Doonican started performing in his home town and featured in the first ever television broadcast from Waterford. He then joined a band which toured Ireland playing the drums. In 1951 he moved to England to join another group, The Four Ramblers who toured and performed on BBC Radio shows broadcast from factories.
He eventually went solo and had a radio show as well as performing concerts and cabaret. In 1963 he was booked to appear on Sunday Night at the London Palladium. As a result of this performance, he was offered his own show on BBC television, lasting for over twenty years and moving to Saturday as its popularity grew. It featured his relaxed crooner style performance sitting in a rocking chair, as well as a number of comic Irish songs, notably "Paddy McGinty's Goat", "Delaney's Donkey", and "Rafferty's Motor Car", on which he accompanied himself on acoustic guitar. He often wore a cardigan which became a trade mark, and was sometimes compared to American singer Perry Como though Doonican has claimed his main influence was Bing Crosby. As a variety show, there were a number of other acts featured and performers such as Dave Allen had early exposure on the show.
The Palladium performance also kick-started his recording career. Between 1964 and 1973 he was rarely out of the UK Singles Chart, his greatest successes including the singles "Walk Tall", "The Special Years", "What Would I Be", "If The Whole World Stopped Loving", and "Morning"; and the albums 13 Lucky Shades of Val Doonican, and Val Doonican Rocks, But Gently. He also sang the theme song to the film, Ring of Bright Water.
He stopped performing in 2009 and spent a lot of his free time in Spain (where he had a second home).
Doonican's daughter wrote two books entitled Wired to the Moon and Fear of Custard under the name Sarah Kavanagh. Both stories are related to the performance entertainment world.
The Streets Of London
Val Doonican Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the closed-down market
Kicking up the paper
With his worn out shoes?
In his eyes you see no pride
Hands held loosely by his side
Yesterday's paper telling yesterday's news
And say for you that the sun don't shine?
Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London
I'll show you something to make you change your mind
Have you seen the old girl
Who walks the streets of London
Dirt in her hair and her clothes in rags
She's no time for talking
She just keeps right on walking
Carrying her home in two carrier bags
So how can you tell me you're lonely
And say for you that the sun don't shine?
Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London
I'll show you something to make you change your mind
In the all night cafe
At a quarter past eleven
Same old man, sitting there on his own
Looking at the world
Over the rim of his tea-cup
Each tea lasts an hour
Then he wanders home alone
So how can you tell me you're lonely
And say for you that the sun don't shine?
Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London
I'll show you something to make you change your mind
How can you tell me you're lonely
And say for you that the sun don't shine?
Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London
I'll show you something to make you change your mind
Val Doonican's "The Streets of London" is a poignant song about the struggles of the homeless and the underprivileged in a big city like London. The first verses describe an old man in a closed-down market kicking up the paper with his worn-out shoes. He is holding yesterday's newspaper, and you can tell from his hands that he has given up on any pride or hope. The opening verse shows the juxtaposition between the older man's desolate plight and the bustling city he's trapped in, where people are too busy to notice or care.
The chorus is a response to people who claim to be lonely, even though they live in a bustling city like London. Val Doonican takes on the role of a guide who offers to show them the reality of the streets of London. He offers to take them by the hand and show them the struggles of the underprivileged people in London, assuring them that they will open their minds to the plight of others.
The second verse of the song tells the story of a woman with dirt in her hair and clothes in rags, who walks the streets of London. She is carrying her home in two carrier bags and has no time for talking, just like the older man. The verses are simple but powerful, and they bring out the humanity of London's homeless people. The song's message is that while life may be tough, there is always someone who is worse off than you.
Line by Line Meaning
Have you seen the old man
Have you ever noticed the elderly gentleman
In the closed-down market
In the abandoned marketplace
Kicking up the paper
Scattering the old newspapers around
With his worn out shoes?
While he wears his heavily-used footwear
In his eyes you see no pride
From his gaze, you can perceive no dignity
Hands held loosely by his side
His hands are hung casually beside him
Yesterday's paper telling yesterday's news
The papers he swept up were outdated and obsolete
So how can you tell me you're lonely
How can you claim to be alone
And say for you that the sun don't shine?
And believe that the sun never comes out for you
Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London
Allow me to escort you through the city's pathways
I'll show you something to make you change your mind
I will display an experience to alter your outlook
Have you seen the old girl
Have you witnessed the elderly lady
Who walks the streets of London
Who roams the city's roads
Dirt in her hair and her clothes in rags
Her hair is untidy and clothes in tatters
She's no time for talking
She is too busy to converse
She just keeps right on walking
She steadily persists in her journey
Carrying her home in two carrier bags
Using two bags to transport her belongings
In the all night cafe
Inside the café open all night
At a quarter past eleven
At 15 minutes past 11
Same old man, sitting there on his own
The same elderly gentleman, alone and seated
Looking at the world
Observing the world around him
Over the rim of his tea-cup
Above his tea, as seen from his cup's edge
Each tea lasts an hour
He spends an hour on each tea consumed
Then he wanders home alone
Afterward, he departs alone for his abode
How can you tell me you're lonely
How do you insist that you are lonesome
And say for you that the sun don't shine?
And assert that there is no sunshine for you
Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London
Permit me to take your hand and accompany you through London's lanes
I'll show you something to make you change your mind
I will display something remarkable that will transform your perspective
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Ralph McTell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind