How a "SH**-FACED" Poem Became an OSCAR-WINNING Movie Song - I'm Shipping Up to Boston

The story of Dropkick Murphy's iconic song Shipping Up To Boston

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Dropkick Murphys formed in 1996 when Mike McColgan, Ken Casey, Rick Barton, and Jeff Erna began playing music in a Quincy, Massachusetts barbershop basement. The band started essentially on a dare when a co-worker of Casey challenged him to form a band to open for them. Despite having no musical experience, Casey assembled friends who learned enough to play a thirty-minute set. The band's name comes from Dr. John "Dropkick" Murphy, who opened an alcoholic rehabilitation facility in Massachusetts that became part of Boston folklore.

Initially just a punk band, they gained distinction by "punking up" traditional Irish songs, creating a fusion that caught attention in Boston. Their lyrics focused on working-class struggles, economic oppression, and Boston sports teams. The band experienced early success when invited to tour with The Mighty Mighty Bosstones in 1997 and signed to Hellcat Records, Tim Armstrong's Epitaph imprint.

Over the years, the band incorporated additional Celtic instruments like tin whistle, bagpipe, mandolin, and banjo. They've had numerous lineup changes, with bassist/vocalist Ken Casey being the only constant member. Ironically, they were briefly banned from playing in Boston on St. Patrick's Day in the late 1990s after underage fans were caught sneaking into their show.

The creation of "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" came through an unexpected connection. Nora Guthrie, daughter of folk legend Woody Guthrie, reached out to the band, believing they shared her father's spirit. She offered them access to the Woody Guthrie Archives in NYC, where they discovered unused lyrics. Among these was "I'm Shipping Up to Boston," just five lines about a sailor looking for his wooden leg.

Casey recalled, "I had to put on special white gloves, and I held these pieces of paper in the palms of my hands like I was holding a newborn child." Nora later joked, "My father has thousands of pages of deep artistic lyrics, and you take the one song I think he wrote when he was shit-faced".

The band had already created an instrumental piece with contrasting elements: intense bass lines alongside melodic accordion and banjo parts. Casey struggled to find lyrics until discovering Guthrie's words, which perfectly matched their music. The song's effectiveness came partly from embracing musical space - what Casey called "the George Costanza approach" - allowing instrumental buildup before the chorus.

After appearing on their 2005 album "The Warrior's Code," the song gained massive exposure when Martin Scorsese featured it in his Oscar-winning film "The Departed" (2006). Robbie Robertson, who often worked with Scorsese on soundtracks, introduced the director to the song. Following the film, it topped Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.

The two-minute song has since become a cultural phenomenon, used at Boston Red Sox games, rugby matches in Ireland, and Australian football. It appeared in video games Guitar Hero and Rock Band, and even played during President Biden's 2023 Ireland visit. Bruce Springsteen performed it with the band in 2011.

Despite its ubiquity, Casey maintains, "People ask me if I get sick of that song. No, I never have. The beauty of I'm Shipping Up To Boston is that it's only two minutes long. It leaves you wanting more".