The Town I Loved So Well Lyrics And Chords
This is a modern Irish folk song written By Phil Coulter and a huge hit for The Dubliners with Luke Kelly [ lyrics ]. Here is another one of Phil's famous songs about his native City of Derry , Luke Kelly made this one his own , Paddy Reilly also does a mighty job on it too , this is like a Derry anthem like Molly Malone is to Dublin,,,Great stuff from Phil. Learn the song boys and girls , it's a cracker. Also recorded by Johnny McEvoy, Nathan Carter and in 2017 by Irish folk group The Whistlin' Donkeys.. I have given the guitar chords in 4 different keys. The town I loved so well sheet music for tin whistle . The town I loved so well guitar chords and tab for fingerstyle now added plus a version in Irish tuning of Dadgad
The Town I Loved So Well is a poignant song written by Irish folk singer-songwriter Phil Coulter. Released in 1975, the song tells the story of a small town in Northern Ireland, Derry, and the impact of the Troubles on the community and its people. The Troubles, a period of political and sectarian violence in Northern Ireland that lasted from the late 1960s to the late 1990s, had a profound effect on the town and its inhabitants. Through his lyrics, Coulter captures the essence of Derry and its people, painting a vivid picture of the town and its struggles.
The song begins with the line 'In my memory, I will always see, the town that I have loved so well.' This sets the tone for the rest of the song, as Coulter reflects on his childhood and the town he grew up in. He describes the beauty of the town, with its 'green hills, rolling down to the sea' and its 'cathedral bells, ringing out their song.' It is a town filled with charm and character, where everyone knows each other and life is simple and peaceful. Coulter's nostalgic tone evokes a sense of longing for a time that has passed, a time when the town was untouched by the troubles that were to come.
As the song progresses, Coulter's lyrics take a darker turn as he delves into the impact of the Troubles on the town. He describes the 'dark days' when 'bombs fell like rain' and the streets were filled with violence and fear. The Troubles had a devastating effect on the community, tearing families apart and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Coulter's lyrics paint a picture of a town that was once thriving and full of life, now reduced to a place of sadness and despair.
One of the most powerful aspects of the song is the way Coulter portrays the resilience and strength of the people of Derry. Despite the turmoil and tragedy that surrounds them, they continue to carry on with their lives, holding on to their sense of community and identity. Coulter pays tribute to the people of Derry, stating 'But they've taken you away, and the peace you found at last, in the land you loved so well.' This line reflects the resilience and determination of the people to hold on to their home and their way of life, even in the face of adversity.
The Town I Loved So Well is not just a song about Derry, but it is also a song about the Troubles and its impact on Northern Ireland as a whole. Coulter's lyrics capture the complexities of the situation, highlighting the pain and suffering of both sides of the conflict. He sings of 'children playing in Shankill sun, divided by a wall,' a reference to the segregation and division that plagued the country during this time. Through his lyrics, Coulter humanizes the conflict, reminding listeners that it is not just a political issue, but one that has deeply affected the lives of ordinary people.
The song has resonated with audiences all over the world, becoming an anthem for peace and reconciliation. It has been covered by numerous artists, including Irish band The Dubliners and American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen. Its universal message of love, loss, and hope has made it a timeless classic, with generations of listeners connecting to its powerful lyrics.
In conclusion, The Town I Loved So Well is a deeply moving song that captures the essence of a town and its people during a tumultuous time in history. Through his lyrics, Phil Coulter takes us on a journey through the beauty, tragedy, and resilience of Derry and its inhabitants. It is a song that stands the test of time and continues to touch the hearts of listeners, reminding us of the enduring power of music in capturing the human experience.
The song begins with the line 'In my memory, I will always see, the town that I have loved so well.' This sets the tone for the rest of the song, as Coulter reflects on his childhood and the town he grew up in. He describes the beauty of the town, with its 'green hills, rolling down to the sea' and its 'cathedral bells, ringing out their song.' It is a town filled with charm and character, where everyone knows each other and life is simple and peaceful. Coulter's nostalgic tone evokes a sense of longing for a time that has passed, a time when the town was untouched by the troubles that were to come.
As the song progresses, Coulter's lyrics take a darker turn as he delves into the impact of the Troubles on the town. He describes the 'dark days' when 'bombs fell like rain' and the streets were filled with violence and fear. The Troubles had a devastating effect on the community, tearing families apart and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Coulter's lyrics paint a picture of a town that was once thriving and full of life, now reduced to a place of sadness and despair.
One of the most powerful aspects of the song is the way Coulter portrays the resilience and strength of the people of Derry. Despite the turmoil and tragedy that surrounds them, they continue to carry on with their lives, holding on to their sense of community and identity. Coulter pays tribute to the people of Derry, stating 'But they've taken you away, and the peace you found at last, in the land you loved so well.' This line reflects the resilience and determination of the people to hold on to their home and their way of life, even in the face of adversity.
