Home Music Articles Forums Blog Chat More...      

Rocky Road To Dublin


Get Flash to see this player.

Description
Well I heard this again after many years in the recent movie "Sherlock Holmes". I had often heard it as a child. In view of the coming holiday I thought it might be nice to pay homage. The tin whistle was a snap with Logic, not so singing the tune. I swear I can't figure out how anyone can do this at a pub after a few Guinnesses . . . Oh, I get it, that's the secret right? Well anyway this is a kind of jig and it never lets up at the tempo I chose. I ran out of breath on the last verse. It is a fun tune and I enjoy singing the songs of Ireland as they remind me so much of my Nan. Have fun this St Patrick's Day and a special Irish blessing to you all . . .
"Go n-eírí an bóthar leat"!
(May the road rise with you)
Leave a Comment
You must be registered and logged-in to comment.
Lyrics
The Rocky Road To Dublin

In the merry month of June, from me home I started
Left the girls of Tuam, really broken hearted
Saluted father dear, kissed me darling mother
Drank a pint of beer, me grief and tears to smother
Then off to reap the corn, leave where I was born
Cut a stout blackthorn to banish ghosts and goblins
A brand new pair of brogues, rattlin' o'er the bogs
And frightening all the dogs on the Rocky road to Dublin

Chorus:
One-two-three-four-five
Hunt the hare nd turn her down the rocky road
And all the way to Dublin
Whack fol-lol-dee ra

In Mullingar that night, I rested limbs so weary
Started by daylight next morning blithe and early
Took a drop of the 'pure' to keep me heart from sinking
That's the paddy's cure whenever he's on for drinking
To see the lassies smile, laughing all the while
At me curious style 'twould set your heart a-bubbling
Asked me was I hired, wages I required
Till I was nearly tired of the rocky road to Dublin

In Dublin next arrived I thought it such a pity
To be so soon deprived a view of that fine city
So then I took a stroll all among the quality
Me bundle it was stole all in a neat locality
Something crossed me mind, when I looked behind
No bundle could I find upon my stick a-wobbling
Enquiring for the rogue, they said me Connaught brogue
Wasn't much in vogue on the rocky road to Dublin

From there I got away, me spirits never failing
Landed on the quay just as the ship was sailing
The captain at me roared, said that no room had he
When I jumped aboard ,a cabin found for Paddy
Down among the pigs, played some funny rigs
Danced some hearty jigs, the water round me bubbling
When off Holyhead, wished meself was dead
Or better for instead on the rocky road to Dublin

Well, the boys of Liverpool, when we safely landed
Called meself a fool, I could no longer stand it
Blood began to boil, temper I was losing
Poor old Erin's Isle, they began abusing
'Hurrah me soul,' says I, my shillelagh I let fly
Some Galway boys were nigh and saw I was a hobble in
With a loud 'hurray' joined in the affray
We quickly cleared the way for the rocky road to Dublin
Song Stats
Hits: 2706
Comments: 41
Fans: 36
Plays: 217
Downloads: 87
Votes: 2
Uploaded: Mar 14, 2010 - 02:54:19 PM
Last Updated: Mar 14, 2010 - 02:54:19 PM Last Played: May 22, 2013 - 04:31:14 AM
Song License
Creative Commons License:
Attribution-ShareAlike

