The Dubliners - Róisin The Bow

[patrickspoint]

Iif you imagine an expert in producing the resin, who travelled around, visiting musicians applying the resin or roisin, he would become known as Roisin the Bow.

[patrickspoint]

Roisin is a corruption of the word Rosin, also known as Greek Pitch. It's a resin, obtained from the pine tree and used by players of stringed instruments. They rub it on the bow string so it can better pick up the violin strings, or other stringed instrument. So, Roisin the Bow is simply rubbing resin on the bow string.

[breffnipark]

Definately the BEST version of a great song !

[YoshiIguana698]

When I'm dead and laid out on the counter

A voice you will hear from below

Saying "Send down a hogshead of whiskey

Take a drink with old Rosin the Bow."

[BeastlyIrishman]

roison the bow on the fiddle

thats what it means



[BeastlyIrishman]

@BeastlyIrishman a comparison is Charlie Daniels' Devil went down to Georgia, "Johnny, roison up your bow, and play your fiddle hard."

[datasouth]

Thanks GREAT Thanks for posting these great songs! A great source for my song list. Wish me luck and Thanks again to Andrea!

[BoudiccaBlanc]

Róisín means "Dark Rose" (Is it "Beau"? or "bow"?)

In any event the song is about a person. The first verse is about digging the grave of the song's subject (Róisín or Rosin) Also, a "Beau" can reproduce but not a "bow" (see part of the verse below....)

"I've only this one consolation

As out of this world I go

I know that the next generation

Will resemble old Rosin the Bow......"

--from a song lyric site found on Google.

(Google is your friend...)

[BoudiccaBlanc]

I meant to say "Róisín" means "Rose" ( Róisín Dubh = "Dark Rose).

"Róisín" may have been the man's last name or a nickname. "Róisín the beau" "Rose, the handsome"?

It's a great song.... And an old one too! :-)

[Aishiya1]

@BoudiccaBlanc Perhaps he is Roisin Le Beau? I figured the first name to be Gaelic but the last to be French. The beautiful dark rose? Some guy who was Black Irish or a Frenchman who fought for the Irish?

[senneuh1]

ill guess the dislike came from...satan??

[BoudiccaBlanc]

@senneuh1

a member of the W.C.T.U. ;-)

a Mohammadan (opposed to liquor & song)

[senneuh1]

@BoudiccaBlanc

hmmmmmmmmm this is a conspiracy against the music and Binge drinking!!! we must find and massacre this pagan!!!

[MrBradipo73]

@senneuh1 a teetotaller maybe?

[fahzbehn]

It's nice to hear a performance of this that matches my childhood memory of how beautiful the song is, having heard it many times at folk festivals and rendezvous (1800-1840s reenactments).

[dfjmexico]

This song has been around a LONG LONG time. The tune was borrowed as far back as the American Civil War by a Confederate Brigade out of Missouri: check out "Kelly's Irish Brigade!"

[RobertRuhi]

Fabulous;

Dubliners UK tour 2011: have just booked to see them in Leeds : )

do a search on google, won't allow me to post a link

[orkam64]

I learned the melody as a song called "Acres of Clams" (about settlers in Puget Sound) We Americans will steal anything.

[Dobes2TBK]

interesting the seated banjo picker pulls off some mandolin stunts....

[HenkMarks]

@Dobes2TBK Barney McKenna is one of the best: mandolin or banjo ... and that for some decades

[brianmorganbarney]

this is a song about love. the love of life! and a stout fellow who played at all venues,weds and funerals, now facing his own demise ,offering a drink to death``,the ould tyrant approaching``or as the irish would say to the grim reaper himself ``leave that stick at the door,take off your coat,and give us a song,ye ould bastard``

[hetrodoxly]

@Lasse3030

? i assume you've participated in one or two before you made this post :)

[Jurk182]

cheers.

[zarthered]

Bormann created a certain persona around himself that made others uneasy and even afraid. Bormann was nicknamed “The Bull” for his intimidating appearance, and an underling of Goebbels said under oath that “Dr. Goebbels was quite clearly scared of Martin Bormann,” (McGovern 6). Even Heinz Guderian, the former Chief of the Army General Staff said of Bormann “next to Himmler, [he is] the most sinister member of Hitler’s entourage,” (McGovern 6).

