Lyr Add: Delirium Tremens (Christy Moore)

Subject: Lyr Add: DELIRIUM TREMENS (Christy Moore)
From: Ezio
Date: 14 Nov 98 - 03:32 AM

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DELIRIUM TREMENS

(Christy Moore)

I dreamt a dream the other night I couldn't sleep a wink
The rats were tryin' to count the sheep and I was off the drink
There were footsteps in the parlour and voices on the stairs
I was climbin' up the walls and movin' round the chairs.
I looked out from under the blanket up at the fireplace.
The Pope and John F. Kennedy were starin' in me face.*
Suddently it dawned at me I was getting the old D.T.s
when the Child o' Prague began to dance around the mantlepiece.

Chorus

Goodbye to the Port and Brandy, to the Vodka and the Stag,
To the Schmiddick and the Harpic, the bottled draught and keg.
As I sat lookin' up the Guinness ad I could never figure out
How your man stayed up on the surfboard after 14 pints of stout.

Well I swore upon the bible I'd never touch a drop.
My heart was palpitatin' I was sure I 'twas going to stop,
Thinkin' I was dyin' I gave my soul to God to keep.
A tenner to St. Anthony to help me get some sleep.
I fell into an awful nightmare - got a dreadful shock.
When I dreamt there was no Duty-free at the airport down in Knock.
George Seawright was sayin' the rosary and SPUC were on the pill. **
Frank Patterson was gargled and he singin' Spancil Hill.

Chorus

I dreamt that Mr. Haughey had recaptured Crossmaglen
Then Garret got re-elected and gave it back again.
Dick Spring and Roger Casement were on board the Marita-Ann
As she sailed into Fenit they were singin' Banna Strand.
I dreamt Archbishop McNamara was on Spike Island for 3 nights
Havin' been arrested for supportin' Traveller's rights.
I dreamt that Ruairi Quinn was smokin' marijuana in the Dail
Barry Desmond handin' Frenchies out to scuts in Fianna Fail.

Chorus

I dreamt of Nell McCafferty and Mary Kenny too
The things that we got up to, but I'm not tellin' you.
I dreamt I was in a jacuzzi along with Alice Glenn
'twas then I knew I'd never ever, ever drink again.

Chorus

Sung by Christie Moore (Album: Ordinary Man)

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submitted by: EB

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More lyrics with RealAudio clips here:
http://geocities.com/Nashville/Opry/7424

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Subject: RE: Lyr add: Delirium Tremens (with RealAudio)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Nov 98 - 03:09 AM

So, who's Alice Glenn???
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr add: Delirium Tremens (with RealAudio)
From: Paddy
Date: 15 Nov 98 - 03:33 PM

Joe
Delighted to help you out as you helped me recently

Alice Glenn was a Fine Gael* TD** whose reason for inclusion in this song was her opposition to selling contraceptives to the Irish people, except on prescription.
Was it she who said that contraceptives should be put on the long finger?

As far as I know she is still alive but not contributing to pubic life.

*Fine Gael (Fin-a Gael) - A right wing political party conceived without artificial intervention) from one side of the Irish Civil war (circa 1922).
**TD - The Irish equivalent of a British MP (Member of Parliament)

See also the reference to "Frenchies... to scuts in Fianna Fail".

The song is a social comment on issues peculiar to Irish society at the time the song was written.

Paddy

Subject: Lyr Add: DELIRIUM TREMENS (Christy Moore)
From:
Date: 26 Nov 98 - 03:11 AM

Here's a later version Christy sang on 'Live at the Point'. Quite interesting to compare the two. He seems to have found some new targets ... Why did he change the whole third verse? And who is Frank Patterson, anyway? - Susanne

Refrain
(is the same, though one of the drinks is spelt 'Smithwick' - a beer? I don't know what 'Stag' and 'Harpic' are, either.)

