I'm Shipping Up to Boston

Sean O'Loughlin

Subtitle: Recorded by Dropkick Murphys

General Info

Year: 2004 / 2012
Duration: c. 2:45
Difficulty: III+ (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Song
Publisher: Hal Leonard
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $60.00; (digital) - $60.00 | Score Only (print) - $5.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II
Trombone I-II
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III, including:

Bells
Drum Set
Suspended Cymbal
Tambourine

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Recorded by the Dropkick Murphys, this Irish jig with a rock and roll edge has become a popular anthem for professional sports teams not only in Boston (naturally), but also in stadiums and arenas across the country. Fire up your audiences with this rousing crowd thriller!

Words and music by Alexander Barr, Ken Casey, Woody Guthrie and Matthew Kelly.

- Program Note from publisher

I'm Shipping Up to Boston is a song by the Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys, with lyrics written by folk singer Woody Guthrie. The original version of the song was released in 2004 on Give 'Em the Boot IV and was re-recorded for their certified gold selling 2005 album, The Warrior's Code. The song gained worldwide attention for its use in The Departed, which boosted the band's popularity.

The song's lyrics describe a sailor who lost a prosthetic leg climbing the topsail, and is shipping up to Boston to "find my wooden leg." These were taken from a fragment of paper that Ken Casey found while looking through Woody Guthrie's archives. The Dropkick Murphys put music to the lyrics.

- Program Note from Wikipedia

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Strafford Wind Symphony (Wolfeboro, N.H.) (Jeffrey Smith, conductor) - 18 March 2023
Whitney Point (N.Y.) High School Concert Band – 4 June 2018

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

Achilles' Wrath (Flex instrumentation) (2005/2013)
Amazing Grace (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2012/2014)
Exhale (Flex instrumentation) (2018/2021)
Hidden Wonders (Flex instrumentation) (2020)
The Ides of March (Flex instrumentation) (2013/2015)
Visigoths (Flex instrumentation) (2007/2012)
Waltz of the Carols (Flex instrumentation) (2020)

All Wind Works

Achilles' Wrath (Flex instrumentation) (2005/2013)
Amazing Grace (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2012/2014)
Ancient Hunters (2004)
Ancient Irish Hymn (as arranger) (2006)
Arrival at Normandy (2005)
Azimuth (2017)
Back to the Future (as arranger)
Battlefront (2017)
The Best of INXS (as arranger) (2016)
Beyond the Crest (2018)
The Blessing (as arranger) (2010)
Burst (2008)
Canyon Winds (2004)
Carol of the Bells (as arranger)
Christmas Sketches (as arranger) (2000)
Commence! (2018)
Convergence (2017/2019)
Convergence (Trumpet sextet) (2017)
Counting Stars (as arranger) (2015)
Daedalus' Labyrinth (2014)
Dawn of the Spartans (2017)
Dominion (2013)
Doppler Effect (2014)
Eclipsys (2003)
Edge of Destiny (2016)
Elation (2013)
Emblazon (2011)
Embolden (2018)
Enchanted Village (2007)
Exhale (2018)
Exhale (Flex instrumentation) (2018/2021)
Fairytale of New York (as arranger) (2015)
Fortitude (2009)
A Gleeful Christmas (as arranger) (2012)
Hawaii Five-O Theme (as arranger) (2011)
The Heart's Cry (as arranger) (2014)
Hidden Wonders (Flex instrumentation) (2020)
Hidden World (2013)
Highlights from "Brave" (as arranger) (2012)
Highlights from "Frozen" (as arranger) (2013)
Highlights from "Mary Poppins" (as arranger) (1963/2011)
Holiday Ornaments (as arranger) (2003)
Holiday Portraits (as arranger) (2010)
How to Train Your Dragon (as arranger) (2010)
Huron Trail (2009)
The Ides of March (2013)
The Ides of March (Flex instrumentation) (2013/2015)
I'm Shipping Up to Boston (as arranger) (2004/2012)
Imani (2001)
Impact (2008)
Incursion (2018)
Intensity (2005)
Into the Mist (2002)
Irish Vision (as arranger) (2002)
Ironclad (2011)
Jam! (2010)
Journey to Illyria (2018)
Joy to the Season (2013)
Jubilant Holiday (2005)
Lady Gaga in Concert (as arranger) (2017)
Legacy (2012)
The Lost Tomb (2010)
Lost in Space (as arranger) (1993)
The Ludlows (2011)
Magellan (2015)
Mammoth (2014)
Mary Poppins (as arranger) (2011)
Metal! (as arranger) (2014)
Mighty Mite (as arranger) (1951/2003/2013)
Monuments (2002)
Moonlit Skies (2020)
Mountains of Mohon (2008)
Mystic Portal (2010)
Mythos (2012)
Not So Silent Night (as arranger) (2007)
Omicron (2013)
Oscillation (2011)
Osmosis (2015)
Overlords (2006)
Passacaglia Variants (2019)
The Past is Always Present (2017)
Path of Destiny (2009)
Path to Victory (2012)
Phantasm (2016)
Poker Face (as arranger) (2011)
Primal (2016)
Promised Land (2010)
Prophesy (2004)
Pulse Pounding (2014)
Redhawk (2008)
Relics of the Past (2011)
Resolution (2004)
Ricochet (2009)
Ruminations (2008)
Santa's Toy March (as arranger) (2011)
Silent Night (as arranger) (2014)
Skyburst (2014)
Soaring (2013)
Sonic Fusion (2002)
Spectral Landscapes (2006)
Spirals of Light (2007)
Spirit of the Sea (2004)
The Star-Spangled Banner (as arranger) (1814/2017)
Strength and Honor (2020)
Strong of Heart (2019)
Stronghold (2015)
Supremacy (2009)
Temblor (2017)
Terminus (2020)
Theme from "Lost in Space" (as arranger) (1965/1993)
Thrive (2015)
Thunderbound (2019)
Thunderstruck (2015)
Traditions (2016)
Tribal Quest (2003)
Turning Point (2012)
The Twelve Days of Christmas (as arranger) (1999)
Twinkle Little Christmas Star (as arranger) (2016)
Unbound (2012)
Unforgotten Friends (2006)
Urban Invasion (2007)
Venture (2012)
Vigor (2003)
Visigoths (Flex instrumentation) (2007/2012)
Waltz of the Carols (Flex instrumentation) (2020)
Waves of the Revolution (2005)
Wigan Warriors (2006)
Winds Along the Whippany (2010)
Zig Zag (2019)

Resources

I'm Shipping Up to Boston. Wikipedia. Accessed 15 March 2023
Perusal score
Sean O'Loughlin website Accessed 15 March 2023