[jassuz15]

Great song!

[TroutDancert]

I've seen this song's title as Roisin The Beau

[Thompsonf1001]

@TroutDancert yeah same, wich is part of my theory of the song, beau being a shortend version of beauty, wich could be anything from an old "merry woman" to the pub land lady

[TheBarnicoat]

@TroutDancert I thought it was a bit of a play on words. Fiddlers apply Rosin to the bow to improve the tone. Thus Roisin the Bow. I think it's quite clever hehe.

Whether Beau or Bow came first who knows, but either way it works :)

[shellback1978]

excellent...A number One

[TheRababa]

andreas alle videos sind super und wichtig. the dubliners sind eine legende und dürfen nicht vergessen werden. deshalb danke ich dir für das "reinstellen " hier.

and this from a german

thanks

[m4motk]

who - actuALLY - was - Róisin The Bow ????

WHO WAS HE??? any body know ???

Sonds like your local - street corner - Achoholic to me.............. ???

Anybody know ????

Love the lovely - lively marvelous song but ........

Sounds like your total local - street corner ALKy to me....

M4

[hetrodoxly]

@m4motk

It's a play on words all fiddle and violin players have to "Rosin the bow" every so often you take a small block of resin (Rosin) and draw the fiddle bow over it, if you don't no sound will come out of your violin, it's not an Irish song.

[howieweiss]

I love it. Very sweet. And it was used by 19th century presidential race.

[russtacean]

sweet.

[oconnorm2008]

@steamboatwillie

It means to apply the "Waxy" Substance called "Roisin" to the bow used to play the fiddle, Can also mean to "lubricate" or loosen yourself to play or enjoy the music

[cooperwally1949]

fantastic, this is the best version i have heard yet

[irkofan]

@cooperwally1949 Of course it is! Jim McCann's singing it. XP

[MrSteamboatWillie]

What does actually Róisin The Bow mean? Great song btw:-)

[roroc11]

@MrSteamboatWillie the word Róisin means "Rose" in Irish. I am not sure what the Bow refers to though

[Indee619]

@roroc11 you have to Roisin your violin/fiddle's bow, before you can play your instrument. It's what makes the bow produce sound on the violin/fiddle.

[MrSteamboatWillie]

What does he say 1:50? Let's make Barney seasick?

[Findas88]

@MrSteamboatWillie Yes he wanted the people to move on their seats and alter the rows to make good old Barney seasick

[MrSteamboatWillie]

Haha...cool

[TheSusieHan]

Yep. You're right.

[smokingpanda]

1:37 i can tell white rapp doesnt wanna be there

[BoudiccaBlanc]

Super concert. :-D

The song "Lord of The Dance" is my "fav" from this concert but I can't think of a Dublliner's version of a song I didn't "luv"

:-D

[Redbullav]

Hello,from Portugal I saw a concert in this Theatre,with this brilliant boys!!!Tell me the year I think was 2004 where I can find videos...related,thanks

[relimes]

Jim Mcgoddamncann!

[Drewtazy]

A lovely performance...we all need to sing more often.

[NinjaCoen]

I heard that! I'll be seeing the Dubs this Friday, it will be an evening with lots of chanting and singing.. beautiful!

[bellerace1]

Its in the Gaeity.

[deblewis01]

looks like a beautiful theatre ,curved rails etc-don't have such fine things in my area (rural alberta canada) love this group.

[KiltDude32]

The Dubs look like they're having a blast! That's the best part of being able to see the video, you get to see them having fun while they're performing. Take a drink!

[deblewis01]

please tell me the name of the violinist !!

[McTooij]

that is johan sebastian sheahan, But most people cal him john sheahan

[samdaero]

is this in the olympia? looks really familiar.