The Town I Loved So Well is not just a song about Derry, but it is also a song about the Troubles and its impact on Northern Ireland as a whole. Coulter's lyrics capture the complexities of the situation, highlighting the pain and suffering of both sides of the conflict. He sings of 'children playing in Shankill sun, divided by a wall,' a reference to the segregation and division that plagued the country during this time. Through his lyrics, Coulter humanizes the conflict, reminding listeners that it is not just a political issue, but one that has deeply affected the lives of ordinary people.
The song has resonated with audiences all over the world, becoming an anthem for peace and reconciliation. It has been covered by numerous artists, including Irish band The Dubliners and American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen. Its universal message of love, loss, and hope has made it a timeless classic, with generations of listeners connecting to its powerful lyrics.
In conclusion, The Town I Loved So Well is a deeply moving song that captures the essence of a town and its people during a tumultuous time in history. Through his lyrics, Phil Coulter takes us on a journey through the beauty, tragedy, and resilience of Derry and its inhabitants. It is a song that stands the test of time and continues to touch the hearts of listeners, reminding us of the enduring power of music in capturing the human experience.
In[G] my memo[D]ry I will[C] always [G]see
The[C] town that[G] I have loved so[D] well Where our[G] school played[D] ball by the[C] gasyard [G]wall And we[C] laughed through the[G] smoke[D] and the [G]smell. Going[G] home in[D] the rain running[C] up the Dark [G]Lane Past the[C] jail and down beside the[D] Fountain Those were[G] happy[D] days in so [G]many many[G] ways In the[C] town I[G] loved[D] so[G] well. In the early morn the shirt factory horn Called the women from Creggan, the Moor and the Bog While the men on the dole played a mother's role Fed the children and then walked the dog And when times got rough there was just about enough But they saw it through without complaining For deep inside was a burning pride In the town I loved so well. There was music there in the Derry air [ song lyrics ] Like a language that we could all understand I remember the day when I earned my first pay When I played in a small pick-up band There I spent my youth and to tell you the truth I was sad to leave it all behind me There I learned about life and I found a wife In the town I loved so well: But when I returned oh my eyes how they burned To see how a town could be brought to its knees By the armored cars and the bombed out bars And the gas that hangs on to every breeze Now the army's installed by the old gasyard wall And the damned barbed wire gets higher and higher With their tanks and their guns Oh my God, what have they done To the town I loved so well. Now the music's gone but they carry on For their spirit's been bruised, never broken They will not forget but their hearts are set On tomorrow and peace once again Now what's done is done and what's won is won And what's lost is lost and gone forever I can only pray for a bright brand new day For the town I love so well. The video is ''Siggi'' playing finger picking using chords and single notes.
Key Of D In[D] my memo[A]ry I will[G] always [D]see The[G] town that[D] I have loved so[A] well Where our[D] school played[A] ball by the[G] gasyard [D]wall And we[G] laughed through the[D] smoke[A] and the [D]smell. Going[D] home in[A] the rain running[G] up the Dark [D]Lane Past the[G] jail and down beside the[A] Fountain Those were[D] happy[A] days in so [D]many many[D] ways In the[G] town I[D] loved[A] so[D] well. Key of C Major In[C] my memo[G]ry I will[F] always [C]see The[F] town that[C] I have loved so[G] well Where our[C] school played[G] ball by the[F] gasyard [C]wall And we[F] laughed through the[C] smoke[G] and the [C]smell. Going[C] home in[G] the rain running[F] up the Dark [C]Lane Past the[F] jail and down beside the[G] Fountain Those were[C] happy[G] days in so [C]many many[C] ways In the[F] town I[C] loved[G] so[C] wel 
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Key of A
In[A] my memo[E]ry I will[D] always [A]see
The[D] town that[A] I have loved so[E] well
Where our[A] school played[E] ball by the[D] gasyard [A]wall
And we[D] laughed through the[A] smoke[E] and the [A]smell.
Going[A] home in[E] the rain running[D] up the Dark [A]Lane
Past the[D] jail and down beside the[E] Fountain
Those were[A] happy[E] days in so [A]many many[A] ways
In the[D] town I[A] loved[E] so[A] well.
In[A] my memo[E]ry I will[D] always [A]see
The[D] town that[A] I have loved so[E] well
Where our[A] school played[E] ball by the[D] gasyard [A]wall
And we[D] laughed through the[A] smoke[E] and the [A]smell.
Going[A] home in[E] the rain running[D] up the Dark [A]Lane
Past the[D] jail and down beside the[E] Fountain
Those were[A] happy[E] days in so [A]many many[A] ways
In the[D] town I[A] loved[E] so[A] well.
The town I loved so well guitar chords and tab. More Irish folk tabs here .
Below is the PDF Ebook of folk songs lyrics and chords. The songs are in 3 different keys, There's over 500 songs in the ebook. Most have only 3 easy chords.
Price €8.90 . I'll email the ebook after payment.
