Christy Moore

[fox69]

"Trip To Jerusalem"

"Trip To Jerusalem"


I'm a stranger here from Ireland's shore; I've been on the road six months or more
Hikin', workin', travel in style; I'm a vagabond from Erin's Isle
My sunburned thumb stuck up in the air, many's the lift from here to there
Cars, buses, vans and trains, in the punishing heat, the snow and the rain

Whack fol the diddle fol the diro day
Whack fol the diddle fol the daro
Mrs. Dolan, your son he isn't workin'

I came from Dublin to Jerusalem town, had a drink or two on the journey down
At a railway station called Gare du Nord, I missed my train through garglin' hard
Three days later in Napoli, on a Turkish boat I sailed the sea
Slept in a hot hole down below, travelin' tourist class, you know

When the Promised Land came into sight, the customs man gave me a fright
"How much money have you got with you, Joe?" I bluffed and said, "Fifty pounds or so"
He said, "Shalom," I said, "Good day." Grabbed me guitar, got fast away
Down to the dessert then I went, digging up history and livin' in a tent

It was in the Gulf of Aqaba, I met some Paddies and we had a fleadh
Danced through streets of Eilat Town, sang Sean South of Garryowen
I was travelin', I don't know, you pack your gear, get up and go
Leave the crack for another bout, could damn well do with a pint of stout

 

[fox69]

"Unfinished Revolution"

"Unfinished Revolution"


From the health center porch she looks to the North
Where Nicaragua's enemies hide
Polio crippled and maimed before things were changed
Slowly they're turning the tide
In the twilight she stands, with a rifle in hand
And a memory of what used to be
Now she's part of the unfinished revolution
Feudal landlords they've known seen overthrown
Afghanistan comes into view
Learning to read and to write is part of the fight
But for her it's something that's new
Down all of the years ashamed of her tears
Imprisoned behind a black veil
Now she's part of the unfinished revolution
Soldiers kicked down the door, called her a whore
While he lingered in Castlereagh
Internment tore them apart, brought her to the heart
Of resistance in Belfast today
Her struggle is long, it's hard to be strong
She's determined deep down inside
To be part of the unfinished revolution
She holds the key to the unfinished revolution

 

[fox69]

"Van Diemen's Land"

"Van Diemen's Land"


Me and three more went out one night into Squire Noble's park
We were hoping we might catch some game the night been proven dark
It being out sad misfortune they captured us with speed
And brought us down to Warwick Gaol did cause our hearts to bleed

Young men all be aware lest you be drawn into a snare
Young men all be aware lest you be drawn into a snare

It was about the fifth of March me boys at the court we did appear
Like Job we stood with patience our sentence to hear
Without jury bail nor witness our case it did go hard
Our sentence was for fourteen years straight away being sent on board

The ship that bore us from the land the Speedwell was her name
For full five months and upwards we ploughed the raging main
We saw no land nor harbour I tell you its no lie
All around us one black ocean, above us one blue sky

About the fifth of August tis then we made the land
At five o'clock next morning they tied us hand to hand
To see our fellow sufferance filled my heart with woe
For there's some chained to the harrow and the others to the plough

To see our fellow sufferance it filled me with despair
For they'd leather smocks and lindsey shorts and their feet and hands were bare
They tied them up two by two like horses in a dray
And the driver he stood over them with his Malacca cane

There was a female prisoner, Rosanna was her name
For sixteen years a convict from Wolverhampton came
She often told her tale of love when she was young at home
But now it's rattling of the chains in a foreign land to roam

Come all of you young poaching lads and a warning take from me
Mark you well the story that I tell and guard your destiny
It's all about transported lads as you may understand
And the hardships we did undergo going to Van Dieman's Land

 

[fox69]

"Veronica"

"Veronica"


In the broad daylight of a Summer's day
On the Cork to Dublin motorway
Suddenly the singing birds
Were startled in their song
In the quiet of that moment
Our world went out of kilter
In that split second
Veronica was gone
But you will never silence her
Your story will be written
Her spirit won't rest easy
Until her job is done
With fists and boots you broke her bones
You gunned her down at home
But as soon as she was able
She faced you once again
You who made the phone call
And you who took the message down
You who hired the hit men
And you who hatched the plan
You who drew the money down
And you who paid it over
You who remain silent
You are guilty, every one
Veronica, Veronica, Veronica, warrior woman
Veronica, Veronica, Veronica, I offer you this song

