Must it take a life for hateful eyes
To glisten once again
Five hundred years like Gelignite
Have blown us all to hell
What savior rests while on his cross we die
While forgotten freedom burns
Has the Shepard led his lambs astray
To the bigot and the gun

Must it take a life for hateful eyes
To glisten once again
'Cause we find ourselves in the same old mess
Singin' drunken lullabies

I watch and stare as Rosin's eyes
Turn a darker shade of red
And the bullet with this sniper lie
In their bloody gutless cell
Must we starve on crumbs from long ago
Through bars these men made steel
Is it a great or little thing we fought
Knelt the conscience blessed to kill

Must it take a life for hateful eyes
To glisten once again
'Cause we find ourselves in the same old mess
Singin' drunken lullabies

Ah, but maybe it's the way you were taught
Or maybe it's the way we fought
But a smile never grins without tears to begin
For each kiss is a cry we all lost
Though there is nothing left to gain
But for the banshee that stole the grave
'Cause we find ourselves in the same old mess
Singin' drunken lullabies

I sit in and dwell on faces past
Like memories seem to fade
No color left but black and white
And soon will all turn grey
But may these shadows rise to walk again
With lessons truly learnt
When the blossom flowers in each our hearts
Shall beat a new found flame

Must it take a life for hateful eyes
To glisten once again
'Cause we find ourselves in the same old mess
Singin' drunken lullabies

'Cause we find ourselves in the same old mess
Singin' drunken lullabies, singin' drunken lullabies


Lyrics submitted by black_cow_of_death

Drunken Lullabies Lyrics as written by Dave King Ted Hutt

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sentric Music

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Drunken Lullabies song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

56 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +2
    Song Meaning

    The song is about how pointless the troubles in ireland were between the catholics and the prodestants and how we are the same people. and if it was an IRA song then i would imagine it's from the side who wants northern ireland to be given back to the rest of the country but not the section of the IRA that kills and terrorises people. It wasn't always a terrorist group, otherwise it wouldn't be talking about a pointless battle

    resist360on October 18, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song is cool. :)

    tracieon May 13, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    tis...

    save_your_momson May 22, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this has gotta be the most upbeat music there is and flogging molly is true celt punk at its best, the song is about we handle our problems and let them get the best of us....cheer up and move on

    ugpunk84on June 02, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    But a smile never grins without tears to begin For each kiss is a cry we all lost When I first heard this, I loved this lyric the most. Now all that has changes is that I think the whole song is ingeniously written; all flogging molly songs are!

    myownprison333on July 04, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i am in luv with flogging molly....they are my alltime favorite band.... ..they iss the bestest!!!!!!!!!!!!! ahhhh!

    glo151on July 20, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I just found out about this group. LOVE!

    McIvoryon August 23, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Man this song gets so much play on our radio station up here in Seattle! Its such a great song! Flogging molly rules.

    Thru7being7Coolon August 28, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    wow, i love flogging molly so much. i only recently got into them, but ive downloaded like every song. the first time i heard this song i was like whoa whats this...and then it got going and i was like yes! this is great! its just an all around great song- really upbeat, always puts me in a good mood. yay for flogging molly!

    megara0427on October 13, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    dude. best song ever. a little social commentary, lots of guinness soaked fun, great to mosh to.this track has all the frenettic energy of a live show, without the 25$ cover price. seriously, music just doesnt get any better.

    mennacinmonkon October 17, 2002   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him. There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Album art
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Album art
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Album art
No Surprises
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Album art
Blue
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.