“The Irish are the niggers of Europe. And Dubliners are the niggers of Ireland. And the Northside Dubliners are the niggers of Dublin.”
— Jimmy Rabbitte's controversial but memorable declaration about the band's identity.
Archivist's Choice
The Commitments
Roddy Doyle (1987)
Genre
Literary Fiction
Reading Time
180 min
Key Themes
See below
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In Dublin's working-class streets, amateur musicians led by Jimmy Rabbitte and Joey 'The Lips' Fagan form a Motown tribute band, only to find their biggest challenge is keeping their chaotic personal lives and egos from tearing their dream apart.
Synopsis
Jimmy Rabbitte, a young music lover from Barrytown, Dublin, wants to bring soul music to his community. He decides to form the 'world's hardest working band' and recruits local talent. After rough auditions, he puts together The Commitments: singers, musicians, and backing vocalists, including lead singer Deco and guitarist Outspan. Their sound is raw and rooted in classic American soul. When Joey 'The Lips' Fagan, a veteran musician claiming to have played with legends, joins, the band's musicality and confidence grow. They start playing small gigs, quickly building a following with their electrifying performances. As they get more popular, internal conflicts, ego clashes, and romantic problems increase. Despite these issues, they get a recording session, a chance at their big break. However, the pressures of fame, artistic differences, and rivalries prove too much, causing the band's dramatic breakup just as success seems close. Though The Commitments fall apart, their brief, bright run leaves a lasting impression on its members and Barrytown, with a sense of future possibilities for each musician.
Reading time
180 min
Difficulty
Easy
Pacing
Fast
Mood
Humorous, Energetic, Gritty, Realistic, Hopeful
✓ Read this if...
You enjoy gritty, humorous, character-driven stories about working-class life, music, and the chaotic pursuit of a dream.
✗ Skip this if...
You prefer intricate plots, high fantasy, or polished, 'happily ever after' resolutions.
Plot Summary
The Idea for a Soul Band
Jimmy Rabbitte, a young, ambitious music fan from Barrytown, Dublin, is tired of the poor music in his working-class neighborhood. He wants to manage a band that plays 'soul music' – something real and raw, unlike the pop and rock of the time. After talking with his friends Outspan Foster and Derek Scully, who are already in a mediocre band, Jimmy decides to hold auditions. He places an ad, looking for musicians dedicated to soul and willing to work hard. His goal is clear: to bring the raw, emotional power of Motown and Stax to Dublin, believing the Irish working class shares a similar 'soul' with black American artists.
Auditions and Early Formation
Jimmy holds auditions in his parents' living room. It's a messy process that brings together many local hopefuls. He carefully picks his band members, often based more on their 'soul' potential and attitude than their immediate musical skill. Deco Cuffe, a plumber's assistant with a surprisingly strong voice, becomes the lead singer despite his rough edges. Imelda Quirke, Natalie Murphy, and Bernie McGloughlin are chosen as the 'Commitmentettes,' the backing vocalists, mainly for their looks and willingness to learn. The auditions combine talent and funny clumsiness, but Jimmy's drive shapes the raw material into something like a band.
Joey 'The Lips' Fagan Joins
Just as the band starts to come together, a mysterious and older trumpeter named Joey 'The Lips' Fagan appears. Joey claims to have played with legendary soul musicians like Wilson Pickett and James Brown. His experience and musical knowledge immediately impress Jimmy. Although some band members are skeptical of his wild stories, Joey's talent and calm manner are clear. He becomes an important mentor and musical director, teaching the band about soul music, arranging songs, and bringing a sense of discipline and professionalism that Jimmy, as manager, struggles to provide alone.
Rehearsals and Development
With Joey 'The Lips' Fagan's guidance, The Commitments begin intense, often difficult, rehearsals in a disused snooker hall. Joey's strict approach clashes with the band members' casual attitudes, leading to arguments and walkouts. However, his expertise slowly improves their individual talents and unites them into a cohesive musical group. Deco's voice gains control, the rhythm section tightens, and the Commitmentettes learn their harmonies. They build a repertoire of classic soul songs, perfecting their sound and stage presence. The band members also start to form complex personal relationships, adding to the internal dynamics and tensions.
