Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: folk
Song Meaning of “Whores and Hounds” by The Irish Rovers
‘Whores and Hounds’ by The Irish Rovers is a folk-rock song about society’s hypocritical attitudes and behaviors. The narrator of the song is talking about how some people are treated differently because of their occupation or social status, and how others only care about their own interests. The chorus reflects the narrator’s frustration and anger with this double-standard: “Ah hate the whores and hounds, they’d trample upon your soul, when they’ve no aim but power they cannot fill no hole”.
The narrator expresses his bitterness and contempt for those who judge and despise the “whores and hounds”, as he believes them to be “lost and fallen souls”. He also criticizes the false sense of respectability and platitudes they put forth in order to gain respect, power, and influence: “Whores and hounds make grand words, never mend a broken soul, their silver tongues of lies steal from the wretched and the poor”.
The narrator’s frustrations are intensified by the knowledge that no matter how much he speaks out against this kind of hypocrisy and double standards, society will never change: “Whores and hounds ne’er repent, justice never makes appeal, share their tales of maggot pride, spiteful thoughts their daily meal”. To make matters worse, he does not see his warnings being heeded by others.
This song is a cry for justice and an indictment of a world where people are judged and denied due respect for simply coming from a certain profession or background. The message of the song is to stand together and fight against discrimination and hypocrisy and to not allow yourself to be taken advantage of by those who care only for their own interests.