| "The Galway Girl" | |
|---|---|
| Song bySteve Earle andSharon Shannon | |
| from the albumTranscendental Blues | |
| Released | 2000 |
| Recorded | 2000 |
| Genre | Folk,Celtic |
| Length | 3:05 |
| Songwriter | Steve Earle |
| Producers | Jamie Bedford,Ray Kennedy |
"Galway Girl" is a song written by American singer-songwriterSteve Earle[1] and recorded with Irish musicianSharon Shannon; the title was originally "The Galway Girl". It was featured on Earle's 2000 albumTranscendental Blues.[2] "The Galway Girl" tells the semi-autobiographical story of the songwriter's reaction to a beautiful black-haired blue-eyed girl he meets inGalway,Ireland.[1] Local references includeSalthill andThe Long Walk.
A cover version of the song byMundy and Sharon Shannon reached number one and became the most downloaded song of 2008 in Ireland; it has gone on to become the eighth highest selling single in Irish chart history.[3] The song has been the subject of numerous covers and live interpretations.
The song was written about Joyce Redmond; Redmond plays thebodhrán on Steve Earle's version of the song. Earle met Redmond in Galway. Redmond is from Howth, County Dublin.[4]
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[5] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
| "The Galway Girl" | |
|---|---|
| Single byMundy andSharon Shannon | |
| Released | April 2008 |
| Genre | Folk,Celtic |
| Songwriter | Steve Earle |
The Irish artistMundy collaborated withSharon Shannon on a cover of "Galway Girl", a track she had previously performed withSteve Earle. A studio version of the track reached number one on theIrish Singles Chart in April 2008 and remained there for five weeks.[6] It was the biggest-selling download in Ireland in 2008 and was a winning nominee at the2008 Meteor Awards.[7] The song was the highest-selling single in Ireland for 2008.[8]
Mundy also recorded anIrish language version of the track entitled "Cailín na Gaillimhe", forCeol '08, an Irish language compilation record, which was released in 2008 to raise money for several Irish charities.
(Year of release – artist / group – album)
The comedianStewart Lee references and performs the song in his 2009 Edinburgh Fringe show and also on his live DVDIf You Prefer a Milder Comedian Please Ask for One, released on October 11, 2010.
The song is a key plot point in the2007 filmP.S. I Love You;Gerard Butler's character sings the song forHilary Swank's character.Jeffrey Dean Morgan's character also sings the song to her.
The song is featured in the TV seriesTreme (in episode 9 of "What is New Orleans?", fromseason 2). It was performed bySteve Earle (in the role of Harley, a street musician) withLucia Micarelli andSpider Stacy, ofthe Pogues, accompanying him onviolin andpennywhistle.
