MarcSONGS Podcast

I think I first learned this song from The Wolfe Tones when I first started learning Irish songs. It captured my imagination as it told the story of an Irishman who immigrates to Australia. The song was collected in Australia in the 1950s by H.P.C. 'Duke' Tritton. This version is sung with an Irish pirate brogue for my CD, Going for Brogue. Released under a Creative Commons Noncommercial ShareAlike License. If you enjoy this recording, support independent music and pick up this CD, 'Going for Brogue: Irish Pub Songs and Sea Shanties with an Accent' at www.marcgunn.com or by calling 1-800-BUY-MY-CD.

What happens when the dairy farm catches fire? The stray cat go crazy and have a field lapping up all the milk in this raucous song by Jean Prior, Nancy Pearsall and me. Jean came up with the idea when she started rewriting the lyrics to "Old Dun Cow". It got so funny that I had to put it out on my new CD 'Whiskers in the Jar: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers'. Released under a Creative Commons Noncommercial ShareAlike License. If you enjoy this recording, support independent music and pick up this CD, 'Whiskers in the Jar: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers' at www.catdrinkingsongs.com or by calling 1-800-BUY-MY-CD.

One of the great ghost stories of Ireland is that of Molly Malone, the fishmonger who died in Dublin and who's ghost is reputed to wander the streets still selling fish. My friend Emilee Rush seems to think the cats were just as disappointed with the death of this wonderful human. Because the cats see the ghost too! Released under a Creative Commons Noncommercial ShareAlike License. If you enjoy this recording, support independent music and pick up this CD, 'Whiskers in the Jar: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers' at www.catdrinkingsongs.com or by calling 1-800-BUY-MY-CD.

One of the first songs I learned when I started playing Irish music. And somewhere along the way it's become a renewed favorite of mine. This one was recorded live in Lisdoonvarna, Ireland. Released under a Creative Commons Noncommercial ShareAlike License. If you enjoy this recording, support independent music and pick up this CD, '4 Drunk's Sake: Live from an Irish Pub' at www.marcgunn.com or by calling 1-800-BUY-MY-CD.

No. This is not your typical "Danny Boy". The original "Danny Boy" was written by Frederick Weatherly, an English lawyer, using a traditional Irish melody called "Londonderry Air" in 1910. The song was popularized by opera singers at the turn of the century, and my guess is that it entered into the Music Hall scene where a lot of Irish were performing. They picked it up, and it became an Irish American anthem, and the dread of many contemporary Irish traditional musicians who are asked to play it every St. Patrick's Day. I didn't learn the original song until the summer of 2000. So I missed the dread part, and the Brobdingnagian Bards recorded it for our CD, Songs of Ireland. When I started writing songs for Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers, I decided I had to parody this classic song, and wrote it about my cat, Jasper, who kept me up at night, followed by a wise lesson on how to keep cats from keeping you up all night... Play with them before you sleep. Wear them out. They'll sleep. Released under a Creative Commons Noncommercial ShareAlike License. If you enjoy this recording, support independent music and pick up this CD, 'Whiskers in the Jar: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers' at www.catdrinkingsongs.com or by calling 1-800-BUY-MY-CD.

I am back in the studio to record my second edition of Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers. I had so much great feedback from the first album, I HAD to do another. And lo and behold, I haven't finished this album and already people are talking about a THIRD album. One paw at a time. Last week, I recorded three songs for the CD. This is the first of them. You can download it for free. Just do me a wee favor. Tell a friend. Post this in your blog. Post a review of the first album on iTunes. Recording albums with a producer is no inexpensive task. So I can use all the help possible at getting the word out. So please share this song with your friends. Thanks! Released under a Creative Commons Noncommercial ShareAlike License. If you enjoy this recording, support independent music and pick up this CD, 'Whiskers in the Jar: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers' at www.catdrinkingsongs.com or by calling 1-800-BUY-MY-CD.

What a beautiful song! I really fell in loved with it listening to Nick Hennessey perform it on his solo albums. Nick plays harp. I play autoharp. But the first thing I did after falling in love with it was rewrite it about cats for my Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers CD. And it was a hit. Glad folks still like my nice, traditional version, especially when sung in a pub in Lisdoonvarna, Ireland. Released under a Creative Commons Noncommercial ShareAlike License. If you enjoy this recording, support independent music and pick up this CD, '4 Drunk's Sake: Live from an Irish Pub' at www.marcgunn.com or by calling 1-800-BUY-MY-CD.

