My theme song

Today is St Patrick's Day. And I am a person of Irish ancestry - albeit somewhat remote, since it's is only in the paternal line, the family moved to England more than a hundred years ago, and the migrant grandfather died long before I was born. That doesn't stop me getting sentimental over redheaded girls and wild moorlands, or feeling a shiver in the bones when I hear the old songs.

So, for a timely celebration, here's The Dubliners performing that greatest of all drinking songs, The Wild Rover.

Here's a more raucous electric version by Boston Irish band The Dropkick Murphys.

And here's something of a rarity, The Pogues' version - from their very early days together, and sounding as if it was recorded down the pub; this appeared on the B-side of one of their singles (I forget which; I suspect Dark Streets Of London or Streams of Whiskey - I only knew this because it was on the jukebox at the Bullingdon Arms, one of my favourite Irish pubs in Oxford), and has, I gather, been added to the remastered CD of their debut album Red Roses For Me. I've only previously heard it a handful of times myself, and have seldom met anyone else who knew they'd recorded this. (A still photo only, unfortunately; but a great version of the song.)

Happy St Pat's, everyone!!

A double celebration, since I've also got some great versions of Whiskey In The Jar posted over on The Barstool today.