Celebrate this stupid fake-Irish drunken holiday with four amazing versions of Irish songs by folk revival genius Nic Jones

By Mike McGonigal

Mar 13, 2015 at 10:25 am

Audio By Carbonatix

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Nic Jones is probably the single greatest arranger of British folk song from the entire British folk revival of the 1960s and '70s. His album Penguin Eggs is as close to perfect as it gets, in fact. Jones, whose first band the Halliard recorded an entire album of arrangements of Irish songs, recorded quite a few Irish songs over the course of his career.

Man, this guy is just the best. And if you do not know about the story of his arduous recovery from a hideous accident on the backroads of England, check it out.

As both a person of Irish descent (or "Mickie," as we prefer to be called) whose family fled here in the 19th century during the potato famine, and a raging alcoholic (that also runs in the family, and yes I'm a recovering alcoholic but still an alcoholic), I really think that this idiotic holiday can just go fuck itself, so hard, thank you.

I never even liked it when I did "party," as it just was super gross, and seemed to turn everyone in the world into roving bands of fratties wearing silly "kiss me I'm not really Irish" stickers so proudly.

I'm sure there is something good to St. Patrick's Day; maybe some parade somewhere raises money for homeless youth.

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About The Author

Mike McGonigal

Metro Times music editor Mike McGonigal has written about music since 1984, when he started the fanzine Chemical Imbalance at age sixteen with money saved from mowing lawns in Florida. He's since written for Spin, Pitchfork, the Village VOICE and Artforum. He's been a museum guard, a financial reporter, a bicycle...