To many good Irish families this song has extreme meaning. When our ancestors came over from Ireland weather it is because of the potato famine or other reasons, they brought with them a strong cultural presence, some of which included song, dance, and speech. In my family this song make us all remember grandma who used to sing it at every family get together. She came straight over the sea from the Emerald Isle to America when she was young. Unfortunately I never met my grandma, but if to this day you sing Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral around my father, you can almost see his eye’s water.
On July 7, 1944
Bing Crosby sang Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral for Decca records. The song first appeared to him in his movie
Going My Way were he sang it to a weary Father Fitzgibbon. Thanks to this traditional song Crosby was on the
Billboard charts for 12 weeks during 1944.
TOO-RA-LOO-RA-LOO-RAL (THAT'S AN IRISH LULLABY)
Traditional
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral
Too-ra-loo-ra-li
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral
Hush now, don't you cry
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral
Too-ra-loo-ra-li
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral
That's an Irish lullaby
Over in Killarney, many years ago
My mother sang a song to me in tones so soft and low
Just a simple little ditty in her good old Irish way
And I'd give the world if I could hear that song of hers today
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral
Too-ra-loo-ra-li
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral
Hush now, don't you cry
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral
Too-ra-loo-ra-li
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral
That's an Irish lullaby