Lyr Req: The Ballad of Ronnie Drew

Subject: The ballad of ronnie drew
From: quokka
Date: 03 May 08 - 08:39 AM

Hi all, has anyone heard this song? Any opinions? I've heard that it was done for charity and is doing well on the Irish charts - any other info on it?
Cheers
Quokka

Subject: RE: The ballad of ronnie drew
From: MartinRyan
Date: 03 May 08 - 09:11 AM

Earlier thread with some info and links.

Regards

Subject: RE: The ballad of ronnie drew
From: Fergie
Date: 03 May 08 - 04:22 PM

Hi

I think the "official" Ronnie Drew song is awful. One of our Mudcat members, Mick Dunne "the Twangman" was of the same opinion, so he wrote "The Ballad of Ronnie Drew" It is IMHO far superior to the pap that was released by Bono et al. Listen to The Twangman at his MySpace site. you can get to it from the link below. Make sure you also listen to his rendition of "The New Croppy Boy" its hilarious. I believe that the recordings were made at the The Góilín Club in Dublin.

Mick Dunne

Fergus

Subject: RE: The ballad of ronnie drew
From: Jim McLean
Date: 03 May 08 - 05:33 PM

In 1968 I wrote the sleeve notes for the LP 'The Dubliners Live at the Albert Hall' on Major Minor records. I wrote a small 'poem' on each of the members and for Ronnie:

Rasputin looks like Peek-a-Boo
When he's compared to Ronnie Drew,
As o'er a glass he stares at you
With those big eyes, red, white and blue.
His voice, like thunder in a glen
Would put the fear of death in men.
Dressed in 50 guinea suits
And hand stiched, Spanish leather boots,
He could be almost Royal-reared
Except for the porter in his beard!
I hear he's given up the drink
Before his soul to Hell doth sink,
And now he swallows, nice and slow,
Big cups of cofee, (Gaelic, though).

Subject: RE: The ballad of ronnie drew
From: Fergie
Date: 03 May 08 - 08:23 PM

Nice one Jim

What did you write for the others?

Fergus

Subject: RE: The ballad of ronnie drew
From: quokka
Date: 04 May 08 - 01:42 AM

I'm not the only one who thought the official version god-awful then! Is there anyone who likes it??? Seems to me such a wasted opportunity...then again, maybe Twangman could set the cat among the pigeons and release his song...
Quokka

Subject: RE: The ballad of ronnie drew
From: Jim McLean
Date: 04 May 08 - 04:34 AM

Fergie, I'll write them out later.

Subject: RE: The ballad of ronnie drew
From: Jim McLean
Date: 04 May 08 - 05:35 AM

OK here goes, Fergie:
I wrote these pieces of doggerel for the sleeve notes, as I mentioned above, in 1968 after a few weeks observation as I was their road manager at the time (1967).

The Dubliners

Luke Kelly:
And then there's carrot-headed Luke
Who's never seen without a book!
Smollet, Joyce or Dostoevsky,
Luke takes a smoothly as malt whisky,
And every word that Tolstoy wrote,
Our Luke can quote, and quote, and quote!
At singing he's beyond compare,
No skylark warbles quite so rare!
With banjo gripped in both his hands,
Legs wide apart, he takes his stand.
His beard, his cheeks, his eyes, his head
A burning mass of fiery red.
What will he sing? Our Luke's no prude,
'The Rocks of Baun' or just 'Hey Jude'

Ciaran Bourke:
Ciaran Bourke's a monstrous man
With voice as soft as marzipan,
And after 15 crème de menthe
He'll read you poems in Ireland's tongue.
And in the wee hours o' the morn
You'll wake up hearing Ciaran's horn,
Tin whistle, pipes or big guitar
Playing 'Open up the Bar'
And to begin the breakfast hours,
A triple vodka, a glass of Powers'
A double brandy (with a dash of port)
To wash away the morning's hurt,
Some pints to settle hand and brain
Then Ciaran's fit to drink again!

Barnet MacKenna:
Barney MacKenna's the banjo king
He love it more that anything,
And when at night he rests his head,
He takes his banjo into bed.
One night MacKenna had a dream
When from his wife there came a scream!
This lovely girl (her name is Joka)
Though our Barney tried to choke her,
He held her throat and twisted her ear,
'I'm only tuning me banjo, dear',
Then Joka roared 'It's it or me!
The bed was never built for three!'
So now the banjo goes to bed
And Joka has the floor instead!

John Sheahan:
Beneath John Sheahan's bushy chin
He hides a flute and mandolin!
But when our John is asked to play
His fiddle's never far away.
And play! The man will play you any
From Zozzimus to Paganini!
No gargle ever wets his lips,
(Except unalcoholic sips).
Though up and down OUR elbows go
When John's goes up, the tunes will flow.
With solemn face and twinkling eyes,
His long bow sweeps draw praising cries:
A touch of tear-jerking vibrato
And a final cheeky 'pizzicato'!

Subject: RE: The ballad of ronnie drew
From: Fergie
Date: 04 May 08 - 05:49 AM

Excellent stuff Jim, than you

You caught Luke to a T. You must have some great memories of your time with them.

Fergus

Subject: RE: The ballad of ronnie drew
From: Fergie
Date: 04 May 08 - 08:43 PM

Oops that should read

Excellent stuff Jim, THANK you

You caught Luke to a T. You must have some great memories of your time with them.

Fergus

Subject: RE: The ballad of ronnie drew
From: quokka
Date: 04 May 08 - 10:21 PM

Well it just goes to show - you never know what gems a thread will throw up! Thank you, Jim, for posting these lyrics - pure gold.
Cheers,
Quokka

Subject: RE: The ballad of ronnie drew
From: Jim McLean
Date: 05 May 08 - 04:18 AM

Thanks all for your kind remarks. I noticed I have made a few 'typos' but I'm sure you get the sense.

Subject: RE: The ballad of ronnie drew
From: Big Tim
Date: 05 May 08 - 04:51 AM

Brilliant Jim! Especially Barney's!

Subject: RE: The ballad of ronnie drew
From: thetwangman
Date: 20 May 08 - 03:19 PM

I've posted a song I made up about Ronnie on Youtube, here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spRwfrB_9Cc

The vocals are a bit low but you can read the words by clicking on "more info" on the Youtube page.

Subject: RE: The ballad of ronnie drew
From: thetwangman
Date: 31 May 08 - 04:38 AM

I've re-posted the song I made up about Ronnie on YouTube with better sound quality. Here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZwEAPskRrc

I'm going to delete the old one because the sound quality is shite.

Subject: RE: The ballad of ronnie drew
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 31 May 08 - 08:05 AM

Both yours, Twangman, and the one by Gerrynz( Follow the link on Twangman's youtube posting), are far superior to the Bono song: Gerrynz even sounds a bit like Ronnie, whereas Twangman has used a well-known tune (oft sung by the Dubliners) which is a much better tribute.
"We love you Ronnie, oh yes we do" (we do) reminds me of the Conrad song in "Bye Bye Birdie"!

Subject: RE: The ballad of ronnie drew
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 31 May 08 - 10:48 AM

The song for Ronie Drew is best forgotten, RTE did broadcast a nice documentary/tribute last week that was very much worth looking at.

Subject: RE: The ballad of ronnie drew
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 31 May 08 - 06:23 PM

For those who missed it, it's still here (unlike BBCi player which self-destructs after max of 30 days!)
http://www.rte.ie/tv/latelate/20080222.html