 

[fox69]

"Victor Jara"

"Victor Jara"


Victor Jara of Chile lived like a shooting star
He fought for the people of Chile with his songs and his guitar
His hands were gentle and his hands were strong
Victor Jara was a peasant boy barely six years old
He sat upon his father's plough and watched the earth unfold
When the neighbours had a wedding or one of their children died
His mother sang all night to them with Victor by her side
He grew up to be a fighter stood against what was wrong
He learned of peoples grief and joy and turned it into song
He sang for the copper miners and those who farmed the land
He sang for the factory workers who knew Victor was their man
He campaigned for Allende canvassed night and day
Singing take hold of your brother's hand the future starts today
When Pinochet seized Chile they arrested Victor then
They caged him in the stadium with 5000 frightened men
Victor picked up his guitar his voice resounded strong
And he sang for his comrades till the guards cut short his song
They broke the bones in both his hands and beat him on the head
Tortured him with electric wires then they shot him dead
Victor Jara of Chile lived like a shooting star
He fought for the people of Chile with his songs and his guitar
His hands were gentle and his hands were strong

 

[fox69]

"Viva La Quinta Brigada"

"Viva La Quinta Brigada"


Ten years before I saw the light of morning
A comradeship of heroes was laid
From every corner of the world came sailing
The Fifth International Brigade

They came to stand beside the Spanish people
To try and stem the rising fascist tide
Franco's allies were the powerful and wealthy
Frank Ryan's men came from the other side

Even the olives were bleeding
As the battle for Madrid it thundered on
Truth and love against the force of evil
Brotherhood against the fascist clan

Viva la Quinta Brigada
"No Pasaran", the pledge that made them fight
"Adelante" is the cry around the hillside
Let us all remember them tonight

Bob Hilliard was a Church of Ireland pastor
Form Killarney across the Pyrenees he came
From Derry came a brave young Christian Brother
Side by side they fought and died in Spain

Tommy Woods age seventeen died in Cordoba
With Na Fianna he learned to hold his gun
From Dublin to the Villa del Rio
Where he fought and died beneath the blazing sun

Viva la Quinta Brigada
"No Pasaran", the pledge that made them fight
"Adelante" is the cry around the hillside
Let us all remember them tonight

Many Irishmen heard the call of Franco
Joined Hitler and Mussolini too
Propaganda from the pulpit and newspapers
Helped O'Duffy to enlist his crew

The word came from Maynooth, "support the Nazis"
The men of cloth failed again
When the Bishops blessed the Blueshirts in Dun Laoghaire
As they sailed beneath the swastika to Spain

Viva la Quinta Brigada
"No Pasaran", the pledge that made them fight
"Adelante" is the cry around the hillside
Let us all remember them tonight

This song is a tribute to Frank Ryan
Kit Conway and Dinny Coady too
Peter Daly, Charlie Regan and Hugh Bonar
Though many died I can but name a few

Danny Boyle, Blaser-Brown and Charlie Donnelly
Liam Tumilson and Jim Straney from the Falls
Jack Nalty, Tommy Patton and Frank Conroy
Jim Foley, Tony Fox and Dick O'Neill

Viva la Quinta Brigada
"No Pasaran", the pledge that made them fight
"Adelante" is the cry around the hillside
Let us all remember them tonight

 

[fox69]

"Wave Up To The Shore"

"Wave Up To The Shore"


A daffodil is born and rises in the spring
It opens out its beauty to hear the cricket sing
But as quick as it does grow it decays away so soon
Before the summer sunshine has reached its golden noon

A stream it does rise in the mountains so tall
It swells into a river as gently it does fall
It meanders to country through city and through town
And in the boundless ocean the river it is drowned

On the seas the winds do rage and the waves grow so high
As they turn into white horses leaping towards the sky
But soon the waves grow gentle no longer do they roar
As they make their lonesome passageway up to the pebble shore

If I were like a daffodil so fair upon the ground
Or like a gentle river with its sweet and mellow sound
Like a wave up to the shore like a river into the sea
I'd lay down in my resting place contented I would be

 

[fox69]

"Welcome To The Cabaret"

"Welcome To The Cabaret"


