The Dropkick Murphys recently recorded a new song with lyrics written by Rich Johnson ’74, curator of the Boston Sports Museum. They performed it live last night at their LAB Holiday Party.
Here is the link to the entire recording from the event. It starts with Burn. The second song is Rich’s song, Jimmy Collins Wake. You can bypass Burn (although it is a good one!) and click on Rich’s song after the advertisement.
http://www.boston.com/ae/radio/features/dropkick_murphys/
In Rich's words, here is the legend behind the song and Rich’s lyrics that Kenny Casey put to music.
"A collector friend of mine told of meeting the nephew of former Boston Americans player/manager Jimmy Collins in Buffalo and how the now elderly gent recalled his uncle's wake in 1943. Apparently several of Collins' teammates made the trip to the house where himself was laid out in the parlor..and after a few drinks and songs they propped him up in the casket
and carefully placed in his stiff hands the silver trophy Boston fans had given him as an expression of their gratitude for the 1904 pennant...
Can you think of a more proper sendoff? I can't.
Slainte All,
Richard Johnson
Jimmy Collin’s Wake
(lyrics by Richard Andrew Johnson)
We’ve gathered here to bid adieu
Us Boston boys, alas are few
Some from crosstown some from the coast
To give our skipper one last toast
We’ll pour the good stuff
Round his casket
Drop some coin into the basket
Bow our heads
and praise the Lord
Then rouse ourselves and strike a chord...
Lets raise a glass and lift it up
Then sip from Jimmy Collins Cup
And hail the lads that won the crown
While turning baseball upside down
We hit them hard,
We hit them clean
The pitching of Big Bill Dineen
Some legged a bunt
Some hit them out
Remember old Buck Freeman’s clouts?
Lets sing of Candy
Cy and Freddy
Patsy Dougherty
at the ready
Long Tom Hughes
and Broadway Aleck
Hobe, Chick,
and Jack O’Brien
Honus Wagner sat there cryin’
Lets raise a glass and lift it up
Then sip from Jimmy Collins Cup
And hail the lads that won the crown
While turning baseball upside down
Our days with you
Indeed were great
and now that you have crossed the plate
and scored that final run of life
We’ll hug your kids and kiss the wife
and tell of how you played the game
and led us all to wealth and fame
We’ll lift our heads
With one loud voice
Pay homage
To “The People’s Choice”
Lets raise a glass and lift it up
Then sip from Jimmy Collins Cup
And hail the lads that won the crown
While turning baseball upside down"