Price €8.90 . I'll email the ebook after payment.
A series of interviews with singer / songwriter Phil Coulter.
all right welcome back now puppet on a string the town i loved so well and score not his simplicity are just some of the many iconic songs that has cemented our next guest's place in music history yes phil coulter has been busy in lockdown connecting with his many fans online and this afternoon he's bringing back his popular lockdown lounge on facebook where he'll grace us with his beautiful songs and a few stories as well we're delighted that Phil Colter has joined us in studio this morning good morning it's a pleasure to be here yeah pleasure to be here because I've had a belly full of zoom oh yeah really and we all had to learn that stuff yeah yeah but there's nothing to beat just being you
know what can i say you've raised the sartorial elegance in the studio you certainly have excuse me when i saw your shirt this morning and i thought something's gonna happen something's gonna raise the bar I'm gonna show that you're playing we're coming Interview [Music] i was asking you in the wings here do you actually play it at home and you do of course yeah because you know well I'm old-fashioned I've been at this game a long long time i remember when gatefold sleeves were new yeah you know so there's nothing like just having an album in your hands you know yeah i mean even a cd is better than a
download but that's the baby there and I'm delighted that it's having a uh you know a rebirth the whole whole vinyl thing when you look back at us Phil i mean it's hard to know where to start with you before we talk about the concert today that you're doing and that the book and the audiobook let's go back and sort of try and delve into this body of work i mean so many things much more spring to mind when you say mention highlights but one of the special moments for you was it the first hit record was it completing your first song what was it i think most recently i was reminded of it again with the Eurovision i mean Eurovision was my breakthrough i'd spent like two
or three years in Denmark street Tin pan alley in London just learning my craft yeah grinding it out
and we had we had a deal with our publisher where every second Friday we went into the little studio in the basement to demo six new songs right that's like six completed every two weeks words music and a little arrangement for the house band because that was grinding it out it was learning the craft then the following Monday morning we'd play them to our publisher he would go through them and analyze what where would gone wrong as often as and nine times out of ten he'd throw them in the bin because why you think that's cruel it's not cruel because that's teaching you
that don't fall in love with everything that you write you know i mean that's that's a mistake a lot of songwriters make it's a volume business yeah you but the whole thing is that craft songwriting is a craft i keep saying that there's no such thing as a born songwriter you may be born with certain gifts like a flare for music or words whatever but you have to learn the craft yeah and that's i so i spent two or three years learning that craft just grinding it out that kind of uh that sort of timetable so the eurovision was was the big breakthrough that was the first win for the united kingdom ever so it was a great way to announce your arrival and in those days unlike today Simon, Eurovision had a direct connection with
the record industry you know you won the Eurovision a you could put the kettle on for six or seven million records and b that song had a strong chance of becoming a copyright so like popping on the string 67 congratulations in 68 and then in 1970 i was the i was the the publisher the producer and the music director for all kinds of everything and then in 1975 i represented Luxembourg and that's where i met Geraldine Branigan of course Geraldine represented Luxembourg with I met Geraldine in the in the auditions to find a singer so Eurovision plays a big part in my life personally and professionally so Eurovision
was a great way to arrive on the scene back then we were talking about Eurovision over the last few weeks Phil and i was saying you know when I was a child like I used to have the whole family involved and i I'd have Eurovision the scores all printed out and they'd all have to and it was a real family affair that doesn't happen now with Eurovision i know it had to happen differently this year because of covet as well but the popularity hasn't been there for quite some time has it depart from a from a music industry perspective the the real judgement in Eurovision is there has not been a real global hit from Eurovision for such a long time yeah you know I'm talking about the days of
abba waterloo that was a global hit volari was a global hit these are copyrights that went global and the songs that are still there today but i would defy you now to go into uh into Ballymount and find a half a dozen people who could tell you uh three songs that won the Eurovision in the last 10 years yeah yeah you know you're talking about two things happened but changed the face of eurovision one was when they opened it up to easter the eastern European block the Azerbaijan's and whatever all of that because whatever their popular music was in a different era from ours yes you know that was one thing the second thing was when they opened it up to to
televoting you know once you empower the general public god knows what i think it happened listen let's talk about uh what's happening today at four o'clock today uh you're doing is it a concert is it a session what does it feel like it came about it came about when when i don't need to tell you guys our industry fell off the edge of a cliff you know and fairly show rather than sit about feeling sorry for myself i uh with encouragement of of a couple of the younger guys my team dara hor who's my kind of content guy he said Phil the only way you're going to keep a presence with your fans and followers is online i had no presence online up until yeah so uh i'm an old dog who had to learn
