Dropkick Murphys have released their new single, The Body of an American, that is taken from the upcoming tribute album, 20th Century Paddy – The Songs of Shane MacGowan. As the cultural descendants of the inspirations Shane MacGowan wrote about, the Boston born band delivers a powerful rendition of this Celtic punk classic. It represents a natural artistic handshake, drawing a direct correlation from Shane MacGowan’s London Irish streets to the docks of Quincy, Massachusetts. The song tackles the fundamental friction felt deeply by Irish Americans. Forced from their homeland, they found vastly better prospects in the United States, cementing a fierce pride in their adopted country while maintaining a longing for the one they left behind. Dropkick Murphys’ version leans heavily into the song’s rich, coded history and traditional storytelling.
“Dropkick Murphys are honored to be a part of this Shane tribute. Shane had a tremendous impact on the members of the band, individually and on the band as a whole. Shane’s lyrics had such a dark, sometimes twisted, street level reality to them that it was more punk than a lot of punk. It’s so cool to participate in this amazing tribute album, alongside such a diverse lineup of musicians like Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Hozier, and so many more all inspired by Shane MacGowan. ‘The Body of an American’ is a Dropkick all time favorite and we’ve played it live throughout the years so to get to record it for this tribute was a dream come true” (frontman Ken Casey)
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