First Gigs and Growing Popularity
The Commitments play their first few gigs in local pubs and community halls. They are met with mixed reactions at first but quickly gain a dedicated following. Their raw energy, Deco's powerful vocals, and the band's authentic soul sound set them apart. Word spreads, and their performances become more popular, drawing bigger crowds. Jimmy works hard to book more shows, while Joey continues to refine their music. The band members start to feel proud, enjoying the attention and the growing buzz around 'the hardest working band in the world'.
Internal Conflicts and Successes
As The Commitments get more popular, internal conflicts grow. Egos clash, especially between Deco, who becomes arrogant, and the other members. Romantic relationships start among the band, particularly involving Joey 'The Lips' Fagan, who seems to charm all three Commitmentettes. Arguments over money, song choices, and stage presence become frequent. Despite these tensions, their performances keep getting better, and they start to attract a local music journalist, confirming their status as a rising force in the Dublin music scene. The band's fiery dynamics, ironically, often fuel their passionate performances.
The Recording Studio Dream
Driven by his ambition, Jimmy gets a recording session for The Commitments. This is a big step toward their goal of making it big. The idea of recording their music and possibly releasing a single excites the band but also increases existing pressures and rivalries. The studio environment is new and challenging, further showing the cracks in their unity. Jimmy sees this as their big chance, a way to make their sound last and prove that a soul band from Barrytown can succeed, pushing them to their limit.
The Recording Session
The recording session itself is difficult. The band struggles with the sterile studio, which lacks the raw energy of their live gigs. Deco's ego becomes unbearable, leading to arguments with other members and the sound engineer. The Commitmentettes are distracted by Joey 'The Lips' Fagan, whose romantic entanglements cause friction among them. Technical problems and personality clashes hurt the session, making it hard to capture their true sound. Despite their best efforts, the recording doesn't meet Jimmy's high expectations, leaving a sense of disappointment and hinting at more problems.
The Band's Implosion
The built-up tensions finally explode. A big argument backstage, fueled by jealousy, ego, and different ideas for the band's future, leads to a full fight. Deco's arrogance, Joey's womanizing, and the general lack of discipline among the members create an irreparable split. Instruments are smashed, harsh words are exchanged, and band members, one by one, quit or are fired. The Commitments, despite their musical talent, spectacularly break up, unable to maintain the balance needed for group success. Jimmy is devastated, his dream shattered, as the band he painstakingly built falls apart.
Aftermath and Lingering Hope
After the band's breakup, Jimmy Rabbitte is left to sort things out. He regrets the wasted potential and the sad end of The Commitments. Despite the disappointment, he remains an optimist. He finds a demo tape Joey 'The Lips' Fagan had recorded alone, showing the band's potential in a way the studio session failed to. This tape is a bittersweet reminder of what could have been. The novel ends with Jimmy, still dreaming, already thinking about his next project, suggesting that the spirit of 'commitment' to music, though fragile, will never truly die in Barrytown.
Principal Figures
Jimmy Rabbitte
The Protagonist
Jimmy starts as an aspiring manager with a clear vision and ends as a disillusioned but still hopeful dreamer, having learned the harsh realities of the music business and human nature.
Deco Cuffe
The Supporting
Deco rises from obscurity to become a captivating frontman, only to be undone by his unchecked ego and lack of professionalism.
Joey 'The Lips' Fagan
The Supporting
Joey arrives as a wise mentor and catalyst for the band's musical growth, but his personal habits ultimately contribute to its internal collapse.
Imelda Quirke
The Supporting
Imelda experiences the thrill of performing and the complexities of romantic entanglements within the band.
Natalie Murphy
The Supporting
Natalie's initial excitement about the band gives way to disillusionment as personal relationships complicate the professional.
