Dunvegan's Drums
The Stanfields Lyrics
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At the first of the Inverness fair
The liquor starts flowing
And the boys start going to town
With blood in their hair
The townie boys eye up the boys from the glen
They neither got money to spend
They take all the girlies
And scrap around back in the end
Me mother, she told me when we left the island
"Keep your nose and your finger nails clean
Don't ever be shy
Always look in their eye
And always say what you mean"
Well I meant what I said when I called him a coward
Riddled with filth and disease
The silence was golden
As I was left holding my guts
In a pile at my knees
I remember the jackals, they gathered around
Laughing and watching me bleed
They fought in a pack and they beat themselves dumb
Rah-dah-dum-dah
Dunvegan's Drums
I remember the bastards, they ran in the night
When the Mounties showed up at the scene
They're all good for nothing, they're rabble and scum
Rah-dah-dum-dah
Dunvegan's Drums
The Stanfields's song Dunvegan's Drums talks about the fair held in Inverness, Scotland, where the beat of the Dunvegan's Drums sets a wild and uncontrolled atmosphere with many drunken and reckless townie boys eyeing up the boys from the glen. The liquor starts flowing, and the boys start dancing and twirling, with blood in their hair. The singer's mother warned him to keep his nose and fingernails clean, always look in their eye, and always say what he meant. However, the singer gets involved in a fight where he called someone a coward, and the silence was golden as the singer was left holding his guts in a pile at his knees.
The chorus of the song talks about Dunvegan's Drums, which attracts many jackals to laugh and watch the singer bleed. As the drums continue to beat, the bastards ran in the middle of the night when the Mounties showed up, leaving the singer to suffer the consequences of the fight. The song tells a story of the aftermath of a drunken fight and the danger of getting involved in such reckless behavior.
Line by Line Meaning
When Dunvegan's Drums beat in the air
When the rhythmic sound of Dunvegan's Drums can be heard
At the first of the Inverness fair
At the beginning of the Inverness fair
The liquor starts flowing
The alcohol consumption begins
And the boys start going to town
And the young men start to party
With blood in their hair
Referring to the excitement and thrill of the night
The townie boys eye up the boys from the glen
The city boys notice the rural boys from the glen
They neither got money to spend
Neither group of boys have any money to spend on the fair
They take all the girlies
They flirt with and try to take all the girls
Dancing and twirlin'
Dancing and spinning around
And scrap around back in the end
Getting in fights in the end
Me mother, she told me when we left the island
My mother told me when we left our hometown
"Keep your nose and your finger nails clean
Keep yourself clean and respectable
Don't ever be shy
Don't be afraid or timid
Always look in their eye
Always make eye contact with people
And always say what you mean"
And always be honest and truthful
Well I meant what I said when I called him a coward
I spoke truthfully when I called him a coward
Riddled with filth and disease
Suffering from severe health problems
The silence was golden
There was a peaceful silence after my truthful statement
As I was left holding my guts
I was left holding my intestines after being severely injured
In a pile at my knees
They fell to the ground in front of me
I remember the jackals, they gathered around
I recall the selfish and cruel people who gathered around me
Laughing and watching me bleed
They found it amusing to watch me suffer
They fought in a pack and they beat themselves dumb
They fought violently and without reason
Rah-dah-dum-dah
The sound of Dunvegan's Drums
I remember the bastards, they ran in the night
I recall those same cruel people running away at night
When the Mounties showed up at the scene
When the authorities arrived at the location
They're all good for nothing, they're rabble and scum
They are worthless and despicable individuals
Rah-dah-dum-dah
The sound of Dunvegan's Drums
Lyrics © Seegang Musik, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Craig Eugene Harris, Jason MacIsaac, Jonathan Landry, Mark Todd Murphy, William Jason Wright
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@FoxfirePoet
I love this song. It's gritty and timeless.
@halwakka504
No, it was 2012.
@Lowlandelf
Every year I think of this song when I drive through Dunvegan on the way to Terre Noire. Wife grow up in St. Rose, so we always take the Shore Road on the way home.
@Sacrifice-Loyalty
Fantastic Song and good advice from Mom!! Canadian Music!!
@IanMacDonald66278
From tasmanian with love
@IanMacDonald66278
Kill uminati ggg unit
@_terms3198
Peaky blinders?
@jeanbaptiste8628
Nice mice takers song. (Mice takers were Irish that kidnapped children for prostitution, in East End London, for British gambler's societies).