Ronnie Drew (1934 - 2008) was an Irish singer and folk musician, born in Du… Read Full Bio ↴Ronnie Drew (1934 - 2008) was an Irish singer and folk musician, born in Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin, on 16 September 1934. He founded the Ronnie Drew Group, later to be known as The Dubliners with Luke Kelly, Barney McKenna and Ciaran Bourke in 1962. He was a member of the Dubliners from 1962 to 1974 and from 1979 to 1995. From 1995 on he pursued a solo career. In the fifties he emigrated to Spain to teach English and learn Spanish and Flamenco Guitar.

He is also known for fronting a campaign to encourage the use of Dublin's train infrastructure - Dublin Area Rapid Transit (the DART).

On August 22nd 2006 his hand prints were added to the walk of fame outside Dublin's Gaeity theatre.

He has recorded with many great artists, like Moore, The Pogues, Breschi and others.

On August 16 2008 Drew passed away after a long battle with cancer. He was 73.

The Old Man's Tale
Ronnie Drew Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

At the turning of the century I was a boy of five
Me father went to fight the Boers and never came back alive
Me mother was left to bring us up, no charity she'd seek
So she washed and scrubbed and scrapped along on seven and six a week

When I was twelve I left the school and went to find a job
I took the royal shilling and went off to do my bit
I lived on mud and tears and blood, three years or thereabouts

Then I copped some gas in flanders and got invalided out

Well when the war was over and we'd settled with the Hun
We got back into civvies and we thought the fighting done
We'd won the right to live in peace but we didn't have such luck
For we found we had to fight for the right to go to work

In '26 the General Strike found me out in the streets
Although I'd a wife and kids by then and their needs I had to meet
For a brave new world was coming and I taught them wrong from right
But Hitler was the lad who came and taught them how to fight

My daughter was a landgirl, she got married to a Yank
And they gave my son a gong for stopping one of Rommel's tanks
He was wounded just before the end and he convalesced in Rome
He married an Eyetie nurse and never bothered to come home

My daughter writes me once a month, a cheerful little note
About their colour telly and the other things they've got
She's got a son, a likely lad; he's nearly twenty-one
And she tells me now they've called him up to fight in Vietnam

We're living on the pension now, it doesn't go too far
Not much to show for a life that seems like one long bloody war

When you think of all the wasted lives it makes you want to cry
I'm not sure how to change things, but by Christ we'll have to try

Overall Meaning

Ronnie Drew's "The Old Man's Tale" is a poignant song that tells the story of a man's life marked by the wars he lived through. The song starts with the singer recalling his childhood memories when his father went to fight in the Boer War and never came back. His mother was left to raise the children on her own, struggling to make ends meet with little money. At 12 years old, the singer left school and joined the war effort, enduring the brutality and horrors of the battlefield.

After the war, the singer returned home, hoping for a peaceful life. However, he soon found himself fighting once again, this time in the form of the General Strike of 1926. Despite having a wife and kids to care for, the singer continued to fight for what he believed was right. However, his hopes and dreams for a better world were shattered when Hitler rose to power and WWII broke out. The singer's children also became entangled in wars; his daughter's son was called up to fight in Vietnam.

The song speaks to the devastating impact of war, not only on those who fight but also on the families left behind. It highlights the struggle of ordinary people, whose lives are marked by poverty, hardship, and sacrifice.

Line by Line Meaning

At the turning of the century I was a boy of five
At the start of the 1900s, I was a young child of five years old

Me father went to fight the Boers and never came back alive
My father fought in the Boer War and died, leaving my mother to raise us alone

Me mother was left to bring us up, no charity she'd seek
My mother refused to ask for help and worked hard to raise us without my father

So she washed and scrubbed and scrapped along on seven and six a week
My mother worked tirelessly and earned very little money to support our family on a weekly basis

When I was twelve I left the school and went to find a job
At the age of twelve, I had to leave school to find work and help support my family

I took the royal shilling and went off to do my bit
I joined the military and went to fight for my country

I lived on mud and tears and blood, three years or thereabouts
I experienced the horrific conditions of war, including mud, tears, and blood for approximately three years

Then I copped some gas in flanders and got invalided out
I was injured by poisonous gas in Flanders and had to leave the military due to my injuries

Well when the war was over and we'd settled with the Hun
When World War I ended and peace was restored, we had defeated the Germans

We got back into civvies and we thought the fighting done
We returned to civilian life and believed that the fighting was over

We'd won the right to live in peace but we didn't have such luck
Although we had fought and won the war, we soon realized that peace was still elusive

For we found we had to fight for the right to go to work
We were shocked to discover that we had to fight for the right to work after the war was over

In '26 the General Strike found me out in the streets
In 1926, I participated in the general strike and protested for better conditions and workers' rights

Although I'd a wife and kids by then and their needs I had to meet
Even though I had a wife and children, I still fought for better conditions in hopes of creating a better future for them

For a brave new world was coming and I taught them wrong from right
I believed that a better future was on the horizon and I taught my children values and essential things in life

But Hitler was the lad who came and taught them how to fight
However, Hitler emerged and influenced my children and their generation to fight for a different purpose

My daughter was a landgirl, she got married to a Yank
My daughter joined the land army and later married an American soldier

And they gave my son a gong for stopping one of Rommel's tanks
My son was awarded a medal for stopping one of Rommel's tanks during the war

He was wounded just before the end and he convalesced in Rome
My son sustained injuries prior to the end of the war and went to Rome to recover

He married an Eyetie nurse and never bothered to come home
My son became close to an Italian nurse and never returned home after marrying her

My daughter writes me once a month, a cheerful little note
My daughter sends me a letter once a month with updates about her life and family

About their colour telly and the other things they've got
She tells me about the luxuries they enjoy, like their color television and other possessions

She's got a son, a likely lad; he's nearly twenty-one
My daughter has a son who is almost twenty-one and has many admirable qualities

And she tells me now they've called him up to fight in Vietnam
My daughter has informed me that her son has been drafted to fight in the Vietnam War

We're living on the pension now, it doesn't go too far
We are now living on our pension, which does not provide enough money to support us comfortably

Not much to show for a life that seems like one long bloody war
Despite living through many wars and fighting for a better life, we do not have much to show for it

When you think of all the wasted lives it makes you want to cry
Reflecting on all of the lives lost or negatively impacted makes the situation unbearable

I'm not sure how to change things, but by Christ we'll have to try
Although I am uncertain how to improve things, we must try to make positive changes in the world

Contributed by Harper Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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