Bernie McGloughlin
The Supporting
Bernie's journey reflects the emotional highs and lows of being in a band, culminating in personal heartbreak.
Outspan Foster
The Supporting
Outspan remains a steadfast member of the band, witnessing its rise and fall with a degree of resignation.
Derek Scully
The Supporting
Derek experiences the band's journey from a working-class perspective, a participant rather than a instigator of drama.
Themes & Insights
The Pursuit of a Dream vs. Reality
The novel explores the clash between Jimmy Rabbitte's ideal vision for a 'soul' band and the realities of working-class life, human ego, and the music industry. Jimmy's dream is pure, but it often collides with the petty jealousies, financial problems, and personal flaws of his band members. The band's initial success shows the power of a shared dream, but its eventual breakup highlights how fragile such hopes are when faced with human nature. The recording session, meant to be a triumph, becomes a symbol of this conflict.
“''The Irish are the blacks of Europe. And Dubliners are the blacks of Ireland. And the Northside Dubliners are the blacks of Dublin. So say it once, say it loud, I'm black and I'm proud.'”
Working-Class Identity and Aspiration
The Commitments is deeply set in its Dublin working-class environment. The characters' struggles, humor, and hopes are shaped by where they live. Soul music, with its themes of struggle and endurance, connects deeply with their experiences. The band offers an escape from the ordinary and often difficult realities of their lives, giving them a sense of purpose and identity. Their rough edges and authentic voices come directly from Barrytown, and their pursuit of musical stardom is a shared desire for something more than their current circumstances. The novel shows their resilience while acknowledging their limitations.
“''What makes you think you're good enough to be in a soul band?' 'I'm black,' said Deco. 'Well, you're the first black Irishman I've ever seen,' said Jimmy.”
The Power and Fragility of Music
Music drives the story, acting as both a unifying and divisive force. It brings different characters together, allowing them to overcome individual differences and create something beautiful and powerful. The band's live performances are described with infectious energy, showing music's ability to uplift and connect. However, the novel also reveals music's fragility, as the band's creative synergy is ultimately undone by personal conflicts and egos. The 'soul' they try to embody is powerful, but it cannot overcome the human weaknesses that hurt the group. The lingering hope at the end is that the music itself, once made, might last.
“''It's not enough to be good. You have to be great. You have to have soul.'”
Ego and Interpersonal Conflict
The novel is full of conflict between people, largely driven by the unchecked egos of the band members, especially Deco Cuffe. As the band gains recognition, individual ambitions and jealousies grow, leading to arguments, power struggles, and romantic problems. Joey 'The Lips' Fagan's womanizing creates a love triangle among the Commitmentettes, further destabilizing the group. This theme shows how personal flaws and an inability to compromise can ruin even the most promising group efforts, ultimately leading to the band's spectacular breakup. The constant bickering is both funny and a sad certainty.
“''You're a brilliant singer, Deco, but you're a pain in the arse.'”
Plot Devices & Literary Techniques
The Unreliable Narrator (Implied)
The story is told primarily through dialogue and Jimmy's perspective, with some ambiguity.
While not a formal first-person narrator, the narrative is heavily filtered through Jimmy Rabbitte's perspective and his often-exaggerated accounts of events, particularly in his initial recruitment speeches and his reflections. Joey 'The Lips' Fagan's own embellished stories about his past add another layer of unreliability to certain details. This device allows for a humorous and slightly chaotic tone, reflecting the often-exaggerated nature of band dynamics and the music industry. It also means the reader must interpret events through the lens of passionate, sometimes biased, characters, making the 'truth' of some situations ambiguous.
Dialogue-Driven Narrative
The story progresses almost entirely through authentic, rapid-fire Dublin dialogue.
