Author Topic: The Ballad of Ronnie Drew  (Read 8158 times)

Brad

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The Ballad of Ronnie Drew
« on: February 27, 2008, 05:29:45 PM »
Here's my attempt.  Very sketchy in some parts.  I was able to download this (in the US) through Universal Ireland's 7Digital Store.  See the update on the front page for the link.

"The Ballad Of Ronnie Drew"

Here's to the Ronnie, the voice we adore
Like coals from a coal bucket scraping the floor
Sing out his praises in music and malt
And if you're not Irish, that isn't your fault

Raise up our voices like dogs in a pack
Thankful for honest men, we never lack
We got 'em by twenties, we got 'em by ones
Them and their daughters and all of their sons

(Hey! Brobadobadingnag)
(Hey! Brobadobadingnag)

Here's to you (Hey!), Ronnie Drew (Hey!)
Here's to you (Hey!), Ronnie Drew (Hey!)
Ronnie Drew (Hey!), we love you, yes we do
Here's to you, Ronnie Drew, here's to you

And what's it to any man whether or no'
Whether I'm easy or whether I'm true
As I lifted her petticoat easy and slow
And I tied up me sleeve for to buckle her shoe

Get up and go at it five until five
When the whistle says beat it, we'll come back alive
He'll sing to the heavens, he's stormy as hell
And wherever he goes, we'll be wishing him well

(Hey! Brobadobadingnag)
(Hey! Brobadobadingnag)

Here's to you (Hey!), Ronnie Drew (Hey!)
Here's to you (Hey!), Ronnie Drew (Hey!)
Ronnie Drew (Hey! Ronnie Drew), we love you, yes we do
Here's to you, Ronnie Drew, here's to you

The dawn and the dust, the unwise, the unjust
Kids in gangland games
The unheard, the unseen, the unwashed, and the clean
Where the streets all have names
Baggot Street, Leeson Street, right on to Stephen's Green
Lovers and loners who can hear all intoners
The gods and the ravers, immigrants and traders
Sing out Ronnie

An eye for an eye or a hand for a hand
Trust in the music, strike up the band
The more that we sing, the less that we fight
Time and again this is proved to be right

Build you a statue on St. Stephen's Green
No fairer monument e're to be seen
The statue of Ronnie Drew holding the hand
Of a girl with her hair in a black velvet band

(Hey! Brobadobadingnag)
(Hey! Brobadobadingnag)

Here's to you, Ronnie Drew (No stranger to devils or angels tell)
Here's to you, Ronnie Drew (A friend of a friend of a friend, and a, a friend to you)
Ronnie Drew (Ronnie Drew), we love you, yes we do
Here's to you, Ronnie Drew (Ronnie Drew), here's to you (here's to you)
Here's to you, Ronnie Drew, here's to you (Ronnie Drew)
Here's to you, Ronnie Drew, here's to you (Ronnie Drew)

What's it to any man whether or no'
Whether I'm easy or whether I'm true
And as she lifted her petticoat easy and slow
And I rolled up my sleeve for to buckle her shoe


slaneman

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Re: The Ballad of Ronnie Drew
« Reply #1 on: February 28, 2008, 10:58:03 AM »
Excellent! Great job! Did it take a couple pints?

"malts"  I hear an "s" there --(picky-picky)--tho in the live RTE version he sang "malt"

Maybe we can identify the singers--after Bono, the incomparably drunk Shane MacGowan, then Christy Moore, Damien Dempsey---Glen Hansard phones in the reprise...Sinead with Bono for 2 lines at "The statue"...


Your transcription deserves an Oscar... ;D







« Last Edit: February 28, 2008, 12:04:06 PM by slaneman »

Brad

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Re: The Ballad of Ronnie Drew
« Reply #2 on: February 28, 2008, 02:12:37 PM »
Excellent! Great job! Did it take a couple pints?

Nope, just one rather large glass of pinot noir.

miryclay

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Re: The Ballad of Ronnie Drew
« Reply #3 on: February 28, 2008, 05:34:30 PM »
Great work Brad. If a U2 DVD ever needed subtitlies now is the time....Esp for Mr. MacGowans part...

A touching part I might add.

slaneman

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Re: The Ballad of Ronnie Drew
« Reply #4 on: March 07, 2008, 09:56:35 PM »
Just got the CD single and am also enjoying the Ronnie Drew song, "Easy and Slow", which comes from his album, Guaranteed Dubliner 1978.

Being ignorant about Irish music I didn't know they took the chorus from that song and used it in the ballad. "And what's it to any man whether or no...'"

Brad

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Re: The Ballad of Ronnie Drew
« Reply #5 on: March 08, 2008, 06:29:13 AM »
I got my CD this week as well.  I wonder how many orders Road Records took from outside Ireland last week?

It was cool that they included Easy and Slow on the single.  It even entered the Irish singles chart last week, which is a nice salute to Ronnie Drew.