St. Patrick's Day, Vol. 4

Plants are blooming, allergies are setting in, and St. Patrick's Day 2023 has almost arrived. While we all get in touch with Irish culture, I'm here to provide a soundtrack of sorts to the festivities for the upcoming weekend. As always, you can find the full Master Playlist by following me @audioaesthetics on Apple Music.

Get Lucky by Daft Punk ft. Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers (written by N. Rodgers, G. Christie, T. Bangalter, P. Williams)

Featured on Daft Punk's 2013 album Random Access Memories, a song about luck is right at home on this playlist. I remember ten years ago when this song had permeated every radio station, retail establishment, and restaurant, and while it was beyond annoying at the time we're now far enough removed from it to where I can listen to this song again and remember what a bop it is. That classic tech pop sound of Daft Punk mixed with Nile Rodgers' excellent guitar playing really mesh together well.

Like the legend of the Phoenix/All ends with beginnings/What keeps the planet spinning/The force from the beginning, hm, love/We've come too far to give up who we are/So let's raise the bar and our cups to the stars/She's up all night 'til the sun, I’m up all night to get some/She's up all night for good fun, I’m up all night to get lucky/We're up all night 'til the sun, we're up all night to get some/We're up all night for good fun, we're up all night to get lucky/We're up all night to get lucky, we're up all night to get lucky/We're up all night to get lucky, we're up all night to get lucky

Only Time by Enya (written by E. Ni-Bhraonain, N. Ryan, R. Ryan)

Featured on Enya's 2000 album A Day Without Rain, this is easily the Irish songstress's most recognizable song, at least here in the USA. There is just something about this song that, no matter how "over"played, how memed, or how it ages, that is incredibly calming to me whenever I hear it. Enya's vocals are absolutely ethereal, and in my opinion it's well earned as her most popular song.

Who can say where the road goes/Where the day flows, only time/And who can say if your love grows/As your heart chose, only time/Who can say why your heart sighs/As your love flies, only time/And who can say why your heart cries/When your love lies, only time

Broken Whiskey Glass by Post Malone (written by A. Post, I. Kalai, R. Roberts, M. Kudo)

Featured on Posty's 2016 album Stoney, this opening track has just grabbed me with its fairly haunting vibe since the first time I heard it. It's mainly here this week for the shoutout to whiskey, but it's also just a good song that you may have missed out on if you haven't listened to a full Post Malone album before. It's got a good, steady beat, good production, and is just a good time (geez, Jordan, how many more times can you say good today?).

I done drank codeine from a broken whiskey glass/I done popped my pills and I smoked my share of grass/Slaved for the man and I broke my fuckin' back/So you can take your nine-to-five and shove it up your ass/And I won't go on, like a highway to hell/Going too damn fast, I spilled drink on my Chanel/And I woke up and my room's fuckin' trashed like a damn hotel/Where I go next, now, only time will tell

Seven Drunken Nights by The Dubliners (written by L. Kelly, B. McKenna, J. Sheahan, R. Drew, C. Bourke)

Originally featured on The Dubliner's 1967 album A Drop of the Hard Stuff, this is probably what a lot of people think of when they are asked to come up with a classic Irish drinking song. The version I listened to this week stated off with one of the guys saying the song is about seven drunken nights but they're only allowed to sing about five of them, which I thought was so funny and added an extra layer of light onto an already fun song. It sounds like they're having fun here, which is always the dream with good music.

As I went home on Monday night as drunk as drunk could be/I saw a horse outside the door where my old horse should be/Well, I called me wife and I said to her, "Will you kindly tell to me/Who owns that horse outside the door where my old horse should be”/Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk, you silly old fellow, still you can not see/That's a lovely sow that me mother sent to me/Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more/But a saddle on a sow sure I never saw before

I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers (written by C. Reid, C. Reid)

Featured on The Proclaimers' 1988 album Sunshine on Leith, I somehow convinced myself that the Reid Twins were Irish instead of Scottish, so that part's my bad. However, anyone who's ever attended the Dallas St. Patrick's Day Parade (or any St. Patrick's Day parade, likely) will understand the feeling of having walked 500-1000 miles, with lots of them probably not being in a straight line. No matter where they're from, The Proclaimers have an absolutely iconic banger in this classic.

When I wake up, well I know I'm gonna be/I’m gonna be the man who wakes up next to you/When I go out, yeah, I know I'm gonna be/I’m gonna be the man who goes along with you/When I get drunk, well I know I'm gonna be/I’m gonna be the man who gets drunk next to you/And when I haver, hey, I know I'm gonna be/I’m gonna be the man who's havering to you/And I would roll 500 miles/And I would roll 500 more/Just to be the man who rolls a thousand miles/To fall down at your door

An Irish Pub Song by The Rumjacks (written by F. McLaughlin, A. Kenny, G. Whitbourne, J. McKelvey, A. Matters)

Featured on The Rumjacks' 2010 album Gangs of New Holland, this Celtic punk band puts a lot of chaotic energy into this track that makes it undeniably (and perhaps stereotypically) Irish despite originally hailing from Australia. It's loud, it's proud, and you can feel the atmosphere of a rowdy pub as though you're physically there while listening. It may not be for everyone, but it's definitely worth a listen.

There's a county map to go on the wall, a hurling stick and a shinty ball/The bric, the brac, the craic and all, let's call it an Irish pub/Caffreys, Harp, Kilkenny on tap, the Guinness pie and that cabbage crap/The ideal wannabee Paddy trap, we'll call it an Irish pub/Whale, oil, beef, hooked, I swear upon the holy book/The only 'craic' you'll get is a slap in the ear/Whale, oil, beef, hooked, I'll up and burst yer filthy mug/If you draw one more shamrock in me beer

Beautiful Day by U2 (written by P. Hewson, A. Clayton, L. Mullen, D. Evans)

Featured on U2's 2000 album All That You Can't Leave Behind, this is a classic U2 song in every sense, from Bono's distinct vocals to The Edge's signature guitar playing. Whatever your personal feelings about them, the Irish rock band is one of the best selling musical acts in the world. This song's a pretty easy listen, and while I don't find the melody catchy I do find myself bobbing my head along as I listen whenever it comes on.

The heart is a bloom, shoots up through the stony ground/There's no room, no space to rent in this town/You're out of luck and the reason that you had to care/The traffic is stuck and you're not moving anywhere/You thought you'd found a friend to take you out of this place/Someone you could lend a hand in return for grace/It's a beautiful day/Sky falls, you feel like/It's a beautiful day/Don't let it get away

Whether you're more excited for St. Patrick's Day or Spring Break this week, I hope you found some new music to enjoy from this post. Happy listsening, and see ya'll next week!