Behind the Song: Raise a Glass | Irish Folk

A timeless Irish folk song about tradition, connection, and nostalgia.

Behind the Song: Raise a Glass

What makes a song feel timeless?

I set out to create a simple, memorable song with the feel of an old Irish folk tune. Something you’d hear in an Ireland pub, sung for centuries, yet still relatable today. A song that carries that nostalgic, communal spirit while keeping it easy to sing along to.

Maybe it’s my Irish bloodline that’s drawn me to this genre. It just brings back memories of childhood family gatherings, where my relatives would sing old songs. Sometimes gathered around a piano and sometimes just spontaneously breaking into song.

Growing up in a family filled with music made me want the same for my child. But times have changed, so I rely on stories and sharing my favorite songs instead.

Although the following song wasn’t an Irish Folk song, it’s one I fondly remember my grandfather singing:

What’s Raise a Glass About?

It’s about tradition, connection, and carrying on the ways of those who came before us. No matter how much time passes, some things never really change. Especially when it comes to gathering, storytelling, and raising a glass together.

Lyrics & Music Style

Lyrics of the first verse and chorus of Raise a Glass:

Oh, the world’s a wheel, 
It turns and spins,
What’s out is in, 
What’s in begins.
The times may change, 
But the heart remains.
So we raise a glass to the joys 
and pains.

Raise a glass to the days, 
To the nights, to the years.
To the laughter, the love, 
And the spill of all our tears.
For the songs we sing 
And the stories we leave.
Here’s to life as we live, as we laugh...
As we 
grieve.

I added my lyrics to Suno without any extra prompts, hoping for the right feel.

However, it’s helpful to put an ellipsis in front of a word to signify that you’d like it to hold that word as I did with the word, ‘laugh’.

Sometimes when we put a word on the next line it will give a little pause before singing it as I did with the last word, ‘grieve’. Or we can try putting [pause], [rest], or [6 beat pause] in brackets. It’s a crapshoot that we just have to keep experimenting with at this point though.

After listening a few times, I wanted to change just two words while keeping the rest of the song exactly the same. After weeks of trial and error, Suno magically released the ‘replace section’. Hallelujah!!

Music Style

To get this version in Suno, I used the following prompts:

Irish, strong Irish accent, spoken unaccompanied Celtic female vocals, voice out front, minimalistic, Irish call-and-response structure, Irish traditional echo, upbeat spoken word, folklore rap.

After countless revisions, this version was the one that gave me the goosebumps.

What made it really stand out was the ending. The way it builds into a powerful chant, with those strong "f" sounds hitting hard at the end of each line.

Listen & Watch

Have a listen on Suno or watch the Youtube Video. Experiencing the power of traditional Irish storytelling in song:

Did this song give you goosebumps too? Let me know in the comments!

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