[LoocpeeK]

The Gaiety Theatre, Dublin (at least, that´s how another video in this location, off the same concert was subscribed)

[affe1212]

lol that kid in 1:38

[zephyer42]

If u actualy listen to the song you realise that it is about the man getting ready to die,

I've traveled all over this wide world, and now to another i go

by saying to welcome i rosin the bow means that he is getting his fiddle/violin ready to play his way into the afterlife and have a party to end it all with a kick,,, there also are a few more allusions to dying in the song

[gordinhurox]

true that

[lucaskamp]

*every* verse is about his getting ready to die ... and all but the first have a reference to drinking ---

when I'm dead and laid out on the counter

a voice will be heard from below

saying send down a hogshead of whiskey

to drink with old rosin the bow

now get a half dozen stout fellows

and line them all up in a row

have them drink out of half-gallon bottles

to the memory of rosin the bow

[lucaskamp]

then take this half dozen stout fellows

and have them all staggering go

to dig a great hole in a meadow

and in it put rosin the bow

i feel the approach of the tyrant

that cruel and remorseless old foe

and i lift up me glass in his honor

take a drink with old rosin the bow

[blahblahblah85]

Does the phrase mean dark roslyn?

[1cosmicwarrior]

I think you're thinking of Rosine dubh (dark roseleen)

[tarmenmin]

The best version there are!

[jesscheckin]

'I'll tune me fiddle and i'll rosin me bow'

From the Jug of Punch, the verse that starts,

'Well if I get drunk, sure the money's me own'

So must be a long-running joke

[stryder87]

Man alive, those dubliners are just fantastic, we need more bards like those fellas I can tell you that. I don't think I have heard them at this point sing a song that I haven't liked.

[SnoweLprd]

Sorry mate! a bit of the Guiness (and 'bout 2 O'Hara's stout for seasoning) got to me and mistakenly i clicked the doo dad for the thumbs down.

I whole heartedly agree with what ya say- The Dubs are the voice of all things Irish.

May you have:

A world of wishes at your command.

God and his angels close to hand.

Friends and family their love impart,

and Irish blessings in your heart!

SnoweLprd

[paseggiato]

for Lincoln and Liberty too!!!!!! lol lol lol

[KittyStarlight]

The "Roisin" spelling is *probably* just a mistake, especially since Roisin is pronounced Rosheen, *not* the same pronunciation as Rosin. And I've always supposed that why it's Rosin is because that's the resin for bows (and if you were putting resin on a bow, you would "rosin the bow"...so I assume that's what the wordplay is about ^_^). Looks like somebody found out there's an Irish name Roisin and mistakenly thought that it applied to this song (it doesn't, usually! ^_~).

[Orctooth]

This song moves me everytime. A glass raised.

[gordinhurox]

all dubs songs move me :)

[0oToonyo0]

Me too, I just love them

[JMD0429]

God Speed Ronnie. I know good quarters are waiting for you.

[gfl1984]

This song has survived for many a long year and when it is sung in public i dare any of the listening audience not to be tempted to at least join in the chorus. The Dubliners do a terrific job on it because as a group you can hear every single instrument and vocal - no idlers here! Great stuff!

[JohnPreston0157]

@gfl1984 Can you tell me (german) how you mean that? You think it's good or bad? Many words you wrote one can translate in two ways to german, so I don't understand it very well :C terrific p.e. means "wonderful" just as well as "horrible" in german and idler can be translated to "bludger" as well as to "guide roller"...you see my problem?^^

thanks forwards:)

[steinerz66]

"Old Rosin the Beau" (1838)

Comic Song

Dedicated to the Members of the Falcon Club

by the Publisher [Ld. Meignen & Co.]

Arranged by J. C. Beckell

[w3dy333]

woooow

[HasburgLorraine]

Oh.

[HabsburgLorraine]

After hearing the song, I'm more inclined to your explanation, but Roisin is not a common name, and I've never met anyone called the Bow. I am curious to find out.

[HabsburgLorraine]

Ah, yes. But could it also be symbolic (though I don't know what of). When one is about to play a string instrument, one must 'rosin' it (apply a certain type of tree resin to it to create more friction with the instrument). Thus, one 'Rosins the Bow.' It is pronounced the same way, though not spelled.

[HaulAwayJoe]

I never heard the Dubliners sing this one, I always thought it was just a Clancy song. This is great!

[greenphantom]

Take a drink with old Rosin the Bow!

[mmmm66]

what does Róisin The Bow mean?

[Guyptp12]

The Great Jim McCann!

[Seraftw]

i love this song :D

[commissargribb]

the dubliners are great

[niure86]

Great song!