Las Vegas (In the Hills of Donegal)

"Las Vegas (In the Hills of Donegal)"
Song by Goats Don't Shave from the album The Rusty Razor
Released	1992
Genre	Celtic rock, Folk rock
Length	3:47
Label	Cooking Vinyl
Writer	Pat Gallagher
Producer	Mudd Wallace

This song is not to be confused with the Bridie Gallagher song "The Hills of Donegal".

"Las Vegas (In the Hills of Donegal)" is a song by the Irish folk rock group Goats Don't Shave. It was a top 10 hit for the band in 1992, reaching #4 on the Irish singles chart.

Lyrics and meaning

The lyrics of the song portray a county that is cut off from the rest of Ireland. There are several references made to people from popular and business culture including Jack the Ripper, Neil Blaney, Brigitte Nielsen, Mike Tyson and Donald Trump.

Release and reception

It was first released by the Goats Don't Shave in 1992 with the release of their album, The Rusty Razor. The song found new popularity in the 2000s, not only among people from County Donegal, but people from all over Ireland. The album was a mix of modern material and traditional Irish folk written mostly by Pat Gallagher; their second album 'Out In the Open' harked back to Pat's rockier days with his band 3PM, a very good mix of rock and folk. For more Celtic mixes see HIGHW(A)Y 483

Cover versions

The song has been covered by many other artists including The Dubliners and The Saw Doctors.

Blackthorn
Brace Yourself Bridget
The Broken Shillelaghs
Charlie and the Bhoys
The Highland Rovers Band
The Irish Rovers
John McNicholl
Mike Denver
Sean Wilson
Scythian
Stephen's Green
The Tramps
The Whole Shabang
Tommy & Ben Troy

Legacy

The song was blared from the Croke Park PA system after Donegal won the Sam Maguire Cup in 2012.^[1]

References