If you’re lucky enough to remember Alive-O, this article is for you. Take a walk down memory lane with us and remember some of the bops that moulded us as children.
Alive-O was indeed the soundtrack of many Irish millennials’ childhoods. If you went to an Irish national school, your religion was founded on these songs.
Having recently discovered that many primary schools no longer have the privilege of Alive-O songs in their curriculum, we decided it was only fitting to highlight some of the best bops we learned in primary school.
10. We are the Greatest − “We are the greatest, yes we are, cos Jesus told us so, yeah.”
We all knew how great we were thanks to this banger and thanks to our pal Jesus. Our favourite part was the “yeah”; it adds an extra element of calm to Christian ideology. Jesus told us a lot at that age, and we were willing to listen.
9. Remember Them − ” Remember, remember, remember those who’ve died.”
This was an important one to help us learn about grief. Death and loss are scary concepts even as adults, so this song was beneficial to us as children. Even now, it brings a shiver down our spine. God bless you, Alive-O.
8. Jesus Told Us − “Jesus told us I am the bread of life.”
Did you know that Jesus is the teacher of wisdom? We know this because he told us, of course. This one is one of the classic Alive-O songs you can dance to. We want to petition this one to be played in every nightclub across Ireland.
7. The Lost Sheep − “Baa, baa, baa, I’ve lost my Mamaa, maa, maa.”
If you didn’t all sing this at a nativity play as second-class students, what was your teacher thinking?!
A chorus of little sheep bleeting is all any parent wants from a nativity play. Only the most gifted student got to play the actual lost sheep, and we were all so jealous of them.
6. Connected − “Connected, connected, you and I connected.”
Another absolute bop. And we all lived by the words. We are all connected by God’s love, as outlined in this song. Nothing like a catchy tune to make a devout Christian out of any child.
5. Mary Our Mother − “Angel Gabriel said to you, you will be mother of Jesus.”
Mary is the mother of us all. She guides us and protects us in all that we do. We don’t know why this one isn’t sung at every traditional pub session across Ireland. When you progressed further in the school ranks, you may have learned these ten Irish songs.
4. Grace Before and After Play − “Bless us, oh God, as we play together.”
We bellowed this one before and after break time when we were younger. Sure, how else would we show gratitude to our friends who make the fun for us? It’s a sin and a crime that this isn’t practised anymore; bring back the old curriculum!
3. Being Connected − “There’s lots of boys, and there’s lots of girls, but there’s no one else like me in the whole wide world.”
This iconic tune from the second class Alive-O songs curriculum celebrates our differences. We are all unique in our ways, yet we are all still connected. A cracker of a tune.
2. Saint Patrick’s Song − “Patrick’s fire burns bright, Patrick brings the light into the night.”
A very educational song about Saint Patrick lighting his fire on the Hill of Slane. This is an anthem of hope and the excitement we all felt when this came out, as St Patrick’s Day would soon be upon us.
1. We Sing a Song to Brigid − “Brigid brings the spring, awakens all the fields and the flowers and calls the birds to sing.”
Another educational one about one of our pre-Christian goddesses, Brigid, most widely known for her eponymous cross. Brigid “loved the poor, the sick and the sore”. This song also marked for us the fact that Pancake Day was upon us. Blessed be you, Brigid.
Most iconic mention: Circle of Friends − the most memorable of Alive-O songs
We thought this tune was so ahead of the rest that we felt it unfair to list it in the initial rankings because it would have won, no questions asked.
This iconic Irish bop is said to have been composed by the lord God himself, just for us to dance along to. It’s so beloved that there are multiple remixes of it on YouTube. God bless us all.