new tricks yeah so the first thing they did was do this this uh lockdown lounge every Saturday exactly started a year ago today yeah and we we'd Saturday afternoon we would do like 30 40 minutes at the piano play a few tunes sing a few songs tell a few stories and read an excerpt from from from the book uh Bruce never broke so that's what people can expect today Phil songs and stories songs and stories what happened what happened as i was reading excerpts were more and more comments uh to do in audiobooks so we did a poll uh earlier in the year say are you up for an audio book so the the the result was was like an avalanche overwhelmed so i decided
well let's just and you know it's the next best thing to your fans sitting in a theater of some kind and having that intimate experience of song storytelling you know and having a piece of Phil Coulter that's what it is yeah because they you know they react they put on requests and they chat and there's a whole there's a whole community now amongst themselves you know they've become friends uh so listen it's been a learning curve for me yeah you know i knew nothing about this stuff i mean i really had to grab this but this build by the arms in terms of looking forward then looking ahead i mean it's hard to think as you say it's a
year to the day since the first lounge gig that you did you probably didn't think last year that we'd still be doing it a year later did any of us so looking forward Phil what how do you think it looks for the industry in terms of well I'm trying to be positive i'm trying to be positive we're actively now filling out our diary for for we would do an Irish tour in November and December every year that was abandoned last year of course but we're actively filling in our dates for November and December this year trying to stay confident it's trying to stay positive because we just can't wait to get back back on stage and then in in the new year we're planning dates
up the north and then in the united states you just have to you know you have to because i love the way you say wait because it's not just use it at the piano there's a whole industry around you that's the thing that's the thing and here's that's one of the casualties of the lockdown and of our business kind of falling off that cliff is that very skilled guys you know sound crew lighting crew road managers whatever they've just been you know a lot of those guys in order to kind of pay their mortgage in order to kind of like feed and clothe their kids I've had to take jobs driving trucks and stuff like that you know yeah so when we do get back on the road i just
hope those guys are still going to be available well fingers crossed fingers crossed for the industry listen yeah we're going to give her details of the gig today thank you so much for the questions and as as always a joy to see you my pleasure thanks for making my pleasure thank you bill cooper's lockdown lounge has taken place at four o'clock this afternoon over on his facebook page which is phil coulter music and Phil's memoir bruised never broken is now available on online as an audiobook it's all modern.
all right welcome back now puppet on a string the town i loved so well and score not his simplicity are just some of the many iconic songs that has cemented our next guest's place in music history yes phil coulter has been busy in lockdown connecting with his many fans online and this afternoon he's bringing back his popular lockdown lounge on facebook where he'll grace us with his beautiful songs and a few stories as well we're delighted that Phil Colter has joined us in studio this morning good morning it's a pleasure to be here yeah pleasure to be here because I've had a belly full of zoom oh yeah really and we all had to learn that stuff yeah yeah but there's nothing to beat just being you
know what can i say you've raised the sartorial elegance in the studio you certainly have excuse me when i saw your shirt this morning and i thought something's gonna happen something's gonna raise the bar I'm gonna show that you're playing we're coming Interview [Music] i was asking you in the wings here do you actually play it at home and you do of course yeah because you know well I'm old-fashioned I've been at this game a long long time i remember when gatefold sleeves were new yeah you know so there's nothing like just having an album in your hands you know yeah i mean even a cd is better than a
download but that's the baby there and I'm delighted that it's having a uh you know a rebirth the whole whole vinyl thing when you look back at us Phil i mean it's hard to know where to start with you before we talk about the concert today that you're doing and that the book and the audiobook let's go back and sort of try and delve into this body of work i mean so many things much more spring to mind when you say mention highlights but one of the special moments for you was it the first hit record was it completing your first song what was it i think most recently i was reminded of it again with the Eurovision i mean Eurovision was my breakthrough i'd spent like two
or three years in Denmark street Tin pan alley in London just learning my craft yeah grinding it out
and we had we had a deal with our publisher where every second Friday we went into the little studio in the basement to demo six new songs right that's like six completed every two weeks words music and a little arrangement for the house band because that was grinding it out it was learning the craft then the following Monday morning we'd play them to our publisher he would go through them and analyze what where would gone wrong as often as and nine times out of ten he'd throw them in the bin because why you think that's cruel it's not cruel because that's teaching you
that don't fall in love with everything that you write you know i mean that's that's a mistake a lot of songwriters make it's a volume business yeah you but the whole thing is that craft songwriting is a craft i keep saying that there's no such thing as a born songwriter you may be born with certain gifts like a flare for music or words whatever but you have to learn the craft yeah and that's i so i spent two or three years learning that craft just grinding it out that kind of uh that sort of timetable so the eurovision was was the big breakthrough that was the first win for the united kingdom ever so it was a great way to announce your arrival and in those days unlike today Simon, Eurovision had a direct connection with