Creative Commons

Song Actions
share on facebook share on twitter download song
Comments
Sigmund said 1165 days ago (March 14th, 2010)
Rocky Road
Hey that was pretty cool, Stephen. I can certainly see the challenge in singing this, if for no other reason than to catch your breath every once awhile! I got a real kick out of listening to this tune - thanks!
Sig
MarkHolbrook said 1165 days ago (March 14th, 2010)
LOL
this was an instant fav! Once I heard the lyrics... Amazing you can do this! I can't speak right slowly half the time! :-)
Check out my latest song called My 911
Moviz said 1165 days ago (March 14th, 2010)
What a hoot!
Love this tongue twister of a song and the accent is marvellous.... the timing must have been a nightmare LOL. Wonderful words and humour and really much enjoyed. Great performance Stephen, regards M
Check out my latest song called Shine Your Light
Doadars Uncle said 1165 days ago (March 14th, 2010)
Brightness!
This is very well presented! I want to hit the road! Well done! Thoroughly enjoyed!
Check out my latest song called Alone (reboot)
alackbass said 1165 days ago (March 14th, 2010)
St. Patrick's Day Came Early
Great authentic performance. The harmonies are seamless. The lead vocal performance is very impressive. That's a lot of words to spit out. It may just be my headphones, but is the lead vocal clipping at times? All in all a great track.
Check out my latest song called Just Ain't Worth a Song (2 Track)
Six-Nail-Coffin said 1165 days ago (March 14th, 2010)
Nicely
performed. I love this sort of thing and you do it proper justice.
Check out my latest song called Svartalfpolska
Roxylee said 1165 days ago (March 14th, 2010)
Stephen, this is cool
You sound so... Irish! What fun! :-) I don't know how anyone can sing all those words and not trip over them, but you did a fine job, and without help from Mr. Guinness. I'm impressed. What's next, a rap number? Heehee
Check out my latest song called Emma, by davisamerica
ktb said 1165 days ago (March 14th, 2010)
to Dublin
wow, fun and spot on singing. Deep bows on never dropping a beat ;-) It starts and you're off to Ireland! Nice job on the accompaniment as well.
Check out my latest song called Blackwater (by Tokai)
magnatone said 1165 days ago (March 14th, 2010)
rocky road
wow, this DOES sound hard to sing! what a terrific upload stephen, not to mention quite a feat! St. Patty's day just happens to be my birthday, so i'll decide you made this particularly for me! (no, i'm not a single bit irish) LOVE your work!
Check out my latest song called Blind Love (Seeing Heart) - Orchestral Version
Demeter7 said 1165 days ago (March 14th, 2010)
Ai, begorra.
What a tongue twister! Sweet whistle. :)
Check out my latest song called Boogieman Boogie Halloween 2012
WharmtonRise said 1165 days ago (March 14th, 2010)
Well,
As a three quarter Celt this stirs me old blood... so it does. Bloody marvelous all around!
Check out my latest song called Mortal Coil F
ic42 said 1165 days ago (March 14th, 2010)
I know this one!
I've always enjoyed this wild piece, wondering how ANYONE could possibly sing it... and then YOU did! Excellent rendition, very enjoyable singing, and don't tell me that's you playing the fife too? Wow, crisp recording, sweet! I shall invite you to my next St. Patty's Day party then?
ttfn,
Drakonis
Check out my latest song called Synthopolis 0x02 (VIDEO!)
ShadowofNine said 1164 days ago (March 15th, 2010)
Happy Pady's day
Charming...
Check out my latest song called A Sad Goodbye (Julia's Song)
Jim Bouchard said 1164 days ago (March 15th, 2010)
Cool!
This is much like how I remember Liam Clancy's version, though I think he had a bodhran as well. It's been a while since I heard that album but I think it was a couple ticks faster, can you believe it? This is definitely a challenge to sing and me hat's off to you, laddie!
Check out my latest song called Big Yawn (Apogee One mic demo)
Honza said 1163 days ago (March 16th, 2010)
Brilliant!
I hope your tongue did not get completely tangled up :-) Very nice song and brave performance! Brought a large smile on my face. Thanks!
Check out my latest song called Unbound
Calchas said 1163 days ago (March 16th, 2010)
Yeeeee-HAW!
Wow Stephen, this is EXCELLENT! You have that Irish lilt down pat!

I'm very familiar with this and a host of other trad Irish tunes, and I really dig what you've done here. BRAVO!

Be well my friend!
segiperkasa said 1163 days ago (March 16th, 2010)
breathless....
that was some really awesome delivery ...
Check out my latest song called The Dawn of Nahdamar
st_victor said 1163 days ago (March 16th, 2010)
Holy Moly
The timing is one thing, but keeping the melody pitch perfect as well is such a test - absolutely fabulous Stephen and it put me in such a mood for St. Paddy. The only tongue twister test I've heard more difficult was last week trying to pronounce my New York cab driver's name.
Check out my latest song called The Consciousness Song
BirdmanWayne94 said 1162 days ago (March 17th, 2010)
A very...
... enjoyable tune! I really like your performance. :)
Check out my latest song called (An Untitled) Intro
richard13 said 1162 days ago (March 17th, 2010)
A great lot of fun
and I too enjoyed your performance, on St. Patty's Day. I downloaded it; thanks.
Check out my latest song called Caledonia
Parichayaka said 1161 days ago (March 18th, 2010)
Awesome!
Had a great time listening. Great energy. 10x better than a strong cup of tea:) Your versatility is amazing.
Check out my latest song called Tosh Frenzy
michaelkoppenheffer said 1161 days ago (March 18th, 2010)
rocky road
Wonderful! I'm short of breath just listening to you sing this! Is the tin whistle an EXS24 instrument? Sounds totally non-digital!
Check out my latest song called Till the Tap Runs Dry (album version)
michaeljayklein said 1161 days ago (March 18th, 2010)
Almost made me forget
I'm Jewish! This was a ray of pure yellow sunshine---thanks for sharing it! My goodness, I bet you had to put your tongue in traction for a week after singing this.....great job!
Check out my latest song called Old Man Mose is Dead
dave_b said 1161 days ago (March 18th, 2010)
Rocky Road To Dublin
Whoa, that's more syllables then I get in in an entire day. Great vocs, and in an Irish brouge to boot. Well done!
Check out my latest song called Llarions Blues
davisamerica said 1160 days ago (March 19th, 2010)
get a running start
and don't stumble ..... wowow stephen really cool and downloaded
Check out my latest song called 12
kassia said 1160 days ago (March 19th, 2010)
stephen
This is WONDERFUL! and I'm impressed! I love how you thicken the song at the chorus with multiple tracks of your voice. What fun!
Check out my latest song called Greensleeves
VicDiesel said 1159 days ago (March 20th, 2010)
Epic
That's a lot of text to get through at that pace. You do well. I enjoyed the flute part. Watch out for little bits of distortion in the vocals. Too close to the mike?


