I'm Shipping Up to Boston
"I'm Shipping Up to Boston" is a Celtic punk song by the American band Dropkick Murphys, featuring lyrics adapted from an unpublished poem by folk singer Woody Guthrie and music composed by the band.[1][2] Originally released in 2004 on the compilation album Give 'Em the Boot IV, it was re-recorded for the band's fifth studio album The Warrior's Code in 2005.[3][2] The song's lyrics, discovered in the Woody Guthrie Archives by Nora Guthrie, tell the story of a one-legged sailor climbing the topsails and heading to Boston, with the band's energetic instrumentation— including a distinctive guitar riff by James Lynch—providing a high-tempo, accordion-driven punk backdrop.[1][3] Dropkick Murphys frontman Ken Casey explained that the band selected the lyrics specifically for their reference to Boston, stating, "the reason why we used that was because it said 'Boston' in it."[1] The track's raw, anthemic quality was intentional, as Casey noted it was designed as a "light-hearted, repeatable anthem."[2] Its breakthrough came with its prominent feature in Martin Scorsese's 2006 Academy Award-winning film The Departed, where it served as a key part of the soundtrack and inspired a band-created music video mimicking scenes from the movie.[1][3] This exposure propelled the song to commercial success, peaking at No. 1 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart and selling over 1 million digital copies in the United States, certified platinum by the RIAA.[4][1] The album The Warrior's Code was certified gold by the RIAA, marking a significant milestone for the band.[3] Beyond music charts, "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" has become a cultural staple in Boston, frequently played at professional sports events for teams like the Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins, as well as college games for Boston University hockey and even Notre Dame football.[5][6] It also appeared in an acoustic version as the theme for the TNT series Rizzoli & Isles and during the pregame show for Super Bowl XLIX in 2015.[1] The song's enduring popularity underscores Dropkick Murphys' role in blending Irish-American folk traditions with punk rock, solidifying its status as one of the band's signature tracks.[5]Background
Writing and inspiration
The lyrics for "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" originated from unpublished maritime-themed poems penned by American folk singer Woody Guthrie during the 1940s, a period when he served in the U.S. Merchant Marines and composed numerous works reflecting seafaring life and working-class struggles.[7] These specific lines, describing a one-legged sailor's mishap aboard a ship, remained undiscovered among Guthrie's vast archive of thousands of unpublished songs and poems until Dropkick Murphys co-founder and bassist Ken Casey explored the Woody Guthrie Archives in New York around 2004.[2] Casey had been invited by Guthrie's daughter, Nora Guthrie, who sought collaborators to revive her father's unrecorded material and believed the band's punk energy aligned with what her father might have embraced.[3] The music for the song was composed collaboratively by Dropkick Murphys members Al Barr (vocals), Ken Casey (bass and vocals), Matt Kelly (mandolin and accordion), James Lynch (guitar), and Marc Orrell (guitar), who tailored an upbeat instrumental to complement the cadence and narrative of Guthrie's sparse five-line verse.[8] Lynch crafted the driving guitar riff as a starting point, after which Casey adapted the lyrics to fit seamlessly, emphasizing simplicity and repetition to amplify the track's raw power and anthemic quality.[2] Drawing from Guthrie's tradition of folk songs championing the voices of laborers and immigrants, the band infused the composition with their Celtic punk sensibilities—blending bagpipes, banjo, and fast-paced rhythms—to forge an energetic tribute to Boston's history of working-class Irish and immigrant communities.[3] A demo version of the track was initially released on the 2004 Hellcat Records compilation album Give 'Em the Boot IV, marking the song's debut before its full studio recording.[2]Recording and production
The song was re-recorded in 2005 at Q Division Studios in Somerville, Massachusetts, for Dropkick Murphys' album The Warrior's Code.[9][1] It was produced by David Bianco and Ken Casey, with engineering handled by Bianco.[10][11][12] The recording featured the following band lineup: Al Barr on vocals, Ken Casey on bass and vocals, Matt Kelly on accordion, whistle, and vocals, James Lynch on guitar, Marc Orrell on guitar and piano, Tim Brennan on mandolin and accordion, Jeff DaRosa on banjo and bouzouki, and Scruffy Wallace on pipes.[10][12] Production choices highlighted the raw Celtic punk energy through prominent use of bagpipes, accordion, and fast-paced drums, capturing a sense of maritime urgency in the track.[9][12]Composition
Musical style
