Came across this man purely accidentally, a clip of him singing a very funny song on the Late Late show. I'd loved to have known more about him but, sadly, only the clip and the above song is all I can find. He seemed a wonderful character.
I’ve just come across Brian O’Rourke through the Fire Draw Near podcast, he’s so great, it’s a shame there’s no collection of recordings as far as I can find.
Try typing the Late Late show. There's a wonderful video of him singing a song about carnations. I reckon it was mid eighties, he's younger than the above clip. It's hilarious! Gay Bryne was in stitches.
Hi crc778Hypnodoc. If you click on 'show more' above you will see the link to the where the song words are available on the Inishowen Song Project website.
18 Irish counties touch the sea And them 18 are touched by 13 more The dry one left is one that touches me It's the one I'm proud to call my native shore Yet I can speak with some authority On matters watery and piscatorial In a Moses basket parked beside the sea I acquired a second nature aquatorial We drove down to me Grannies every August And me Ma could sniff the salt at 30 miles The seeing of Grannies house was frigging ginormous And it promised great adventure to a child So I swam to Spain and back and never drownded And I brought a gang of pirates back alive A mermaid wrapped her fishy bits around me And I never cried 'coz I was nearly 5 On our way to Grannies once we had a picnic Beside a wall somewhere in Tipperary Our banana skins were still there black and magic When we returned, some weeks later, from sea faring Now I have to mention events from somewhere Even though it says freak all about the sea For them black banana skins made me aware Of time and space, and the universe and me I remember an excursion to Tramore When me brother and meself got sixpence each The shop stocked cowboy suits and guns galore By naturally beyond our modest reach So we bought a black and silver rubber dagger And a 2 piece cardboard model aeroplane And our parents called us wasteful little shaggers For throwin' their hard earned money down the drain They moved to Galway and I fished for mackerel But supply outstripped demand, so I soon quit And because I loved the sea I found it natural To exploit the periwinkles for a bit Every morning a half stone of them I'd pick Then i'd head to Merchant's Road in mild euphoria In Gibons's I'd get me one and six For the flicks and a few fags in the Astoria At 15 years I feared all female kind But the tom toms pumped the tango in me glands So one day I skipped me dinner and a grind Just to watch some Goddess stretched out on the strand Well I watched her while the Sun shone making hay I watched her bake her belly and her back I watched the Sun go down on Galway Bay Oh I watched her body and my soul turned black Now I've travelled through this land from Y to Z And me wanderin's brought me wisdom and a stoop I've learned from some of Ireland's finest heads The likes of: Malin, Misen, Helvik, Hope and Luke And I've sailed to may fair and far fend islands The Blaskits, Buffen, Arran, Erin's Isle Now I'm told 'tis just as beautiful in Thailand Why wouldn't it, isn't it under the same sky Now I've settled down a stones throw from the sea Oh yes I know it's only Loughatalia Ah but even though it's waves are weak and wee It's one water all the way to South Australia And when the wind gets up and misbehaves I look out from the comfort of my home What is the waves, I ask, what is the waves? What is the foam, ah yes, what is the foam When I moved in I was a turned down man And I tramped the shoreline daily seeking hope I watched the water infiltrate the land And in my mind all kinds of stuff came up So I called me shrink to see if my unconscious Were working hand in glove and wasn't a tablet He looked at me a while and pulled no punches He said, 'Tell me now, you've taken all your tablets'? Me house is cluttered up with shapely stones Took home from every beach around the coast They're odour free, they lie where they are thrown They don't talk back or ask for tea and toast And I've at 34 a gift from sea and storm That pines for sea and tide but not for turtle It symbolises my persistent form Rowing and rowing and going around in circles I was born and reared besides the cemetary And I've had graveyards for neighbours ever since But why should I buy a plot that's cold and scary When an oven only costs a few more pence When it's time to torch and scorch and scrap me Just lay me down on lovely Loughatalia The wind will kiss my ash, the waves will lap me And wash me all the way to sweet Mongolia Yes they'll wash me all the way to sweet Mongolia
A lovely piece to have, Brians humour and Frank Hartes smile, thanks.
I just knew that was Frank instantly
Came across this man purely accidentally, a clip of him singing a very funny song on the Late Late show. I'd loved to have known more about him but, sadly, only the clip and the above song is all I can find. He seemed a wonderful character.
