well boys, story, truth?
The bittersweet of misspent youth
Will one day fade away
Blacks and whites all turn to grey
Justice waits up the Dublin road
Between the alley and the old-folks home
In innocence personified
The guilty all wear suits and ties
And some are driving fancy cars
Can you tell me who the villains are? (tell me who the villains are?)
Tell me who the villains are? (tell me who the villains are?)
Tell me who the villains are? (tell me who the villains are?)
Can anyone tell me who the villains are?
And Mé féiners at the door
Politics, you know the score
Mawlya mungers, shake my hand
Saying "sorry for your troubles, Sham"
And plámás stalks the last few pound
"Leave it with me now, that's sound"
And liars compare their lies
Frauds play broads with sly-head eyes
There's liars, fairytales and lies
Everyone's been telling lies
Like the band up playing on the stage
Teenage songs in middle age
While the young lads burn their bass guitars
And the big boys lick their credit cards
It's the grace of God that they got this far
Can you tell me who the villains are? (tell me who the villains are?)
Tell me who the villains are? (tell me who the villains are?)
Tell me who the villains are? (tell me who the villains are?)
Can anyone tell me who the villains are?
Copyright: Moran/Carton
The introduction of "Villains" by The Saw Doctors starts with a description of a scene where a statue stares and traffic has been stopped with a victim asking for direction to Knock. There is a crowd of boys at Sugar’s door, and it's like yesterday and the day before. The Pass machine beside the bank flaunts a message “Minks are kinky – draw some tank,” and there is a warning not to look around when they call out one's name because they look away. The song paints a vivid picture of a town plagued by immoral and corrupt practices, sordid activities that seem acceptable to those living there yet they are too blind to see the villains in their environment. The chorus of the song repeatedly asks the question “Can you tell me who the villains are?” a plea to re-evaluate the ethics and values in society.
The song takes a deeper meaning when the second verse describes the effects of crooked justice where the guilty wear suits and ties while justice waits up the Dublin road between alley and the old folk's home. It is also pointing out that it is hard to tell apart the villains from the innocents, and politics only aid in the confusion. There is also mention of the monetary disparity where the big boys lick their credit card while the young lads burn their bass guitars in despair. It’s a call for honesty, transparency, and accountability from leaders, politicians, and societal values.
Line by Line Meaning
Statue stares, traffic stoped
The statue is looking at the traffic which has come to a halt
A victim's asking for the road to Knock
Someone who has been wronged is asking for directions to a religious site
There's a crowd of boys at Sugar's door, like yesterday, and the day before
A group of young men are always hanging around at Sugar's door, day after day
At the Pass machine beside the bank, it says 'Minks are kinky – draw some tank'
At the ATM next to the bank, there is a handwritten message that reads 'Draw cash for a good time'
But don't look around if you hear your name, cos they call it and they look away
If your name is mentioned, don't try to look around because they will look away from you
The shades are steamed and driving slowly, wondering which way to go
The windows of the car are fogged up and the driver is unsure of which direction to take
While the slash hook merchants stand and wait, to pay respects at the graveyard gates
People selling dangerous weapons are waiting to enter the cemetery to pay their respects
Here, buy a line, support the Stars
Purchase a drug and help support the local sports team
Can you tell me who the villains are? (tell me who the villains are?)
Can anyone identify the wrongdoers or perpetrators of crimes?
High times up for grabs, plastic pouches, grams, tabs
There are drugs for sale in small plastic bags, in varying quantities and forms
Come up the flat man, skin one up, world class, yeah, tome enough
Smoke a marijuana cigarette and relax, it's good quality and there's plenty to go around
Well boys, story, truth? The bittersweet of misspent youth
Hey guys, what's the real story? It's a mix of bitter and sweet experiences from our misspent days
Will one day fade away, blacks and whites all turn to grey
All of our experiences will eventually become less clear and more difficult to differentiate
Justice waits up the Dublin road, between the alley and the old-folks home
Justice will be served in Dublin, somewhere between the alley and the retirement home
In innocence personified, the guilty all wear suits and ties
The truly innocent people are the ones who are being punished, while the guilty are disguised behind professional attire
And some are driving fancy cars
Those who are guilty can often be seen driving luxury automobiles
And Mé féiners at the door, politics, you know the score
The hypocrites are present, as usual, trying to win political favor
Mawlya mungers, shake my hand, saying 'sorry for your troubles, Sham'
Religious figures come and offer condolences, saying they are sorry for your problems
And plámás stalks the last few pound, 'leave it with me now, that's sound'
People are trying to sweet-talk you out of your last few coins, saying to trust them to take care of it
And liars compare their lies, frauds play broads with sly-head eyes
Deceitful individuals try to outdo each other with their falsehoods, and those scamming others pretend to be foolish with sly glances
There's liars, fairytales and lies, everyone's been telling lies
People keep telling lies, making up stories and offering false hope
Like the band up playing on the stage, teenage songs in middle age, while the young lads burn their bass guitars
Like the band still playing the same old songs, despite their growing age, the younger generation is already giving up on their dreams
And the big boys lick their credit cards, it's the grace of God that they got this far
Wealthy individuals can get away with anything, and it is only by the grace of a divine power that they have achieved such success
Contributed by Eva 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.