Favorite Song No. 343: House of Pain – Shamrocks and Shenanigans

House of Pain – Shamrocks and Shenanigans

Song: Shamrocks and Shenanigans
Artist: House of Pain
Year: 1992
Album: House of Pain (Fine Malt Lyrics)
Genre: Hip Hop
Style: New School Rap
Pictured: 12″ Single
Click Here to Play the Song

I think anyone who was alive and over the age of 10 in 1992 remembers “Jump Around,” the inescapable dance floor anthem from House of Pain. I must have played that song at every wedding and party I DJ’ed for the next 6 months or more, and pretty much every single time it resulted in a packed dance floor of screaming, jumping party people. That was House of Pain’s first release, and by far their most famous. Their follow-up single, “Shamrocks and Shenanigans,” didn’t achieve anywhere near the success of its predecessor, and they faded into slow obscurity after that, despite releasing three albums over a four-year span. They will forever be known as the “Jump Around” band, which is a shame, because for my money it’s all about “Shamrocks and Shenanigans.”

My preference for “Shamrocks and Shenanigans” over “Jump Around” may be in large part due to having heard the latter a mazillion times. Truth be told, “Jump Around” is probably every bit as good as “Shamrocks and Shenanigans.” Both showcase lead rapper Everlast’s clever lyrics and delivery, and both have hard-hitting, upbeat drum tracks. “Shamrocks and Shenanigans,” however, also includes Danny Boy on the mic, and his presence adds something. Everlast is clearly the star, and his flow keeps things interesting, but Danny Boy’s verse is dope. He’s the ’55 Cadillac King, after all. If I ever rap, maybe I’ll be the ’57 Chrysler King?

The instrumental track on “Shamrocks and Shenanigans” is another reason I prefer the song. Unlike “Jump Around,” which was produced by Cypress Hills’ DJ Muggs, for this track they rapped over a beat from their own guy, DJ Lethal. It’s a great beat, with enough of “the noise” that Muggs brought to the table in their first release, but changed up in a manner that makes it sound less like a Cypress Hill track and more like something new. Add in some cool scratching and you have everything I need in a rap song.

I rock mad styles
I hop turnstiles
I rock all mics
I last all night
I puff fat blunts
I rock fine stunts
Step up bold, I’ll knock out your gold fronts

No, it ain’t Shakespeare, but the way Everlast delivers that over the beat is the definition of Fine Malt Lyrics. If you only know of House of Pain as the band that insisted you jump up jump up and get down, I think it’s time you dug a little deeper, so click that album cover above and get a feel for some of their boom sha lock lock boom. Or, if you prefer, you can hear this song in a mixtape I recorded waaaay back in December of 1992 that I recently digitized, which is a great way to hear it alongside other hits of the era. That mix lives here, on my Mixcloud page, and it’s a great to chance to hear how I sounded with two turntables and a stack of records 28 years ago. Man, has it been that long?

Quick Memory Dept.: I originally recorded the mix I linked above for my friend Jason. I mailed it to him, along with a letter (yes, this was the pre-email days!) and he wrote back saying he was listening to the mix as he was writing the letter, and it was great. A few lines later he wrote something like “a guy just yelled you are a blabbermouth. This is amazing!” That’s the exact sort of feedback that keeps me going in this crazy DJ game.

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