Name your three favourite songs by... [Christy Moore]

[Puckoon]

Didn't know that..

The Wikipedia page on how far back it goes as a song is worth a look.


Minds Locked Shut
Welcome to the Cabaret
smoke and strong Whiskey

Always liked north and south as well and So Do I.

A lot his best work is at least part of not wholly written by Wally Page. What I like about Moore is he doesn't hide the supporting cast and puts them front and centre.

Great Shout - as well as motherland and 16 fishermen raving.

[Puckoon]

It's not a hard fast rule, but in general if it's a fast paced song, Christy likely wrote it, and if it's a ballad, Christy likely covered it.

A Top 3 is very difficult here.

Welcome to the Cabaret kind of sums up Christy to me: a simple tune made brilliant through his trademark manic energy and colloquial lyrics.

From the same album (I think), Missing You is a rare thing: an emotional, sentimental, hard-hitting Irish song that nobody else covers and you never hear from a two-piece in a bar. Maybe they all know it can't be done better?

After that I can't name a third outright. For me he does the definitive Only Our Rivers Run Free, so at a push that would be it. But Ordinary Man, Ride On, Black is the Colour, City of Chicago, Go Move Shift, and the Song of Wandering Aenghus might all rank the same. Whilst the Voyage will always drive me mad as I hate it but can never get it out of my head.

Hate to continue to argue Wobbler - particularly on our own home turf... And maybe we're finding common ground here

Missing You is not a 2, or 3 piece tune. It's a hard dreadnought percussive guitar piece with a single vocal that contrasts the guitar beautifully. Pin drop stuff by Christy. Any single bar act who isn't loaded up with backing tunes should have it in their arsenal in an Irish Bar. There's no instrumental breaks naturally in the song. It's a solo slap in the mouth for those of us who lost people to the English (and American) streets.

I am going to throw in another that I love to sing here and there when I am back home, or in the right company abroad -
The Contender (Jack Doyle)

I bought what was my pride and joy guitar for a long time about 20 years ago, a Takamine EAN10C. Same Guitar Glen Hansard stripped all the way down, no pick guard. All because of Christy. That percussive sound, that jingle jangle that he can rattle out of a mid tier weapon with his lazy chording fingers. He was a godsend to me in my early years abroad playing tunes around this area. She's retired now, beat to shit because of a lack of humidity, been refretted 2 times in 20 years. Almost 30 years of wear on her. But she still sits amongst the rest of them - all because of Christy.

I wrote to him once on his guestbook page, I'd come off a show maybe around 2006-7 or so and a few members of the local Orchestral/Choir group had been enamoured with a version I'd just done of A Stitch In Time (not because of me, because of the Sean-nos ending to a show and the different kind of style). A former member here, Treasurer - had seen his response to my post on his website and sent it to me. In True Christy fashion he said something to the effect of It would have been some craic to see the members of the Reno Philarmonic getting to grips with Lisdoonvarna or something like that. I wish I'd have saved that.

Anyway, aren't we lucky?

[Baile Brigín 2]

It's not a hard fast rule, but in general if it's a fast paced song, Christy likely wrote it, and if it's a ballad, Christy likely covered it.

Nicely put.

Except for shovel.

His ballads  , even if he didn't actually write them , stand out more  for me than the fast-paced  Lisdoonvarna, Knock-type  songs. His soft  low voice lulls you in , and  forces you to listen.

Some cracking ones in there , but still I can't  decide my top 3

That's the joy of Christie. A funny barnstormer like Joxer, Lisdoonvarna, Delirious Tremens, followed by a beautiful ballad like Back Home in Derry or Ride On and around and around. All have some form of protest or statement, sometimes subliminal,  sometimes explicit.

[Cunny Funt]

A national treasure and still going strong at 80 years young.

Joker goes to Stuttgart
Ordinary Man
Ride on.

[Rufus T Firefly]

• The City of Chicago
• Back Home in Derry
• McIlhatton

[Lowkey]

Just on the covers thing, Christy does sometimes alter the lyrics or add a verse of his own but said he'll check with the writer where possible to make sure they're ok with it.

Most of my favourites have already been mentioned but here's a few others-

Lingo politico, written by a man from the Aran Islands about Irish politicians, hilarious and true to life.

