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.
Will It Ever Stop Raining?
The Saw Doctors Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I got the shorts
I got factor 50
And a t-shirt of course
I've been shopping in penney's
I've walked out to dunne's
I'm all set for the summer
All set for the sun
Oh god will it ever stop raining?
Oh god, will it ever stop raining?
Booked into a hostel
In the town of kilkee
We looked out the window
At the mist on the sea
We hit ballybunion
A nice howd'you do
Chocolate and bingo
And a dose of the flu
Oh god.......
Kiss me I‘m Irish
We got barred from the pub
She stole all my money
I thought it was love
And then the wind blew my ice-cream
onto the sand
I backed an oul' greyhound
He stopped in front of the stand
Oh god........
Copyright D.Carton/L.Moran/P. Doherty/P.Stevens/D.Murray
In the opening lines of The Saw Doctors' song "Will It Ever Stop Raining?", the singer lists out all the things he has done to prepare himself for summer - buying shorts, sunscreen, t-shirts from popular Irish retailers Penney's and Dunne's. However, despite his best efforts, it never seems to stop raining. The song talks about the disappointment that comes with the unreliability of the Irish weather which can ruin even the most perfectly planned summer days.
The lyrics then continue to narrate different experiences the band members had while traveling around Ireland during the summer. They booked a hostel in Kilkee but couldn't enjoy the mist on the sea as it was raining. They then went to Ballybunion where they played "chocolate and bingo" and got "a dose of the flu." The chorus keeps repeating, "Oh god will it ever stop raining?" highlighting the despair that comes with continuous rain.
In the final verse, the singer talks about kissing an Irish girl and getting barred from the pub. The wind blows his ice-cream and an old greyhound stops in front of the stand. All these experiences are layered on top of a general feeling of frustration that arises from the weather's unpredictability. The song's humour and self-deprecating nature make it a relatable account of the frustrations of spending a summer in Ireland.
Line by Line Meaning
I got sunglasses
I have prepared for the summer with sunglasses.
And I got the shorts
I have prepared for the summer with shorts.
I got factor 50
I have prepared for the summer with sunscreen that has an SPF of 50.
And a t-shirt of course
I have prepared for the summer with a t-shirt.
I've been shopping in penney's
I have shopped at Penney's for my summer clothes.
I've walked out to dunne's
I have walked out to Dunne's for my summer shopping.
I'm all set for the summer
I am fully prepared for the summer season.
All set for the sun
I am completely prepared for the sunny weather.
Oh god will it ever stop raining?
Expressing concern about the rain and asking if it will ever stop.
Booked into a hostel
I have booked a place to stay at a hostel.
In the town of kilkee
The town where I have booked a place to stay is Kilkee.
We looked out the window
We peered outside the window.
At the mist on the sea
We saw mist over the sea.
We hit ballybunion
We went to Ballybunion.
A nice howd'you do
We greeted others kindly.
Chocolate and bingo
We had chocolate and played bingo.
And a dose of the flu
We also acquired the flu.
Kiss me I‘m Irish
Phrase used to indicate that the singer is Irish and is seeking a kiss.
We got barred from the pub
We were prohibited from entering the pub.
She stole all my money
Someone took all of my money without my approval.
I thought it was love
I initially believed the person stealing my money was in love with me.
And then the wind blew my ice-cream
The wind took my ice-cream and blew it away.
Onto the sand
The ice-cream landed on the sand.
I backed an oul' greyhound
I placed a bet on an old greyhound.
He stopped in front of the stand
The greyhound eventually stopped near the viewing area.
Oh god will it ever stop raining?
Expressing concern about the rain and asking if it will ever stop.
Contributed by Gianna S. 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.