"I'm Shipping Up to Boston" is a song by theCeltic punk bandDropkick Murphys, with lyrics written by folk singerWoody Guthrie.

The original version of the song was released in 2004 onGive 'Em the Boot IV and was re-recorded for their certified gold selling 2005 album,The Warrior's Code. The song gained worldwide attention for its use in the 2006 filmThe Departed, which boosted the band's popularity.

The song's lyrics describe a sailor who lost a prosthetic leg climbing thetopsail, and is shipping up toBoston to "find [his]wooden leg." These were taken from a fragment of paper thatKen Casey found while looking through Woody Guthrie's archives.^[1] The Dropkick Murphys put music to the lyrics as they did with the song "Gonna Be a Blackout Tonight" from the 2003 albumBlackout.

The single is the band's most successful so far and was certified platinum. It reached No. 1 on theBubbling Under Hot 100 chart and sold over 1,044,000 digital copies without ever entering theHot 100 chart.^[2]

The video features the Dropkick Murphys performing the song on the waterfront in East Boston. The band is also seen "hanging out" with hooligans while being chased by Boston police officers. The "hanging out" parts were later replaced with footage fromThe Departed for a second video tying in to the film. DuringPresidentJoe Biden's April 2023 trip toIreland, he went onstage for a speech to the song.^[3]

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At sporting events, the song is often used as ade facto anthem for Boston.

• In the AFL, the song is used as the entrance music for theSt Kilda Football Club home games atDocklands Stadium.

• Inrugby union, the song is used as the entrance music forIreland,Connacht Rugby and formerlyLondon Irish in their home games.

• TheNew England Patriots frequently use the song during home games.
• The Dropkick Murphys performed the song live during theNFL kickoff game in 2015 inFoxborough.
• TheBoston College Eagles football team is known to play the song before kick-offs at home games.
• TheNotre Dame Fighting Irish football team is also known to play the song before kick-offs at home games. Theirmen's basketball team also plays it before tip-off.
• The Dropkick Murphys on February 1, 2026 performed the song at the New England PatriotsSuper Bowl LX send-off rally but altered the lyrics to "I'm Shipping Up to Cali" as the Super Bowl is being held inSan Francisco, CA.^[11]

• The German teamGreuther Fürth frequently play a German language cover version of the song at home games.
• TheNew England Revolution ofMajor League Soccer have used it as a goal song.

• TheBoston Celtics frequently use the song during home games.
• TheMaine Celtics of theNBA G-League also use the song to promote their affiliation with the Boston Celtics

• In theNational Hockey League, theBoston Bruins frequently use the song, usually during a break in play toward the end of the game or the start of an overtime period.
• In theNational Hockey League, the song is used by thePhiladelphia Flyers whenever they are about to start overtime atXfinity Mobile Arena, followed by a brief playing of "Welcome to the Jungle" byGuns N' Roses.
• The song is also used by theFinnish elite league teamHelsinki IFK whenever they are about to start overtime atHelsinki Ice Hall.
• TheBoston University hockey team is known to play the song during games.
• The song was featured in theEA Sports video gamesNHL Slapshot andNHL 11.

• The song was used to "pump up the crowd" beforeBoston Red Sox playoff games during the 2013 season. It was performed on the field by the Dropkick Murphys before game 6 of the2013 American League Championship Series and game 6 of the2013 World Series. (The band also performed the national anthem on both occasions.)
• The song was featured onThe Boston Pops Orchestra's 2009 albumThe Red Sox Album.
• Jonathan Papelbon used the song as hisentrance music when entering games as acloser inhome games played atFenway Park. FormerNew York Mets playerDaniel Murphy also used it as his entrance music.
• TheWorcester Red Sox, Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, use the song frequently during home games as a way of hinting at player promotion to the big league club

• Irish playerBrendan "The History Maker" Dolan uses the song as his walk-on theme inProfessional Darts Corporation events.

• It is used heavily in the filmThe Departed.^[12][13]

• A 2009Australian Football League advertisement, In A League Of Its Own, prominently features the song.^[14]
• A soundalike version written byJames S. Levine is used as the theme for the TV seriesRizzoli & Isles.^[15]
• The instrumental part of the song was used in episode six ofLuck.^[16]
• The song is played in the seventh episode of the first season ofMythic Quest: Raven's Banquet and over the end credits of this same episode.
• The song is played in instrumental form in episodes of the Northern Irish comedy seriesDerry Girls.
• The song is played inThe Simpsonsnineteenth season episode "The Debarted". An a cappella cover of the song was also performed in thetwenty-eighth season episode "The Town".
• The song is played in the first episode of thethirteenth season ofKing of the Hill, "Dia-BILL-ic Shock".
• The song is played in the fourth episode ofKevin Can F**k Himself (as a ringtone).
• An instrumental soundalike is played in the twentieth episode ofBe Cool, Scooby-Doo! as chase sequence music.
• An instrumental soundalike is played in the DVD version of theSouth ParkImaginationland as chase music. The song itself was later used in thetwenty fifth season episode "Credigree Weed St. Patrick's Day Special".

• The song is provided as downloadable content for the music video gamesGuitar Hero World Tour andRock Band 2.
• TheLive on Lansdowne, Boston MA version of the song is used inNHL 11 andNHL Slapshot, where it is used on the menus, when goals are scored, and during faceoffs during the game.

• The song was covered byFinnishmelodic death metal bandChildren of Bodom, and appeared on their 2012 compilation albumHoliday at Lake Bodom.
• The song was covered byAustralianchildren's music groupThe Wiggles, and appeared on their 2022 albumReWiggled.
• TheBoston Crusaders ofDrum Corps International included the song as part of the repertoire for their 2023 production,White Whale.

• Dropkick Murphys Official Site
• Dropkick Murphys – Warrior's Code
• Midnight String Quartet

• 2005 songs
• 2006 singles
• Hellcat Records singles
• Dropkick Murphys songs
• Songs written by Woody Guthrie
• Songs about Boston
• Boston Red Sox
• New England Patriots
• Culture of Boston

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