Check out my latest song called Fourth Candle
spitlogic said 1158 days ago (March 21st, 2010)
Interesting
Nice work on this. Great use of the accent.
Check out my latest song called Measures
Relic67 said 1158 days ago (March 21st, 2010)
great!
I love this song.
you do a great job on it.
applause!!
Check out my latest song called Someone Else's Thing
SomeMadGirl said 1158 days ago (March 21st, 2010)
Congrats!
Congrats on being ON FIRE!!! :)
Check out my latest song called A New Day on Arus (mj space race 2011)
thetiler said 1155 days ago (March 24th, 2010)
A fun tune
Thanks for sharing this delightful piece !
Check out my latest song called When Your Strange
woofer3 said 1144 days ago (April 4th, 2010)
Excellent piece of music
much enjoyed, yes I agree it would be best to have an alcohol free system before attempting the vocal line on this. Great singing and production, perfectly fitting for this genre.
Check out my latest song called burning hitler
scaustrita said 1131 days ago (April 17th, 2010)
Fab Performance
I enjoy hearing the various sides of your talent.
This is no exception, great performance . . .

:: Very Creative ::
Check out my latest song called But A Rainbow's So Beautiful
ste said 1130 days ago (April 18th, 2010)
must
have been hard work to perform those vocals. fun tune
Check out my latest song called friday
sonnyjim said 1117 days ago (May 1st, 2010)
Top flight!
GREAT job on this one. I really like the straightahead quality on those vocal tracks. Fine attitude here.

Longshot: have you ever heard a song by DaVinci's Notebook called "Another Irish Drinking Song"? Your description made me think of the stanza that goes, "Me drunken Uncle Brendon tried to drive home from the bar. The road rose up to meet him when he fell out of his car."
Thanks for the download, too!
SJ
Check out my latest song called A Bell In The Valley
TERRAPLANE said 1104 days ago (May 14th, 2010)
very impressed
I can't even read the words out at this pace & you put a melody to them.
Cheers to you Stephen .. Well done!
Check out my latest song called COME ON IN MY KITCHEN/ w Pockbluesman
Gaylen75 said 1057 days ago (June 30th, 2010)
Holy Moly
This one is a mouthful. Fantastic!
Check out my latest song called You Got It Going (by Speakeasy Sway)
papag said 1028 days ago (July 29th, 2010)
Erin in my ears
A fun listen. Fav'd and dl'd.
Check out my latest song called How Can I Know?
Saltaireguru77 said 1026 days ago (July 31st, 2010)
From one Irishman
Mr Schedra... as someone from Belfast who's been down the rock road to Dublin many times (no really - I remember it before the Drogheda bypass and the roundabouts at Swords and Howth...) this is great. Superb. I would have assumed the vocal was authentic and "fair play til ye" as they say where I'm from; that was no easy task. The tin whistle sounds like a live recording and I'm sure you make what was probably a complex task sound simple. That's the trick, isn't it? Very well done. I really enjoyed it.
Check out my latest song called Slo-Parts Boogie (w GuyGrooves)
UnderThePianoMan said 1019 days ago (August 7th, 2010)
A nice reminder of the Irish blood in my veins
This is delightful. Although my father was born in Vancouver, Canada, as was I, this reminds me powerfully of my grandmother who was very irish indeed.
Check out my latest song called Memory Drops
abfkingsport said 992 days ago (September 3rd, 2010)
The KIng
Hoots man! Awesome. I am getting ready to go to a Celtic festival next week. So bouncy and light and comical feel. Post the lyrics please. DL'ed
Thanks.
The King
Check out my latest song called It's A Cool World
Artist Info
artist photo
Name: Stephen M Schedra
Location: Middle Island NY United States
send a note
Started performance life as a guitar player and vocalist in Sympathy (60's Rock) and doing acoustic performances with Michael Salveson. Then as a guitarist for Joe Lobianco (Rock Dance band). Next I did stints on bass and guitar and vocals for the ... [see more]

Check out some of my other songs:

Chat
Who's Online
97tuneIS
27tuneca
Invisible Members: 1
Visitors: 52