It’s St. Patrick’s Day again this upcoming Monday. You know, when it really comes down to it, Americans have created a version of St. Patrick's Day that is actually pretty far from how the holiday is commemorated in Ireland. The first instance of St. Patrick’s Day being celebrated in the United States took place during the early 1700’s and has long since evolved into an excuse for many Americans to get really wasted in public. In fact, the traditions such as the consumption of green dyed beer, and the of wearing sparkly green top hats along with t-shirts demanding kisses for being of Irish descent are all very much American creations. You will not find these traditions being practiced in Ireland. To avoid being punched by someone who is actually from Ireland, it is probably best to steer clear of these practices. A better way to celebrate, might be to just avoid any drunken public celebrations all together and to opt to stay in and listen to some of the amazing musical talent that has emerged from The Emerald Isle, which should be pretty easy to do considering the large number of seminal artists that Ireland has exported.
And now in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, here are a few song choices from some of Ireland’s finest…Sinead O’Connor -- The Emperor’s New Clothes
One of the universally recognized singers to come out of Ireland is Sinead O'Connor. She has released nine full length albums during her career and has stirred up a great deal of controversy during her many years in the spotlight. Her 1990 release, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, was O’Connor’s second full length and considered her most popular of albums. Here is the official music video for "The Emperor's New Clothes" off of that album and one of the first glimpses the world was able to get of Sinead's sense of fashion and her unique dance moves...
The Boomtown Rats -- I Don’t Like Mondays
The Boomtown Rats were originally from a suburb south of Dublin called Dún Laoghaire and formed in 1975. The band was fronted by Bob Geldof, who later went on to be known for many other accomplishments beyond his musical talents. In 1984, Geldof co-wrote the Christmas song “Do They Know It’s Christmas” to help raise money for famine ravaged Ethiopia. This then led to his coordination of the Live Aid concert in 1985, which took place simultaneously in London and Philadelphia and raised more than $100 million for famine relief. For his work as an activist, he was at one point nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize and you may also recognize him as the character of “Pink” in the film version of Pink Floyd’s The Wall. But before all of that there was this one from The Boomtown Rats..."I Don't Like Mondays."
U2 -- Where The Streets Have No Name
It wouldn't be a Friday on My Mind post without the inclusion of U2, who are probably one of the most well known, if not the absolute most famous band to ever come out of Ireland. This week we go back to 1987 for the opening song off of The Joshua Tree, which became U2's breakthrough commercial album. The video for this song was filmed in Los Angeles during March of 1987 and took cue from the rooftop performance given by The Beatles in 1969 during the Let It Be era. And now, here is "Where The Streets Have No Name"...
Honorable Mentions:
The Frames -- Falling Slowly
The Frames formed in 1990 in Dublin, Ireland. "Falling Slowly" was prominently used in the Irish film Once and went on to win an Oscar in 2008 for best original song. This song has been performed by and attributed to the on and off screen duo of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irgiova who together were known as Swell Season, but here is footage of the duo performing the song with Glen Hansard’s band The Frames:
Damien Rice -- Cannonball
The official video for Damien Rice's song "Cannonball" from his album O.
It’s time again for Friday on My Mind. Our weekly blog post where we look at videos centered around one common theme. This is a collaborative effort between KEXP and King 5 News.