Roddy Doyle's distinctive writing style relies heavily on realistic, colloquial, and often unpunctuated dialogue. The plot unfolds through the conversations, arguments, and banter of the characters, capturing the rhythm and humor of working-class Dublin speech. This device immerses the reader directly into the world of Barrytown, revealing character personalities, advancing the plot, and creating a strong sense of authenticity without relying on extensive descriptive prose. The rapid-fire exchanges mirror the energy and chaos of the band itself.
Ironic Juxtaposition
The contrast between the gritty Dublin setting and the soulful American music.
The novel frequently employs ironic juxtaposition by placing the raw, working-class Dublin characters and their mundane lives against the backdrop of sophisticated, passionate American soul music. Jimmy's assertion that 'The Irish are the blacks of Europe' is a prime example. This contrast highlights the universal appeal of soul music while also providing humor and a unique cultural commentary. The band's attempts to replicate the 'authentic' black American sound in a very different context create both moments of genuine artistry and comical incongruity, underscoring the novel's central premise.
Foreshadowing of Implosion
Early signs of conflict and ego hint at the band's eventual breakup.
From the very beginning, the novel subtly foreshadows The Commitments' eventual demise. Deco's arrogance, Joey 'The Lips' Fagan's womanizing, and the constant bickering among band members are introduced early on and gradually escalate. These character flaws and interpersonal tensions are not merely incidental but are presented as inherent weaknesses that will inevitably lead to the band's downfall. This device creates a sense of dramatic irony, as the reader can see the cracks forming even as the band experiences success, making the eventual implosion feel both inevitable and tragic.
Critical analysis
Notable Quotes
“It was the first time they’d played in front of a real crowd. It was the first time they’d played in front of anyone who wasn’t related to them.”
— Describing the band's initial gig experience.
“He knew he was making a mistake, but he couldn’t stop himself. He was a commitment. He was committed.”
— Jimmy reflecting on his dedication to the band, despite its challenges.
“Soul music. That’s what it was. Black music. But they were white. And Irish. And they were going to play it.”
— Highlighting the band's unlikely pursuit of soul music.
“They were good. They were very good. And they knew it. That was the problem.”
— Observing the band's growing talent but also their escalating egos.
“He was a manager. He managed. He didn’t play. He didn’t sing. He just managed.”
— Jimmy defining his role as the band's manager.
“The Commitments. They were the greatest band in the world. For a while.”
— A poignant summary of the band's fleeting success.
“They weren’t a band. They were a family. A dysfunctional family.”
— Describing the close but often turbulent relationships within the group.
“Deco was a singer. He just had to open his mouth and it came out. No effort. Just pure.”
— Admiring Deco Cuffe's natural vocal talent.
“They weren't looking for fame, not really. They were looking for something to do.”
— Reflecting on the band's initial motivations.
“He thought of the music, the way it had sounded, the way it had felt. It was still there, somewhere.”
— Jimmy reminiscing about the power of their music after the band's breakup.
“It was the sound of Dublin, alright. But it was also the sound of Detroit.”
— Highlighting the fusion of their Irish roots with American soul music.
“They were going to be huge. They were going to be massive. And then they weren’t.”
— A concise and ironic summary of the band's rise and fall.
“He loved the smell of the sweat and the stale beer and the cigarettes. It was the smell of rock and roll.”
— Jimmy embracing the gritty atmosphere of live music venues.
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Key Questions (FAQ)
The novel follows Jimmy Rabbitte, a young music enthusiast from working-class Dublin, as he forms a soul band, The Commitments, with local amateur musicians. His goal is to bring authentic 'Dublin Soul' to the masses, believing that the Irish are the 'blacks of Europe' and thus inherently suited to soul music.
About the author
Roddy Doyle is an Irish novelist, dramatist and screenwriter. He is the author of eleven novels for adults, eight books for children, seven plays and screenplays, and dozens of short stories. Several of his books have been made into films, beginning with The Commitments in 1991. Doyle's work is set primarily in Ireland, especially working-class Dublin, and is notable for its heavy use of dialogue written in slang and Irish English dialect. Doyle was awarded the Booker Prize in 1993 for his novel Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha.