the record industry you know you won the Eurovision a you could put the kettle on for six or seven million records and b that song had a strong chance of becoming a copyright so like popping on the string 67 congratulations in 68 and then in 1970 i was the i was the the publisher the producer and the music director for all kinds of everything and then in 1975 i represented Luxembourg and that's where i met Geraldine Branigan of course Geraldine represented Luxembourg with I met Geraldine in the in the auditions to find a singer so Eurovision plays a big part in my life personally and professionally so Eurovision
was a great way to arrive on the scene back then we were talking about Eurovision over the last few weeks Phil and i was saying you know when I was a child like I used to have the whole family involved and i I'd have Eurovision the scores all printed out and they'd all have to and it was a real family affair that doesn't happen now with Eurovision i know it had to happen differently this year because of covet as well but the popularity hasn't been there for quite some time has it depart from a from a music industry perspective the the real judgement in Eurovision is there has not been a real global hit from Eurovision for such a long time yeah you know I'm talking about the days of
abba waterloo that was a global hit volari was a global hit these are copyrights that went global and the songs that are still there today but i would defy you now to go into uh into Ballymount and find a half a dozen people who could tell you uh three songs that won the Eurovision in the last 10 years yeah yeah you know you're talking about two things happened but changed the face of eurovision one was when they opened it up to easter the eastern European block the Azerbaijan's and whatever all of that because whatever their popular music was in a different era from ours yes you know that was one thing the second thing was when they opened it up to to
televoting you know once you empower the general public god knows what i think it happened listen let's talk about uh what's happening today at four o'clock today uh you're doing is it a concert is it a session what does it feel like it came about it came about when when i don't need to tell you guys our industry fell off the edge of a cliff you know and fairly show rather than sit about feeling sorry for myself i uh with encouragement of of a couple of the younger guys my team dara hor who's my kind of content guy he said Phil the only way you're going to keep a presence with your fans and followers is online i had no presence online up until yeah so uh i'm an old dog who had to learn
new tricks yeah so the first thing they did was do this this uh lockdown lounge every Saturday exactly started a year ago today yeah and we we'd Saturday afternoon we would do like 30 40 minutes at the piano play a few tunes sing a few songs tell a few stories and read an excerpt from from from the book uh Bruce never broke so that's what people can expect today Phil songs and stories songs and stories what happened what happened as i was reading excerpts were more and more comments uh to do in audiobooks so we did a poll uh earlier in the year say are you up for an audio book so the the the result was was like an avalanche overwhelmed so i decided
well let's just and you know it's the next best thing to your fans sitting in a theater of some kind and having that intimate experience of song storytelling you know and having a piece of Phil Coulter that's what it is yeah because they you know they react they put on requests and they chat and there's a whole there's a whole community now amongst themselves you know they've become friends uh so listen it's been a learning curve for me yeah you know i knew nothing about this stuff i mean i really had to grab this but this build by the arms in terms of looking forward then looking ahead i mean it's hard to think as you say it's a
year to the day since the first lounge gig that you did you probably didn't think last year that we'd still be doing it a year later did any of us so looking forward Phil what how do you think it looks for the industry in terms of well I'm trying to be positive i'm trying to be positive we're actively now filling out our diary for for we would do an Irish tour in November and December every year that was abandoned last year of course but we're actively filling in our dates for November and December this year trying to stay confident it's trying to stay positive because we just can't wait to get back back on stage and then in in the new year we're planning dates
up the north and then in the united states you just have to you know you have to because i love the way you say wait because it's not just use it at the piano there's a whole industry around you that's the thing that's the thing and here's that's one of the casualties of the lockdown and of our business kind of falling off that cliff is that very skilled guys you know sound crew lighting crew road managers whatever they've just been you know a lot of those guys in order to kind of pay their mortgage in order to kind of like feed and clothe their kids I've had to take jobs driving trucks and stuff like that you know yeah so when we do get back on the road i just
hope those guys are still going to be available well fingers crossed fingers crossed for the industry listen yeah we're going to give her details of the gig today thank you so much for the questions and as as always a joy to see you my pleasure thanks for making my pleasure thank you bill cooper's lockdown lounge has taken place at four o'clock this afternoon over on his facebook page which is phil coulter music and Phil's memoir bruised never broken is now available on online as an audiobook it's all modern.