"Tim Finnegan lived on Walklin' Street..." Yeah. It's one of the first Irish songs I learned nine years ago. And it's still a favorite of mine and many others too. Here it is live and in it's raucous glory. Released under a Creative Commons Noncommercial ShareAlike License. If you enjoy this recording, support independent music and pick up this CD, '4 Drunk's Sake: Live from an Irish Pub' at www.marcgunn.com or by calling 1-800-BUY-MY-CD.

What happens when you read Lord of the Rings and drink too much in a pub in Lisdoonvarna, Ireland? A live recording of "The Psychopathic, Chronic, Schizophrenic Gollum Blues". Complete with butchered lyrics. But toned with lots of live sing-a-long fun. Released under a Creative Commons Noncommercial ShareAlike License. If you enjoy this recording, support independent music and pick up this CD, '4 Drunk's Sake: Live from an Irish Pub' at www.marcgunn.com or by calling 1-800-BUY-MY-CD.

I was re-reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone when a story crept into my mind. Professor McGonagall was there in tabby cat form while London wizards celebrated the defeat of Voldemort. But what were the London cats doing? As I sang "Rising of the Moon", the answer came to me. I recorded this in for my first cat CD, but it was cut due to legal issues. But when I found out about Wizard Rock, I decided to blow care to the wind and plan to officially release the song for More Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers, my next cat CD. I start recording in two weeks and am currently looking for angelic cat lovers willing to sponsor the album. Released under a Creative Commons Noncommercial ShareAlike License. Feel free to make videos or to share this song with your friends. If you enjoy this recording, support independent music and pick up this CD, "More Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers' at www.marcgunn.com or by calling 1-800-BUY-MY-CD.

"Johnny Jump Up" seemed the perfect song to start the evening with when I was in Lisdoonvarna, Ireland last summer, because I was drinking a lot of Bulmers cider (known stateside as Magners). I learned the song from Christy Moore. So it's one of the few versions I've heard in 3/4 time. Released under a Creative Commons Noncommercial ShareAlike License. If you enjoy this recording, support independent music and pick up this CD, '4 Drunk's Sake: Live from an Irish Pub' at www.marcgunn.com or by calling 1-800-BUY-MY-CD.

Firefly is was a brilliant TV Sci Fi Western by Joss Whedon. I turned into a Huge Browncoat right before the movie Serenity was released. "Hero of Canton" is from the episode Jaynestown and much like in the movie, this song was recorded live in an Irish pub in Lisdoonvarna, Ireland with twenty plus friends singing along. Released under a Creative Commons Noncommercial ShareAlike License. If you enjoy this recording, support independent music and pick up my new compilation CD, "Renaissance Festival Podcast Compilation' at www.renaissancefestivalmusic.com or by calling 1-800-BUY-MY-CD.

It's New Years Eve. I've wanted to record "Auld Lang Syne" for years now. It's just a beautiful song. As I was napping today, I finally came up with a solo arrangement for this classic song by Robert Burns, the national poet of Scotland. Released under a Creative Commons Noncommercial ShareAlike License. If you enjoy this recording, support independent music and pick up my new compilation CD, "Renaissance Festival Podcast Compilation' at www.renaissancefestivalmusic.com or by calling 1-800-BUY-MY-CD.

I wrote this poem in 2003 after another blissful year as the late, great Excalibur Fantasy Faire came to a close. I released in my poetry book, Bella Fillioct, and my friend Lorella Loftus liked it so much, she asked that we do a recording. When the Renaissance Festival Podcast began, I thought it would make a wonderful ending to the show and so it was. Now it's finally on a new compilation CD of Renaissance festival music released through my podcast. Released under a Creative Commons Noncommercial ShareAlike License. If you enjoy this recording, support independent music and pick up my new compilation CD, "Renaissance Festival Podcast Compilation' at www.renaissancefestivalmusic.com or by calling 1-800-BUY-MY-CD.

A lot of people asked about recordings from my excursion to an Irish pub in Lisdoonvarna, Ireland last summer. I led twenty friends into a sing-a-long of Irish songs to a raucous evening. I grabbed a dozen of those tracks and put them together as an MP3 album on Soundclick. Released under a Creative Commons Noncommercial ShareAlike License. If you enjoy this recording, support independent music and pick up my CD 'A Tribute to Love' at www.marcgunn.com or by calling 1-800-BUY-MY-CD.