[Irish Folk Songs] Surprisingly Familiar Masterpieces and Standards of Ethnic Music
When you think of Irish folk songs, what tunes come to mind?
Many people may know “John Ryan’s Polka” as an Irish tune—the one used in the scene from the film Titanic where Jack and Rose dance in third class.
A hallmark of Irish folk music is the use of traditional instruments such as the uilleann pipes, a type of bagpipe, and the tin whistle.
Plenty of listeners are captivated by the nostalgic timbre of these sounds.
In this article, we’ll introduce classic Irish folk songs—from tracks that make you want to get up and dance to soothing melodies that bring you calm.
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[Irish Folk Songs] Surprisingly Familiar Folk Music Masterpieces and Standards (11–20)
The Lark in the Morning
Irish folk songs include many works about indigenous beliefs and nursery rhymes, but among them are pieces based on messy romantic entanglements and sexual themes.
One such song is “The Lark in the Morning.” It tells the story of a forbidden romance between a ploughboy—a youth who drives a plow with animals—and a maid, and in the end the maid becomes pregnant.
It’s quite a hard-edged love story.
The song has a striking gap between its cheerful melody and its message (haha).
Swallowtail Jig
“Swallowtail Jig,” also known by names such as “The Dancing Master,” is a very famous traditional Irish jig and dance tune.
Jigs are characterized by their structure woven from quick triplet groupings in meters like 6/8, 9/8, or 12/8, creating a uniquely Irish blend of pastoral openness and lively drive that is a joy to listen to.
They are typically performed on instruments commonly used in Irish traditional music, such as the fiddle and tin whistle, but you can find many videos on YouTube featuring a wide variety of instruments, so I hope you’ll enjoy comparing the differences.
Incidentally, “swallowtail” can refer to a swallow’s tail or a swallowtail butterfly, but the reason for this title is unknown.
Foggy Dew
Irish folk music often features many cheerful tunes, but among them are also heavy and powerful works.
One famous example is “The Foggy Dew.” Centered on the theme of war, its lyrics are quite brutal, depicting fighters who, under a hail of bullets, pledge loyalty to Ireland and continue the struggle to win freedom.
The melody matches this content perfectly—weighty and grand in scope.
If you explore Ireland’s historical background, you’ll be able to appreciate the song’s qualities from a different perspective.
Whiskey In The Jar
If you enjoy a drink, this is the kind of title that would make you perk up! With a cheerful rhythm and a melody that conjures images of everyone in a pub breaking into a rousing sing-along, ‘Whiskey in the Jar’ is a song whose exact origins are unclear, though it’s said to have already been sung by the 17th century, and by the 1950s it had been recorded by many artists.
It spread worldwide after the late 1960s, when the Irish folk band The Dubliners featured it on their albums and singles, and in 1973 it became a major hit thanks to a cover by Thin Lizzy, the legendary rock band hailed as Irish heroes.
The version by Metallica—the best-selling metal band in the world—was likely based on Thin Lizzy’s cover.
It was included on their 1998 covers collection Garage Inc.
and later released as a single.
As an aside, despite its overflowing party vibe, the lyrics themselves are actually quite dark and dramatic…
Down by the Salley Gardens
This famous Irish folk song, with a poignantly melancholic melody that moves the heart, is quite different from the more cheerful style of Irish music.
Known as “Down by the Salley Gardens,” the piece originates from verses once hummed by Irish farm women, later edited by Ireland’s celebrated poet and playwright William Butler Yeats.
It poetically recounts the bitter end of a young man’s love.
Some may recognize it from versions by Clannad or solo recordings by members of Celtic Woman.
It also served as the original song for Aoi Teshima’s “Kazoku no Fukei,” and, perhaps surprisingly, was used as the ending theme of the anime Fractale, which became controversial in several respects.