The Irish are huge fans of music. They not only love to listen to music, but they also like playing music.
Therefore, perhaps not surprisingly, the songs written by Irish artists cover a wide variety of topics. Even if sometimes it seems that most songs are related to drinking.
But what do you think? Do they have songs about casinos as well? Sure they do! Today, we brought you a few famous Irish songs played on the radio that were inspired by gambling or casinos. So the next time when you go to a casino or you play online casino games, you will know which songs you should listen to if you would like to boost your mood.
The Rambling Gambler by The Irish Rovers
The first band we should talk about is The Irish Rovers. If you don’t know this legendary band, then I have to tell you that this is certainly one of the greatest Irish groups ever. They were formed in 1963 but they are still active nowadays. Their last album, the “Saints And Sinners” came out in 2020.
During the band’s long career, they released many songs, including cover songs as well. For example, in 1996, the band created a cover version of a famous, traditional folk song called “The Rambling Gambler”. The song is originally performed by John and Alan Lomax but The Irish Rovers decided on making their version of the song. Their version is called “I’m a Rambler, I’m a Gambler” which is actually the first line of the lyrics.
In case you are wondering what this gambling-related song is about, it tells the story of a man who is going from place to place in the country while gambling and drinking. The Irish Rovers’ song about gambling got so famous that it became like an anthem for Irish gamblers. If you go to some traditional casinos in Ireland or the United Kingdom, or you visit some of the many online
casino sites, most likely, after a time you will hear this song playing in the background.
If you would like to know which are the most famous online casinos in Ireland, you can check them on bestcasinositesireland.com.
Raglan Road by Van Morrison
The next song that can be linked to casinos is the “Raglan Road” by the Northern Irish singer Van Morrison. His song was released in 1988 and is based on an old Irish poem that was written by Peter Kavanagh in 1946. The “Raglan Road” is about a love affair that the poet had with a woman. While for most people Van Morrison’s song is about a heart-breaking story, some expressions in the lyrics are related to gambling. Therefore, it got the attention of many gamblers.
For example, in the lyrics “The Queen of Hearts still baking tarts” is a card reference, and the line “And I not making hay” shows that the singer is not too successful in playing cards.
The “Raglan Road” due to the card games references became one of the most popular poker songs. Gamblers love listening to this song all over the world. Moreover, many artists decided to make their version of the song. It has been covered by, for example, The Dubliners, Brian Kennedy, Sinéad O’Connor, or even the well-known Ed Sheeran.
Las Vegas in the Hills of Donegal by Goats Don’t Shave
The last song on our list is also a popular song about casinos. The “Las Vegas in the Hills of Donegal” by the Irish band Goats Don’t Shave was released in 1992 on their album “The Rusty Razors”. The folk-rock band had great success with this song, it even got into the top 10 in Ireland.
In the song the band sings about how much they wish Donegal would become a place just like Las Vegas. It seems that they support gambling activities as – according to the lyrics – they would like to legalize casinos in Donegal. Moreover, they think the operation of brothels should be legal as well. So, their Irish county could turn into a huge gambling hub where they could play blackjack and roulette freely as they want. Or as the lyrics say: “We'd have our own Las Vegas, in the hills of Donegal”.
The “Las Vegas in the Hills of Donegal” has also some references to famous people, such as Donald Trump, Mike Tyson, and Jack the Ripper.
After reading the lyrics, no wonder it gained popularity so quickly throughout Ireland, especially amongst gamblers.
Similar to the above-mentioned “Raglan Road”, this song has also been covered by several artists. For example, The Dubliners, The Irish Rovers, Mike Denver, Charlie and the Boys, Nathan Carter, and Scythian as well created their own version of the song.
Hopefully, the next time you hear these famous Irish songs played on the radio, you will think about their relation to casinos as well.
If you liked this story, we can email you more radio news and alerts. Just fill in the form below.