Does this train stop on Merseyside - written by Ian Prowse I think of the band Amsterdam, it's a history of Liverpool, beautiful and apparently John Peel's favourite song. I think Amsterdam's version is better but I'd never have found it without Christy.
"Can't conceive what those children done
Guess there's a meanness in the soul of man
Yorkshire policemen chat with folded arms
While people try to save their fellow fans"

The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll -
A Bob Dylan song based on a true story about there being no justice for a poor black murder victim killed by a rich white man. Great version on YouTube with Declan Sinnott. Much better than Dylan's version, even before I found out Dylan had written a Zionist song portraying Israel as the innocent victims(The Neighbourhood Bully) and couldn't stand listening to him anymore.

Also love Burning Times, Weekend in Amsterdam, The Well Below the Valley and the The Time has Come video from Martin McGuiness's funeral always moves me.

Most of all though, I just love Christy for always being on the right side of history when it wasn't always easy - Stardust, The Hunger Strikers, The Birmingham Six, Fighting racism against immigrants and travellers, Palestine etc.

The 3-part episode of the Free State podcast with Brolly and Dion Fanning are a great look back through his career.

[AustinPowers]

Must check  out some of those suggestions @lowkey

[quit yo jibbajabba]

The Time has Come
Bright Blue Rose
Natives

Honourable mention to The Flickrin Light (sp)

Just to mention a couple not already mentioned

[93-DY-SAM]

Viva la quinta brigada
Joxer
Beeswing

But so many more great songs, whether original or someone else's.

[weareros]

Just there on the changing of covers, the songwriter Pierce Turner i believe was not happy with Christy's cover of "Among the Wicklow Hills". Having listened to both versions thought Christy did a fine version.

[BigGreenField]

Just on the covers thing, Christy does sometimes alter the lyrics or add a verse of his own but said he'll check with the writer where possible to make sure they're ok with it.

Most of my favourites have already been mentioned but here's a few others-

Lingo politico, written by a man from the Aran Islands about Irish politicians, hilarious and true to life.

Does this train stop on Merseyside - written by Ian Prowse I think of the band Amsterdam, it's a history of Liverpool, beautiful and apparently John Peel's favourite song. I think Amsterdam's version is better but I'd never have found it without Christy.
"Can't conceive what those children done
Guess there's a meanness in the soul of man
Yorkshire policemen chat with folded arms
While people try to save their fellow fans"

The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll -
A Bob Dylan song based on a true story about there being no justice for a poor black murder victim killed by a rich white man. Great version on YouTube with Declan Sinnott. Much better than Dylan's version, even before I found out Dylan had written a Zionist song portraying Israel as the innocent victims(The Neighbourhood Bully) and couldn't stand listening to him anymore.

Also love Burning Times, Weekend in Amsterdam, The Well Below the Valley and the The Time has Come video from Martin McGuiness's funeral always moves me.

Most of all though, I just love Christy for always being on the right side of history when it wasn't always easy - Stardust, The Hunger Strikers, The Birmingham Six, Fighting racism against immigrants and travellers, Palestine etc.

The 3-part episode of the Free State podcast with Brolly and Dion Fanning are a great look back through his career.

Spot on re Merseyside.

In Hattie Carroll he is at his very (borderline preacher) best.

[Main Street]

Just there on the changing of covers, the songwriter Pierce Turner i believe was not happy with Christy's cover of "Among the Wicklow Hills". Having listened to both versions thought Christy did a fine version.

Christy changed the lyrics a bit but I seriously doubt Pierce was bothered by that or anything else Christy did to the song.

[In hiding]

No time for love
Flickering Light
Back home in Derry

[Ronnie]

Some great posts on Christy & some songs that I'll look up & give a go.  He's our Bob Dylan & should be lauded for it. Lowkey -  Dylan's Neighbourhood Bully is complex & was from the dodgy era Dylan when he was born again & his songs deteriorated lyrically & musically to make him practically unlistenable & nauseous.  I'm not getting into another Israel - Palestine row.  Saved, amongst others, is an album we could have done without. 

[Lowkey]

Some great posts on Christy & some songs that I'll look up & give a go.  He's our Bob Dylan & should be lauded for it. Lowkey -  Dylan's Neighbourhood Bully is complex & was from the dodgy era Dylan when he was born again & his songs deteriorated lyrically & musically to make him practically unlistenable & nauseous.  I'm not getting into another Israel - Palestine row.  Saved, amongst others, is an album we could have done without. 

He's had decades to retract it and hasn't. I don't want to sidetrack a great music thread either. People can make up their own minds on it, but it's a red line for me and I just couldn't be listening to him anymore.

The lyrics are here if anyone is interested.....
https://www.bobdylan.com/songs/neighborhood-bully/