Songs For Saturday: U2, Clannad, Celtic Woman and the Irish Rovers

Hi there and welcome to another edition of Songs For Saturday, wherein each Saturday I post links to songs that I like.

It’s a nuanced concept and may be hard to follow.

Anyway, I thought that for today, I would get a jump on St. Patrick’s Day (coming up Tuesday, March 17th) with some favorite songs by Irish performers.

Which gives me an excuse to feature some music from my favorite (and the best) rock ‘n’ roll band of all time, U2.

Up first is Gloria, a song from U2’s earliest days when Bono was just a young singer in a rock ‘n’ roll band. This particular version of Gloria is a live performance from U2’s Under a Blood Red Sky, their live at Red Rocks album. 

Way back in the day when I worked in college radio, I played the hell out of that song every chance I got. I get such an adrenaline rush and I’m ready to start fightin’ the world. 

Next up is a song that first appeared on U2’s Achtung Baby called Love Is Blindness. Although Joshua Tree is a solid rock album masterpiece, Achtung Baby is my personal favorite U2 album. 

This particular performance of Love Is Blindness is a solo acoustic set by The Edge.  Since the earliest days of U2, The Edge has established himself as a premiere guitar virtuoso in rock music. The way The Edge masters the guitar delivers sonic waves of indescribable power and passion.  Here we get a more reserved Edge who also sings in this clip. Bono gets all the props for his powerful voice and broad range but here, The Edge proves his talents extend beyond what he can do with a guitar.

That is a very emotional take on that song. The Edge’s voice really conveys the underlying hurt in the lyrics.

It make’s me want to start drinkin’.

Let’s take a moment to move away from U2 for a bit and look at another Irish band, Clannad. While U2 is a lot of power chords, trobbing base lines and pounding drums, Clannad has  a more ethereal approach to music. In this clip, we hear the haunting melodies of the theme to Harry’s Game, a British TV drama. 

I feel sad. How do I make the sad feel better: drinkin’ or fightin’?

And now, before we move on to our next Irish themed song, let’s take a quiz.

Are You Irish?

1)      Do you like drinkin’?

2)      Do you like fightin’?

3)      Do you like to do some drinkin’ after your fightin’?

4)      While doing some drinkin’, do you think you would like do some fightin’ as well?

5)      If given a choice ‘tween drinkin’ and fightin’, do you answer, “Both, you bastard!”? 

6)      Are you in fact drinkin’ and fightin’ right now?

7)      Are you thinking that I’m engaging in outdated Irish stereotypes and have insulted your honor so as soon as you finish your drinkin’, you’re gonna be fightin’ me about it?

If you answered “yes” to any of these, congratulations, you’re Irish!

Next up is a song by Celtic Woman that’s not about drinkin’ or fightin’.  Just a young woman named Meiri looking to have a good time. Let's give a listen to "Téir Abhaile 'Riú". 

This next song you can blame on my daughter Randie.  She has an affinity for Celtic music and particularly songs of Irish origin about drinkin’ or fightin’.

Randie introduced this song to her mother and I on a long car trip. It’s the Irish Rovers and the Dublin Pub Crawl.  This particular clip includes lyrics so you can sing along, you drinkin’,  fightin’ bastards!

Wow, that is a lot of drinkin’! You might say that’s too much drinkin’ but them’s fightin’ words.

OK, there’s been a lot of music in today’s post with 5 songs so far. But I gotta go for 6 as I bring back U2 for another performance.

This is a live performance of Where the Streets Have No Name with a verse of Amazing Grace to start things off. This is my absolute favorite U2 clip on You Tube.

Whoa! That. Is. AWESOME!

I never get tired if listening to that.

OK, that’s is that.

Hope all these songs get you in the mood for St. Patrick’s Day coming ‘round in a few days.

Until next time, remember to be good to one another and always keep the music alive, you drinkin’, fightin’ bastards!

OK, bonus clip time! 

Let's close out with some Irish Step Dancing,