The broad majestic Shannon

[The Duke of Ingmar]

Just read through Ann Scanlon´s book "The lost decade" again before leaving for Birmingham tomorrow.

On pg. 95 it says that Shane wrote "The broad majestic Shannon" after being asked by Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem to write them a song. Does anyone know if the Clancys & T. Makem ever played or even recorded this song ?

[philipchevron]

Just read through Ann Scanlon´s book "The lost decade" again before leaving for Birmingham tomorrow.

On pg. 95 it says that Shane wrote "The broad majestic Shannon" after being asked by Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem to write them a song. Does anyone know if the Clancys & T. Makem ever played or even recorded this song ?

My understanding is they didn't particularly like the song and passed up the opportunity to record it. Even seminal legends of Irish music have faulty opinions sometimes.

[Guest]

pretty hard to imagine Tommy and Liam singing "Take my hand... babe"

[Low D]

i've always thought the dubliners could work up a nice version. a bit grittier than liam & the boys, with their sweet voices & matching sweaters and all...

[Guest]

I would love to hear LC and TM do Lullaby of London, Kitty, Sally Mac, and The Body of an American, to name a few.

[JohnG]

Just have to say what a great song this is. It even sounds more traditional than many traditional songs, if you get my gist!

[KathleenwithaK]

In my top 5 for sure...had me positively weeping when i heard it live in Las Vegas.

[The Duke of Ingmar]

Just read through Ann Scanlon´s book "The lost decade" again before leaving for Birmingham tomorrow.

On pg. 95 it says that Shane wrote "The broad majestic Shannon" after being asked by Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem to write them a song. Does anyone know if the Clancys & T. Makem ever played or even recorded this song ?

My understanding is they didn't particularly like the song and passed up the opportunity to record it. Even seminal legends of Irish music have faulty opinions sometimes.

However did they become famous if they reject brilliant songs like that ?

But even Ol`Blue Eyes himself once rejected a song by Sir Paul ... although according to Mr McCartney that was just the right thing to do ...

[shipbuilder]

One of their finest moments off their finest lp. Possibly even their greatest song. The lyrics blend seamlessley with the music and the song outshines 'Fairytale..' in my eyes - and ears. Beautiful, beautiful stuff. We had it played at our wedding and I was bawling.

"Take my hand and dry your tears babe
Take my and forget your fears babe
There's no pain there's no more sorrow
They've all gone gone in the years babe."

WOW!

[Behan]

But even Ol`Blue Eyes himself once rejected a song by Sir Paul ... although according to Mr McCartney that was just the right thing to do ...

Didn't Ol'Blue Eyes compiliment Shane MacGowan's writing once? I think he would've loved the Pogues and their songs, especially The Broad Majestic Shannon.

[The Duke of Ingmar]

But even Ol`Blue Eyes himself once rejected a song by Sir Paul ... although according to Mr McCartney that was just the right thing to do ...

Didn't Ol'Blue Eyes compiliment Shane MacGowan's writing once? I think he would've loved the Pogues and their songs, especially The Broad Majestic Shannon.

Never heard that before, but I agree he´d have surely appreciated the songwriting of The Pogues.

[Hooperman]

Great song. At first i looked at how the melody bits were a traditional tune that they borrowed with some cynicism, but i found the tune and decided that the easy option would have probably been to write their own. I think harp tunes are awkward!

[neilinseattle]

Just read through Ann Scanlon´s book "The lost decade" again before leaving for Birmingham tomorrow.

On pg. 95 it says that Shane wrote "The broad majestic Shannon" after being asked by Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem to write them a song. Does anyone know if the Clancys & T. Makem ever played or even recorded this song ?

My understanding is they didn't particularly like the song and passed up the opportunity to record it. Even seminal legends of Irish music have faulty opinions sometimes.

The independant film channel aired the Shane documentary a couple years back and they added an interview with Liam and others after the film. He tells a story about encountering Shane in New York City where Shane, in a rather drunken state, yelled to him "Hey, Liam! I wrote a song for you!!!" It was obviously Broad Majestic Shannon. Liam was very complementary to the Pogues, discussing the cultural environment in which the band was formed and their contribution to Irish culture. Liam even sang a few bars of Broad Majestic Shannon, and in tribute to Shane even altered the words, singing "Shane" in place of "babe".

[philipchevron]

Great song. At first i looked at how the melody bits were a traditional tune that they borrowed with some cynicism, but i found the tune and decided that the easy option would have probably been to write their own. I think harp tunes are awkward!

The instrumental to which I believe you're referring, Turlough O'Carolan's "Tabhair Dom Do Lámh", is some distance from being a "cynical" appropriation. The title means "Give me your hand" which has obvious resonance with the lyric "Take my hand..........and dry your tears babe". The Pogues have never drawn from the vast canon of Irish music in any way which we would consider exploitative or cynical or lacking in purpose.

[Hooperman]

Im sorry that was worded badly. What i meant was that you had borrowed a tune rather than writing one, however after struggling for several weeks to learn it i think that it would have been easier to write one rather than stick with the traditional tune. However i hadnt made the connection between the name and the lyrics, i had just thought that it had been used because it went well with the words, i hadnt thought about the "take my hand" line and the tune title. Pretty darn clever.