I’ve just come across Brian O’Rourke through the Fire Draw Near podcast, he’s so great, it’s a shame there’s no collection of recordings as far as I can find.
Try typing the Late Late show. There's a wonderful video of him singing a song about carnations. I reckon it was mid eighties, he's younger than the above clip. It's hilarious! Gay Bryne was in stitches.
Hi James, which episode of FDN was it? I’m Brian’s daughter Eva and i’d love to listen to it!
Hi crc778Hypnodoc. If you click on 'show more' above you will see the link to the where the song words are available on the Inishowen Song Project website.
Brilliant haha
Anyone know where I could get the words to this?
18 Irish counties touch the sea
And them 18 are touched by 13 more
The dry one left is one that touches me
It's the one I'm proud to call my native shore
Yet I can speak with some authority
On matters watery and piscatorial
In a Moses basket parked beside the sea
I acquired a second nature aquatorial
We drove down to me Grannies every August
And me Ma could sniff the salt at 30 miles
The seeing of Grannies house was frigging ginormous
And it promised great adventure to a child
So I swam to Spain and back and never drownded
And I brought a gang of pirates back alive
A mermaid wrapped her fishy bits around me
And I never cried 'coz I was nearly 5
On our way to Grannies once we had a picnic
Beside a wall somewhere in Tipperary
Our banana skins were still there black and magic
When we returned, some weeks later, from sea faring
Now I have to mention events from somewhere
Even though it says freak all about the sea
For them black banana skins made me aware
Of time and space, and the universe and me
I remember an excursion to Tramore
When me brother and meself got sixpence each
The shop stocked cowboy suits and guns galore
By naturally beyond our modest reach
So we bought a black and silver rubber dagger
And a 2 piece cardboard model aeroplane
And our parents called us wasteful little shaggers
For throwin' their hard earned money down the drain
They moved to Galway and I fished for mackerel
But supply outstripped demand, so I soon quit
And because I loved the sea I found it natural
To exploit the periwinkles for a bit
Every morning a half stone of them I'd pick
Then i'd head to Merchant's Road in mild euphoria
In Gibons's I'd get me one and six
For the flicks and a few fags in the Astoria
At 15 years I feared all female kind
But the tom toms pumped the tango in me glands
So one day I skipped me dinner and a grind
Just to watch some Goddess stretched out on the strand
Well I watched her while the Sun shone making hay
I watched her bake her belly and her back
I watched the Sun go down on Galway Bay
Oh I watched her body and my soul turned black
Now I've travelled through this land from Y to Z
And me wanderin's brought me wisdom and a stoop
I've learned from some of Ireland's finest heads
The likes of: Malin, Misen, Helvik, Hope and Luke
And I've sailed to may fair and far fend islands
The Blaskits, Buffen, Arran, Erin's Isle
Now I'm told 'tis just as beautiful in Thailand
Why wouldn't it, isn't it under the same sky
Now I've settled down a stones throw from the sea
Oh yes I know it's only Loughatalia
Ah but even though it's waves are weak and wee
It's one water all the way to South Australia
And when the wind gets up and misbehaves
I look out from the comfort of my home
What is the waves, I ask, what is the waves?
What is the foam, ah yes, what is the foam
When I moved in I was a turned down man
And I tramped the shoreline daily seeking hope
I watched the water infiltrate the land
And in my mind all kinds of stuff came up
So I called me shrink to see if my unconscious
Were working hand in glove and wasn't a tablet
He looked at me a while and pulled no punches
He said, 'Tell me now, you've taken all your tablets'?
Me house is cluttered up with shapely stones
Took home from every beach around the coast
They're odour free, they lie where they are thrown
They don't talk back or ask for tea and toast
And I've at 34 a gift from sea and storm
That pines for sea and tide but not for turtle
It symbolises my persistent form
Rowing and rowing and going around in circles
I was born and reared besides the cemetary
And I've had graveyards for neighbours ever since
But why should I buy a plot that's cold and scary
When an oven only costs a few more pence
When it's time to torch and scorch and scrap me
Just lay me down on lovely Loughatalia
The wind will kiss my ash, the waves will lap me
And wash me all the way to sweet Mongolia
Yes they'll wash me all the way to sweet Mongolia