How's it going there everybody?
You're very welcome to this evening's cabaret
I want to thank you for the trouble you're after taking to come and hear me play
I know the effort that you make and all the trouble that you have to take
When you decide you're gonna go and see a show
Your wife says, oh not Christy Moore, we've seen him loads of times before
And we're going to miss Gay Byrne on the Late Late Show
Well there's people here upon my word from every corner of the world
From Portarlington, Portlaoise and Tullamore
From Two Mile House and Poulaphouca
From Blacktrench Cutbush and Boolea
Such a crowd I've never seen before
Well you are welcome welcome everyone
Special branch you're on the run
Fine Gael, Fianna Fail or Sinn Fein
When the elections are all over
We'll all be pushing up clover
And everyone in the graveyard votes the same

My belly thought my throat was cut
And all the restaurants were shut as I was driving out through Kinnegad
So I drove on to Mother Hubbard's where I saw a swarm of truckers
And I said to myself this place doesn't look too bad
In came a 40ft lorry leaking lines of slurry
And the king of the road jumped down and he said to me
Hey John, don't I know your face
Are you Paddy Reilly or Brendan Grace?
Are you Mary Black or Freddy White says he

Wait till I tell you what happened to me today
I was coming up the dual carriageway
Half a mile the far side on Naas
The Irish Army, they were all over the place
So I pulled in and rolled my window down
The saighdiuiri they surrounded my car I thought it was the third world war
Some of the boys were throwin' Shi'ite shapes
I said brigadier general what appears to be the trouble
He said "Don't forget your shovel"
Have you any auld autographs or tapes?
I do... what about the leb?

 

[fox69]

"Well Below The Valley"

"Well Below The Valley"


Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o

A gentleman was passing by
And he asked for a drink as he was dry
At the well below the valley-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o

My cup is full up to the brim
And if I were to stoop I might fall in
At the well below the valley-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o

If your true love was passing by
You'd fill him a drink if he was dry
At the well below the valley-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o

She swore by grass, she swore by corn
Her true love had never been born
At the well below the valley-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o

He said to her you're swearing wrong
Six fine children you've had born
At the well below the valley-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o

If you be a man of noble fame
You'll tell to me the father of them
At the well below the valley-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o

There's one of them by your brother John
At the well below the valley-o
One of them by your Uncle Don
At the well below the valley-o
Two of them by your father dear
At the well below the valley-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o

If you be a man of noble fame
You'll tell to me what did happen to them
At the well below the valley-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o

There's one of them buried beneath the tree
At the well below the valley-o
Another two buried beneath the stone
At the well below the valley-o
Two of them outside the graveyard wall
At the well below the valley-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o

If you be a man of noble fame
You'll tell to me what will happen myself
At the well below the valley-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o

You'll be seven years a-ringing a bell
At the well below the valley-o
And seven years a-burning in hell
At the well below the valley-o

I'll be seven years a-ringing a bell
But the Lord above may save my soul
From burning in hell at the well below the valley-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o

 

[fox69]

"Whacker Humphries"

"Whacker Humphries"


One day as I was walking past the bridge in Dolphin's Barn
By the old canal I saw some children round a car
In the back they were shooting up smack
I had a bird's eye view
When I called for help
Told me there's nothing we can do

Both sides of the river clearly to be seen
Down along O'Connell Street and up to Stephen's Green
Heroin sold openly there was no need to hide
The drug squad were outnumbered
It seemed like their hands were tied

John Whacker Humphries is a family man
Him and his wife, they give their children everything they can
Faced with the scourge of heroin, they'd not accept defeat
They joined concerned parents
To put the dealers off the street

They marched on dealers houses and ordered them to quit
Time and time again they warned, we've had enough of it
Dirty needles in our doorways
Junkies hanging all about
Keep on dealing heroin and you're going to be moved out

From St. Theresa's gardens to the flats in Ballymun
Concerned parents action had the dealers on the run
They swore they'd stand together until the drugs were stopped
Can anybody tell me why they got their knuckles rapped?

They were rounded up and charged
With crimes against the state
Brought before the Green Street court to decide their fate
Denied a trial by jury and there was no bail
The concerned parents were taken off to jail

Sitting in the gallery among family, friends and wives
I strained to hear who told the truth and who was telling lies
Dealers, junkies and police on the prosecution side
I swear to God that's what I saw before my very eyes

Whacker Humphries took the dealers on
And he fought them tooth and nail
A squad of well armed soldiers brought him to the portlaoise jail
He tried to protect his children, found guilty of a crime
One man gets a pension, another man gets time

This morning I went walking out by Dolphin's Barn
I heard a small bird whisper, mind you don't come to any harm