Good Night and Joy be With You All

December 6, 2009 8:38 AM

Liam Clancy has died. Liam, last surviving member of the hugely popular Clancy Brothers, strongly influenced Bob Dylan but also became an interpreter of Dylan's work.
posted by jeffen (35 comments total)

I used to love listening to him singing with Tommy Makem when I was a kid. Thanks for this.
posted by jessamyn at 8:55 AM on December 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

Patriot Game
posted by PeterMcDermott at 8:56 AM on December 6, 2009

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posted by corey flood at 9:02 AM on December 6, 2009

Oh, all the comrades e'er I had,
They're sorry for my going away,
And all the sweethearts e'er I had,
They'd wish me one more day to stay,
But since it falls unto my lot,
That I should go and you should not,
I gently rise and softly call,
Good night and joy be with you all.

Good night, Mr. Clancy.

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posted by mephron at 9:09 AM on December 6, 2009 [6 favorites]

Good call Peter Mcdemott. I'm of the opinion that a good number of Metafilter post could benefit from a link to that song. Plus Dylan kinda borrowed it for "With God On Our Side".
posted by jeffen at 9:12 AM on December 6, 2009

A friend of mine in Minneapolis went to see the Swell Season last night and said on Facebook that Glen Hansard led the crowd in a rendition of The Parting Glass for Clancy.

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posted by immlass at 9:30 AM on December 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

Patriot Game was written by Dominic Behan, younger brother of Brendan.



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posted by philip-random at 9:31 AM on December 6, 2009

Oh, man. I've loved the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem since I was young and my father would listen to them. Liam had an amazing voice - so clear and rich, such a delicate touch.

Raising a glass.

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posted by Salieri at 9:35 AM on December 6, 2009

And Dominic Behan called Dylan a plagiarist for his 'use' of the song.
posted by jeffen at 9:39 AM on December 6, 2009

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posted by a womble is an active kind of sloth at 9:50 AM on December 6, 2009

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Not to overshadow Liam Clancy with Dylan stuff, but here's another side-by-side: Clancy Bros. - "Brennan on the Moor" / Dylan - "Ramblin' Gambling Willie". There's certainly room in this world for both, and it's always been nice to hear Dylan talk up Tommy Makem & the Clancy Bros often.
posted by NolanRyanHatesMatches at 10:10 AM on December 6, 2009

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posted by Iridic at 10:30 AM on December 6, 2009

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posted by Bromius at 11:07 AM on December 6, 2009

immlass - You can find footage of The Swell Season performing "The Parting Glass" in Philadelphia last month here . The song starts at 4:15, and includes a lovely spoken tribute to Liam in the middle.
posted by shannonm at 11:10 AM on December 6, 2009

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posted by Faint of Butt at 11:43 AM on December 6, 2009

I was literally just listening to him singing The Dutchman when I saw this.

:'-(
posted by anigbrowl at 12:00 PM on December 6, 2009

Also, there are many recordings of Liam Clancy singing Eric Bogen's 'And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda', but this one from 1992 is my favorite. There is a really great selection of music from Liam Clancy, the brothers, and Tommy Makem on Youtube, so if this touches your heart there's hours worth of great, great music.
posted by anigbrowl at 12:21 PM on December 6, 2009

My dad had a stack of Clancy Brothers records. Listening to them was the definition of any random Sunday in my childhood.

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posted by contessa at 12:22 PM on December 6, 2009

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posted by Hop123 at 12:41 PM on December 6, 2009

♪
posted by RogerB at 1:02 PM on December 6, 2009

I also grew up listening to them because my parents had them on high rotation all the time.


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posted by Nick Verstayne at 1:32 PM on December 6, 2009

Here's the great man doing one of my sing-your-drunken-way-home favourites, Ewan MacColl's Shoals of Herring. Thanks for everything Liam.
posted by Abiezer at 1:41 PM on December 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

My favourite of all is this duet with Tommy Makem, "Peter Kagan and the Wind", in Part 1 (9:32) and Part 2 (3:31).

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posted by angiep at 2:45 PM on December 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

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posted by redbeard at 4:05 PM on December 6, 2009

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posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:09 PM on December 6, 2009

Liam Clancy once went on an epic binge in Waterford with my mam's uncle, before the two of em falling in the door of my grandmother's and loudly demanding tea. That's my only Liam Clancy story.
posted by kersplunk at 4:14 PM on December 6, 2009

I am indeed sorry for his going away. He, his brothers, and Tommy Makem were a huge part of my childhood, and I'm definitely shedding a tear for Mr. Clancy tonight.

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posted by OolooKitty at 6:21 PM on December 6, 2009

I apologize for this, I do, but "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" was written by Eric Bogle.

Rest in peace Mr. Clancy.
posted by Dr. Boom at 8:33 PM on December 6, 2009

I found a three-disk set of Clancy/Makem albums for a hilariously low price at a used music store when I was in high school. It really changed me. When I have kids they'll listen to that music all the time.
posted by crinklebat at 10:03 PM on December 6, 2009

I also grew up with old vinyl records of the Clancy Brothers and with compilations called such things as 'A Nation Once Again, and other rebel songs', 'The Wearing of the Green, and other rebel songs', etc. And this in spite of the fact that my parents were typical urban middle class Dubliners who abhorred both De Valera (apart from being proud that he had stood up against Churchill) and the IRA, etc. In other words, good Fine Gaellers. Most Irish people of my generation, however, are much more negative (or at least ambivalent) about the balladeering tradition represented by Liam Clancy. They can appreciate his rich tones, but this form of romanticising the Irish experience sends shivers down their spines.
posted by degreezero at 2:57 AM on December 7, 2009

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posted by planetkyoto at 5:10 AM on December 7, 2009

degreezero: I've always understood there to be a certain Irish resentment towards Irish-Americans' romanticizing and in many cases aiding (thought not with the Clancys I'm sure) of nationalist violence. It's an interesting subject, the relationship between Ireleand and its diaspora, of which I could serve to learn more about.
posted by jeffen at 6:00 AM on December 7, 2009

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posted by omnidrew at 7:16 AM on December 7, 2009

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posted by jgirl at 10:16 AM on December 7, 2009

degreezero: I've always understood there to be a certain Irish resentment towards Irish-Americans' romanticizing and in many cases aiding (thought not with the Clancys I'm sure) of nationalist violence. It's an interesting subject, the relationship between Ireleand and its diaspora, of which I could serve to learn more about.

It's something I've thought about writing about before but have never found the time.

Romanticising violence gets a bit old when it comes from people who haven't had to live with it.
posted by knapah at 2:50 PM on December 7, 2009