"I'm Shipping Up to Boston" is classified as Celtic punk, a genre that fuses traditional Irish folk music with the raw energy of punk rock.[13] This blend is evident in the song's fast-paced tempo of 129 beats per minute and its concise duration of 2:33, creating an urgent, high-energy drive that propels the track forward.[14] The composition is set in the key of E minor, employing harmonic simplicity with straightforward chord progressions that prioritize rhythmic momentum over intricate melodic development, aligning with the punk ethos while incorporating folk elements.[15] The song's instrumentation features driving electric guitar riffs that establish a propulsive backbone, complemented by aggressive drums that deliver a pounding, relentless beat.[16] Bagpipes provide a distinctive Celtic flavor through their wailing, anthemic lines, particularly in the instrumental break that builds tension and intensity, while an accordion weaves in melodic hooks reminiscent of Irish folk traditions.[17] Structured in a classic verse-chorus form, the track alternates between narrative verses and explosive choruses, culminating in an escalating instrumental section that heightens the rowdy, communal atmosphere.[18] Influenced by traditional sea shanties, the song evokes a thunderous, call-and-response quality suited to its maritime theme, drawing from the storytelling vigor of folk ballads.[19] Additionally, the Dropkick Murphys channel the spirit of punk bands like The Pogues, infusing Irish-American perspectives into their sound to craft an anthemic, crowd-stirring vibe ideal for live performances.[20] This combination results in a robust, accessible sonic profile that emphasizes collective energy and rhythmic drive over technical complexity.Lyrics and theme
The lyrics of "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" center on the narrative of a one-legged sailor desperately seeking a wooden leg replacement while en route to Boston, portraying a tale of frustration and determination amid personal adversity. Drawn from an unpublished poem by Woody Guthrie discovered in his archives, the song's sparse text includes key lines such as "I'm a sailor peg / And I've lost my leg," which evoke the sailor's injury—possibly from a rigging accident—and his urgent voyage.[1][2] This minimal structure, consisting of just a few lines expanded with a repetitive chorus of "Shipping up to Boston" chanted four times, amplifies the sense of relentless momentum and unresolved hardship.[2] Symbolically, the sailor's plight represents broader immigrant struggles, displacement, and the resilience of the working class in early 20th-century America, themes inherent to Guthrie's folk tradition of chronicling ordinary people's endurance against systemic challenges.[1] Dropkick Murphys frontman Ken Casey has described the lyrics as light-hearted in tone despite their depiction of misfortune, noting their ambiguity allows listeners to project personal interpretations onto the narrative.[2] This ambiguity, combined with the song's roots in maritime folklore, underscores an implicit nod to tales of seafaring toil and individual perseverance without overt didacticism.[1] Thematically, the track weaves Irish-American identity with labor history and anti-establishment sentiment, reflecting Boston's strong Celtic heritage and the band's commitment to working-class advocacy.[5] Casey has emphasized that the group's politics are inherently pro-labor and aligned with organized unions, mirroring Guthrie's Dust Bowl-era focus on the American workforce, which the punk reinterpretation infuses with raw, communal energy.[5] While lacking explicit political messaging, the lyrics' evocation of a sailor's gritty quest resonates as a subtle critique of economic and social barriers faced by immigrants and laborers.[5]Release
Commercial release
A demo version of "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" first appeared on the Hellcat Records compilation album Give 'Em the Boot IV, released on November 9, 2004.[21] The complete studio recording was included on Dropkick Murphys' fifth studio album, The Warrior's Code, issued by Hellcat Records on June 21, 2005.[9] The track was issued as a standalone single in 2006, with promotion closely linked to its prominent placement in Martin Scorsese's crime drama The Departed, released that October.[22] This film tie-in dramatically elevated the song's profile, driving increased streams and sales through soundtrack association rather than conventional marketing channels.[23] Available in physical formats including a CD single and promotional CDs, the song also saw wide digital distribution.[24] By 2012, it had exceeded one million digital downloads, paving the way for subsequent certifications.[23] The Departed exposure further contributed to its chart success.[23]Chart performance and certifications
"I'm Shipping Up to Boston" achieved its highest U.S. chart position on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100, reaching number 1 in 2007 following its inclusion in the film The Departed, which marked the song's initial commercial resurgence.[4] The track has since re-entered various Billboard rock and digital sales charts multiple times, reflecting sustained popularity driven by media exposure and sports events throughout the 2010s.[25] Internationally, the song experienced modest chart success outside the top 40, peaking at number 174 on the French Singles Chart in 2006 and number 45 on the Swiss Singles Chart in 2013.[26] It also reached number 3 on the Czech Republic Modern Rock chart in 2016, underscoring its niche appeal in alternative and rock formats across Europe. It was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in the United Kingdom. Despite these entries, the song did not secure major top-40 placements abroad but maintained steady performance on specialized rock charts.| Chart (Year) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 (2007) | 1 |
| France (SNEP) (2006) | 174 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) (2013) | 45 |
| Czech Republic Modern Rock (IFPI) (2016) | 3 |