This has long been one of my favourite Irish folk songs and has been one of my favourite road tunes for when I am travelling around. It never fails to get my blood well and truly pumping around my head and body. It helps that Luke Kelly is also one of my favourite male vocalists of all time (easily in my top five), but what gets me every time I hear this song and often sends my mind boggling, is the rarity of breath that comes between each vocal line. You can literally count the breaths Kelly takes on your hands and will be perhaps as bewildered as me as to how this genius was able to push out line after line of utter raw, unbridled awesomeness. The song itself is so frantic and relentless that it cannot fail to put rhythm and urgency into your step when you're walking down the street; I would even bet that having this on your headphones during a brawl might put the odds well and truly in your favour too, although don't see that as a recommendation by any means. I have some other, lesser known, material sung by Luke Kelly I would like to share with you in the near future to illustrate his ability to hold down the more delicate folk numbers with ease and rough grace, so visit again during the week for more. In the meantime, treat yourself to music that makes your soul want to jump out of your skin:
