drinking music

The video at the end of this post has not got any video to it. It's just green words that tell you who and what, The Dubliners and The Pogues doing a song. Feel free to play it and listen to the song as you read this. Or don't. I don't really give a fuck either way, but don't blame me when the walls come crashing down. It does provide a lovely musical accompaniment.

One of our recent additions to the family music library is The Pogues, If I Should Fall From Grace With God. On the cd, the last six songs are listed as bonus tracks, and one of these is titled Mountain Dew. I've searched it and also found it listed as Rare Ould Mountain Dew.

This is the song that's been stuck in my head lately, the song I've had to look up the lyrics to, singing aloud as the boys play video games. It's a great song, and The Boy at least seems to like it. But they're both great lovers of great music, so I'm not surprised.

The song of course is about whiskey (I'm basically assuming) (I mean, it only makes sense when you read the lyrics) which is presented in the lovliest prose. Don't tell anyone, but I snuck out for a bottle of whiskey, and it's not just that I was driven by the song. The problem with this is that I remembered pretty quickly that I kind of don't like whiskey. I've enjoyed an occasional scotch, but American whiskeys leave me . . . a little bleah. I really don't even like scotch that much being more of a tequila or rum person it seems. I do fancy a gin martini every now and again. Again, this really isn't the point.

As a parent and one who enjoys his beverages, I want my children to grow up with a healthy respect for intoxicating substances. I'm not sure that I've really got a grip on that handle myself, but recognizing that fact has to be worth something. The post is about the song and the fact that, as we speed down the road to the homeschool co-op, I'm blaring The Pogues and singing about whiskey drinking

So where does this place me on the parentingability metric? the teaching of children songs that glorify the drink? what if they're old and could even be considered classic? the songs, not the kids, being old and classic. Which of course should go without saying. But still, I want to be sure you understand the kids are young, not old, though instantly classic.

This is the kind of thing I think about. Some parents buy their children music that has been produced specifically for children, whether it be religiously motivated fruits and vegetables or a squadron of creepy Australians. I've mentioned in other posts that I don't do that. But sometimes, with kids, the random song kind of stands out for a short time.

Of course we've settled nothing. The conclusion is one we've reached before, that I'm cool because Big Brother recognizes Ronnie Drew's voice and wonders why a ship would have barrels of bones and bails of old nanny goat's tails.