I dreamt a dream the other night, Jesus, I couldn't sleep a wink
The rats were tryin' to count the sheep and I was tryin' to get off the drink
There was footsteps in the parlour and voices on the stairs
And I was climbin' up the walls and I was movin' round the chairs
I looked out from under the blanket and up at the fireplace
There was the Pope and John F. Kennedy and Jack Charlton
And the three of them were starin' me in the face
And suddenly it dawned on me - by God, I'm gettin' the D.T.s
When the child of Prague began to dance
Around the mantlepiece

Well I swore upon the bible that I'd never again touch a drop
I tell you, my heart was palpitatin', I was sure it was goin' to stop
And thinking I was dying I gave my soul to God to keep
And ten pounds to St. Anthony to help me find some sleep
I fell into an awful nightmare, got a dreadful shock
When I dreamt there was no duty-free in the airport down in Knock
I dreamt Ian Paisley was sayin' the rosary
And Mother Teresa was takin' the pill
And Frank Patterson was out of his head
And by God, he was singing Spancil Hill

I dreamt I was in ecstasy in heaven, and in agony in hell
I was bored in limbo and then I was in purgatory as well
And there was original sins and venial sins and mortal sins by the score
So I tied barbed wire round my underpants and I flagellated myself on the floor
Then I dreamt I was in the confessional box and the auld bishop said to me
Any impure thoughts, my child? The fuckin' barbed wire was killing me
And then I dreamt I was in the jacuzzi
With that auld whore in no. 10
And then I knew I'd never ever
Ever drink again

One last question: Who is the Child of Prague?

Subject: RE: Lyr add: Delirium Tremens (with RealAudio)
From: Paddy
Date: 26 Nov 98 - 04:29 PM

Skw@,

Most homes in Ireland had some or all of the following items of decoration during the sixties:

Portrait photo of JFK (along with Jackie, usually)
Portrait photo of the pope

Picture of the Sacred Heart usually with a small red lamp lighting in front of it

Statue of the Child of Prague (a religious icon)
A collection box for St Anthony, who could be guaranted to find missing objects. The amount of money promised increased with the value of the missing object and the length of time it was missing.
This puts a context on some of the references in this song.

Frank Patterson is a serious Irish tenor who would not normally be associated with any version of Spancil Hill.

Harpic is a trade name for a toilet cleaner (!). Surely the last refuge of the drinker . . .

I see Alice Glenn has been replaced by Maggie Thatcher in this version.

I feel like a Latin scholar explaining the classical references in a John Donne poem...

Paddy

Subject: RE: Lyr add: Delirium Tremens (with RealAudio)
From:
Date: 27 Nov 98 - 02:52 AM

Thanks a lot, Paddy! What's wrong with explaining a Christy Moore poem? It's certainly helped me. - Susanne

Subject: RE: Lyr add: Delirium Tremens (with RealAudio)
From: Benjamin Bodhra/nai/
Date: 27 Nov 98 - 08:35 AM

During Christy's visit to Australia last year, he changed the Child of Prague reference to Michael Flatley. We also in the spirit of political upto dated-ness(?) rewrote his last verse from an Australian point of view (please forgive us!!!!)

I dreamt of Timmy Fisher, and Johnny Howard too, and the things that we got up to, but I'm not gonna tell you. Then I dreamt I was in a jacuzzi with that Hanson woman again, and then I knew I'd never ever ever drink again.

Tim Fisher is the leader of the National Party, very conservative. He is Deputy Prime Minister in the Conservative Coalition currently in power. John Howard is the leader of the Liberal Party, the other part of the conservative Coalition. He is also PM.

Hanson is Pauline Hanson, leader of the One Nation Party, ultra conservatives, who came to prominecne during the recent federal elections and did not fare very well, but who have managed to create a massive amount of publicity around the concepts of racism, single mothers, jobs etc.

Back to the original words, Schmiddick is a beer in Ireland, and I have always thought that the Harpic refers to Harp Lager, for reasons of rhyming and taste. Smithwick could either be a mistranscription or I have a nagging feeling it's an English beer. Stag is yet another beer.

BB

Subject: RE: Lyr add: Delirium Tremens (with RealAudio)
From: Brian Hoskin
Date: 27 Nov 98 - 10:47 AM

Smithwick is an Irish beer, It is a bitter, which I believe is brewed by either Guinness or Murphys. I think the confusion here comes from the fact that it is pronounced smeth-ick - or, when sung with an Irish accent, schmiddick.

Subject: RE: Lyr add: Delirium Tremens (with RealAudio)
From: Paddy
Date: 27 Nov 98 - 03:22 PM

Mudcatters

BB - Harpic is definitely a toilet cleaner.
(Favoured by Fr Jack in the comedy series "Fr Ted" on this side of the ocean)

Smithwick (Smithick) is a beer brewed in Kilkenny, Ireland.

Alision - I enjoy explaining Christy's songs, its just my quirky sense of humour. Glad to be able to contribute.

Paddy