you've decided to wait to write memoirs long time coming and I think it's a great idea but I do one ask one story
that I was unaware of from your memoirs which involves Mrs. Thatcher an OBE and
your decision on whether or not you wanted to be to accept that OBE and you tell me a little bit about that because
I haven't heard about this beside a letter from 10 Downing Street from the office of Maggie Thatcher saying that
she was of a mind to recommend to her majesty that I should be should be given at OBE and she would like to have
confirmation of the fact that I would accept it there's the letter yeah yeah so with a little part of my ego that was
flattered to having they not offered you know an honour but deep down in my heart score I thought this doesn't sit
comfortably with me you know given my background given the fact that right then Maggie Thatcher would not be my
favorite politician given the way she had the way she reacted through the hunger strikes the way she had treated
the miners during the miner strike I thought for me to accept an honour from this woman and somehow it would be
tantamount to me say well she's okay by me I'm on her team and I wasn't so I thought you know what my egos in good
enough shape I don't need I don't need this OBE so I said I politely declined
well I think that's pretty interesting
Harlen take on England in the Six Nations game in the Aviva on Sunday the stadium will once again ring to the sound of Ireland's call our rugby anthem which is twenty years old this year and the man responsible for archfield culture joins us now Phil you're very welcome nice to be here John and take us back to that time back in 1995 or 1999
to five indeed and you were asked you were given a commission essentially by the IRF you yeah I was called into a meeting initially by their PR company Slattery PR with the initial approach and then meetings with the the IRF you explained what their dilemma was I suppose it had been kind of an elephant in the drawing room for a while John you
know that in that era of all inclusiveness they were looking for a song that could be sung comfortably by players and supporters be they from the north or from the south and so they asked me if I could come up with a kind of a justice Scotland has got the flower of Scotland which is not it's a national anthem or the Wales works have got bread
of heaven or the English God love them I've got sweet but you know they were looking for exporting anthem of course there were kind of conspiracy theorists about the place he thought that this was some kind of appeasement to the Naughties that they were trying to you know replace it around a V and but the the whole point of things to try and get
you know I saw on that that they could stand shoulder to shoulder be their players or supporters as I say and sing the song comfortably so that was a challenge that was the was the that was the job so take us through the thumb writing process with Ireland's crown well you started off of course you start first of all the title that was the
tricky part you know to begin with a title which which says really what you want to say as said as much as you can and as few words as possible songwriting is all a bit economy you know so the title islands called was a good was a good start off point then musically it needed to be something which is not too complicated so you needed a chorus like
sterling sure to shown good image shoulder to shoulder because it's rugby closer sir but the real the the tricky part haven't established the kind of that Marshall sort of a tempo etcetera the tricky part was was the lyric to to convey that all-inclusive thing without being like too cheesy about it you know that you couldn't use words for example
you couldn't use words like United you know because that might be you know a bit that insensitive to the people of North exactly so it couldn't be too it couldn't be too cheesy as I said couldn't be like hands across the board or kind of stuff you know so I remember very well struggling over that but the key then came when I came
up with from the for-profit provinces of Ireland because it's a provincial game and without spelling you know the North and the South you know six counties and 26 the four proud provinces lyrically was the way that got me in there mmm give us maybe a well there's most people don't know that they because we normally at games we play the verse
and the chorus but there's actually three choruses and I think it's the second chorus that that that encapsulate Sarah from from the mighty Glens of Antrim from the rugged hills away from the walls of Limerick and Dublin Bay from the four proud provinces of Ireland see most people don't get the yeah no we
don't yeah it's cut short before that yeah and the third verses are parts of Steel and her jumbo II vowing never to be broken we will fight until we can fight no more for the four proud provinces of our first of and initially I suppose we were prepared for that it was quite a backlash what wasn't there yeah I didn't take me by surprise at all
John I mean when we were discussing it that someone and the IRF said yeah we would you know it's cuz it'll be like it'll be like the Fields of Athenry that they sing at soccer games and I said we'll hold on a second fellas the Fields of Athenry is a hit song it's been out there it's in the public domain for many years with the huge hit for party Riley
for months on end people are aware of it what we're trying to do here is a teach people a new song and B persuade them to sing it and you know well as a race we don't like to be told what we're gonna do or what we're gonna like what we're gonna sing so I knew that we're gonna be a backlash and the rules I mean to this day there are still critics of the sound
that are still big Rodgers yeah you know and you know if you get a room full of people half and we're gonna say it it's a piece of garbage but that's you know it comes with the territory John
that I was unaware of from your memoirs which involves Mrs. Thatcher an OBE and
your decision on whether or not you wanted to be to accept that OBE and you tell me a little bit about that because
I haven't heard about this beside a letter from 10 Downing Street from the office of Maggie Thatcher saying that
she was of a mind to recommend to her majesty that I should be should be given at OBE and she would like to have
confirmation of the fact that I would accept it there's the letter yeah yeah so with a little part of my ego that was
flattered to having they not offered you know an honour but deep down in my heart score I thought this doesn't sit
comfortably with me you know given my background given the fact that right then Maggie Thatcher would not be my
favorite politician given the way she had the way she reacted through the hunger strikes the way she had treated
the miners during the miner strike I thought for me to accept an honour from this woman and somehow it would be
