Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: folk
Song Meaning of “A Pub with No Beer – 2012 Remaster” by The Dubliners
“A Pub with No Beer” is a classic tune by The Dubliners that speaks to the ongoing celebration of the Irish culture – and how it ever so stoically prevails over any obstacle. In the song, a man discovers his favorite Pub has run dry of beer – and pours out a drop to toast the “mem’ry of [his] comrades”. In his words, he laments the sadness in having gone out in search of a good time, only to find that the spot is now empty and that the light of the Irish pub culture has been extinguished.
The chorus of the tune speaks to the pub’s finality – and the need for the man to find some other form of solace. As he sings out, “Oh, had I the wings of an angel / Over these prison walls I would fly”. He expresses the powerlessness of being trapped in a moment, when all of the good times that he had come to enjoy are suddenly no more – a powerful emotion felt all too often in the trials and tribulations of life.
However, the true power of this tune lies in its chorus. The man pushes beyond the original obstacle of the pub and stands tall in his assertion that there is still solace to be found. As he sings, “I’ll take what comforts I can / And look for happier days to come”, we get the sense that the strength of the human spirit will never be extinguished – and the celebration of the Irish pub culture will live on.
In the end, The Dubliners’ song ‘A Pub With No Beer’ speaks to the resilience present in all of us. Regardless of what life throws our way, we will always find solace – and the joy that Irish pub culture brings will persist, never to be forgotten.