tantamount to me say well she's okay by me I'm on her team and I wasn't so I thought you know what my egos in good
enough shape I don't need I don't need this OBE so I said I politely declined
well I think that's pretty interesting
Harlen take on England in the Six Nations game in the Aviva on Sunday the stadium will once again ring to the sound of Ireland's call our rugby anthem which is twenty years old this year and the man responsible for archfield culture joins us now Phil you're very welcome nice to be here John and take us back to that time back in 1995 or 1999
to five indeed and you were asked you were given a commission essentially by the IRF you yeah I was called into a meeting initially by their PR company Slattery PR with the initial approach and then meetings with the the IRF you explained what their dilemma was I suppose it had been kind of an elephant in the drawing room for a while John you
know that in that era of all inclusiveness they were looking for a song that could be sung comfortably by players and supporters be they from the north or from the south and so they asked me if I could come up with a kind of a justice Scotland has got the flower of Scotland which is not it's a national anthem or the Wales works have got bread
of heaven or the English God love them I've got sweet but you know they were looking for exporting anthem of course there were kind of conspiracy theorists about the place he thought that this was some kind of appeasement to the Naughties that they were trying to you know replace it around a V and but the the whole point of things to try and get
you know I saw on that that they could stand shoulder to shoulder be their players or supporters as I say and sing the song comfortably so that was a challenge that was the was the that was the job so take us through the thumb writing process with Ireland's crown well you started off of course you start first of all the title that was the
tricky part you know to begin with a title which which says really what you want to say as said as much as you can and as few words as possible songwriting is all a bit economy you know so the title islands called was a good was a good start off point then musically it needed to be something which is not too complicated so you needed a chorus like
sterling sure to shown good image shoulder to shoulder because it's rugby closer sir but the real the the tricky part haven't established the kind of that Marshall sort of a tempo etcetera the tricky part was was the lyric to to convey that all-inclusive thing without being like too cheesy about it you know that you couldn't use words for example
you couldn't use words like United you know because that might be you know a bit that insensitive to the people of North exactly so it couldn't be too it couldn't be too cheesy as I said couldn't be like hands across the board or kind of stuff you know so I remember very well struggling over that but the key then came when I came
up with from the for-profit provinces of Ireland because it's a provincial game and without spelling you know the North and the South you know six counties and 26 the four proud provinces lyrically was the way that got me in there mmm give us maybe a well there's most people don't know that they because we normally at games we play the verse
and the chorus but there's actually three choruses and I think it's the second chorus that that that encapsulate Sarah from from the mighty Glens of Antrim from the rugged hills away from the walls of Limerick and Dublin Bay from the four proud provinces of Ireland see most people don't get the yeah no we
don't yeah it's cut short before that yeah and the third verses are parts of Steel and her jumbo II vowing never to be broken we will fight until we can fight no more for the four proud provinces of our first of and initially I suppose we were prepared for that it was quite a backlash what wasn't there yeah I didn't take me by surprise at all
John I mean when we were discussing it that someone and the IRF said yeah we would you know it's cuz it'll be like it'll be like the Fields of Athenry that they sing at soccer games and I said we'll hold on a second fellas the Fields of Athenry is a hit song it's been out there it's in the public domain for many years with the huge hit for party Riley
for months on end people are aware of it what we're trying to do here is a teach people a new song and B persuade them to sing it and you know well as a race we don't like to be told what we're gonna do or what we're gonna like what we're gonna sing so I knew that we're gonna be a backlash and the rules I mean to this day there are still critics of the sound
that are still big Rodgers yeah you know and you know if you get a room full of people half and we're gonna say it it's a piece of garbage but that's you know it comes with the territory John
first of all to put it in context yes I had started producing The Dubliners and so Luke Kelly would it was was a voice that was unlike any of us had ever
heard before yeah Luke Kelly was continually badgering me to write songs that would be a little more serious than pop another stranger
congratulations all the Bay City Rollers or whatever so I was happen to be in Derry visiting my family on the very weekend that internment was introduced
and like most people in Derry we just felt violated at that stage the the intelligence that the British had was was very poor so
they kind of cast the net very wide and they were dragon guys had a bed at four o'clock in the morning for no better reason than they spoke Irish or they
played Gaelic football or they went to Céilí dances or whatever if they were tainted at all as being Republican so I mean we were we were incensed and there
was a kind of knee-jerk reaction my part to write a song called free the people it was an anti internment yes it wasn't a great song because but it was it was
two things it it it was it got that kind of out of my system but it also got me into a space where I was not addressing kind of political situations rather than
puppet on a string congratulations so in the months that followed as the landscape and Derry get more and more bleak going back there to visit my
family became very aware of the fact that there was a there was a pall of gloom over everything yes and I thought this this this this is such a tragic
period in the history of our city that there should be a song about it yes and I thought to myself well if anybody's going to do it you better you know
in 1967 I won with puppet on a string in in 1968 I came second with congratulations then in 1969 I wasn't involved because I was former my own publishing company in 1970 I discovered in the heat here in Ireland I discovered
a little song sung by a Garrett from Derek called rosemary Brown so I signed the song to my publishing company did a new orchestration of it produced the album and that was all kinds of everything but the my
favorite story of Eurovision is in 1974 I was asked by the country of Luxembourg to to write their entry you may say hi to that come about well Luxembourg is a very small country it doesn't have any indigenous music business as such so
they don't have songwriters or singers they can call upon so traditionally they would invite a writer from Germany or Holland or France whatever it might be so in this case because if my previous success they asked me to find a singer
and to write a song to represent Luxembourg that had to be sung in French and that was a song called tois which which came fifth anybody and I said very kind of European but the the the the Side Story 2 that is the singer was
was one Geraldine Brannigan who was my wife and mother of my six kids so that was a bit of a was a bit of a bonus yes did you never enter the national song contest the re song son because all those years I was I was based in I was
based in London III I graduated Queens on a Friday and had borrowed the fair to London and the following Monday I was knocking doors in Denmark Street looking for a starting music business and that was 1965 50 years ago this this year so
I was London-based for all of those for all of those years so the national song contest wasn't wasn't really on my radar no have you watched it over the years a lot of people think it's a pale imitation of what it used to be well I
can see what they mean I think it has there was a period when it kind of lost its way I do think it was a period when it seemed to me like the lunatics had taken over the asylum quite honestly when and I think that two
things to do two things happen which I think changed the face of Eurovision one was when they when they did away with the jury system and empowered just textures well when you empower that generation to text that's you get a
completely different reaction and that kind of coincided with opening up the Eastern Bloc countries you know when the Soviet Union was dismantled and you had Estonian and Latvian and then Azerbaijan a places you never heard of
before they are now competing in Eurovision so there was a whole mix of mud on there and I think the emphasis then became more on the production you know the choreography the bells and whistles the pyrotechnics and I think in
many ways the lost sight of the fact that it's a song contest because the real task John in music terms the real test of the Eurovision Song Contest and the real the real verdict is there hasn't really been a big international
song a big hit song from Eurovision arguably since Waterloo by ABBA that's a long time ago
heard before yeah Luke Kelly was continually badgering me to write songs that would be a little more serious than pop another stranger
congratulations all the Bay City Rollers or whatever so I was happen to be in Derry visiting my family on the very weekend that internment was introduced
and like most people in Derry we just felt violated at that stage the the intelligence that the British had was was very poor so
they kind of cast the net very wide and they were dragon guys had a bed at four o'clock in the morning for no better reason than they spoke Irish or they
played Gaelic football or they went to Céilí dances or whatever if they were tainted at all as being Republican so I mean we were we were incensed and there
was a kind of knee-jerk reaction my part to write a song called free the people it was an anti internment yes it wasn't a great song because but it was it was
two things it it it was it got that kind of out of my system but it also got me into a space where I was not addressing kind of political situations rather than
puppet on a string congratulations so in the months that followed as the landscape and Derry get more and more bleak going back there to visit my
family became very aware of the fact that there was a there was a pall of gloom over everything yes and I thought this this this this is such a tragic
period in the history of our city that there should be a song about it yes and I thought to myself well if anybody's going to do it you better you know
in 1967 I won with puppet on a string in in 1968 I came second with congratulations then in 1969 I wasn't involved because I was former my own publishing company in 1970 I discovered in the heat here in Ireland I discovered
a little song sung by a Garrett from Derek called rosemary Brown so I signed the song to my publishing company did a new orchestration of it produced the album and that was all kinds of everything but the my
favorite story of Eurovision is in 1974 I was asked by the country of Luxembourg to to write their entry you may say hi to that come about well Luxembourg is a very small country it doesn't have any indigenous music business as such so
they don't have songwriters or singers they can call upon so traditionally they would invite a writer from Germany or Holland or France whatever it might be so in this case because if my previous success they asked me to find a singer
and to write a song to represent Luxembourg that had to be sung in French and that was a song called tois which which came fifth anybody and I said very kind of European but the the the the Side Story 2 that is the singer was
was one Geraldine Brannigan who was my wife and mother of my six kids so that was a bit of a was a bit of a bonus yes did you never enter the national song contest the re song son because all those years I was I was based in I was
based in London III I graduated Queens on a Friday and had borrowed the fair to London and the following Monday I was knocking doors in Denmark Street looking for a starting music business and that was 1965 50 years ago this this year so
I was London-based for all of those for all of those years so the national song contest wasn't wasn't really on my radar no have you watched it over the years a lot of people think it's a pale imitation of what it used to be well I
can see what they mean I think it has there was a period when it kind of lost its way I do think it was a period when it seemed to me like the lunatics had taken over the asylum quite honestly when and I think that two
things to do two things happen which I think changed the face of Eurovision one was when they when they did away with the jury system and empowered just textures well when you empower that generation to text that's you get a
completely different reaction and that kind of coincided with opening up the Eastern Bloc countries you know when the Soviet Union was dismantled and you had Estonian and Latvian and then Azerbaijan a places you never heard of
before they are now competing in Eurovision so there was a whole mix of mud on there and I think the emphasis then became more on the production you know the choreography the bells and whistles the pyrotechnics and I think in
many ways the lost sight of the fact that it's a song contest because the real task John in music terms the real test of the Eurovision Song Contest and the real the real verdict is there hasn't really been a big international
song a big hit song from Eurovision arguably since Waterloo by ABBA that's a long time ago
