Christy Moore started in the music business in the mid-sixties, when his life as a bank clerk was interrupted by a bank strike, and he moved to England. There he became involved in the folk music scene at the time, and spent a few years playing pubs and clubs around the country.
His return to Ireland was marked by the album 'Prosperous', which proved to be a milestone in the rapprochement of Irish music to the popular mainstream. This album benefited from a collaboration of the leading talents of contemporary folk music, musicians such as Andy Irvine, Donal Lunny and Liam O'Flynn, and this one-off was to lead to the formation of Planxty, a band who were soon to be at the leading edge of the revival of Irish traditional music.
Over the following years the musical status of Planxty became legendary both in Ireland, Britain and throughout Europe. However in 1974 the band split up to pursue solo projects. It was during this period that Christy continued to explore new ground as a solo artist recording a number of solo albums including 'The Iron Behind the Velvet' (TARACD2002) which featured Andy Irvine and 'Live in Dublin' (TARACD2005) with Donal Lunny.
The original Planxty lineup of Christy, Andy, Liam and Donal then reformed in 1979. They recorded two further albums with Tara Records 'After the Break' (TARACD3001) and 'The Woman I Loved So Well' (TARACD3005). There were several additions and changes to their lineup most notably the addition of Matt Molloy, flautist from The Bothy Band, who later joined The Chieftains, and Bill Whelan.
In 1981 Planxty performed a Bill Whelan arrangement called 'Timedance' as the intermission piece for the Eurovision song contest, held that year in Ireland. Later it was released as a single and is now included on Bill's CD of 'The Seville Suite' (TARACD3030) released by Tara in 1992.
In the eighties Christy again teamed up with Donal Lunny to form Moving Hearts, another ambitious and innovative Irish band which sought to mix jazz into the folk-rock fusion. Ever the wanderer, Christy was soon breaking out on his own again, and it was in the eighties that he began to establish himself as one of Ireland's leading solo artists with a string of acclaimed albums and high profile tours.
In the mid-nineties Christy decided to take a break from the music for a few years. In the year 2000 Christy return to live performances with a series of Dublin concerts. Over the last few years he has released a number of solo projects including a television series, a live album and a 6 CD boxset.
Farewell To Pripchat
Christy Moore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The day that the nightmare began,
When the dust it rained down on our buildings and streets,
And entered our bedrooms at noon,
Touched the grass and the streets, bicycles, cars,
Beds books and picture frames too,
We stood around, helpless, confused,
Nobody knew what to do.
At two o'clock on Sunday the buses arrived,
A fleet of a thousand or more,
We were ordered to be on our way,
Not knowing what lay in store,
Some of our citizens fled in dismay,
And looked for a good place to hide,
Four o'clock came and the last bus pulled out,
T'was the day our lovely town died.
And the shirts sheets and handkerchiefs crack in the wind,
On the window ledge the withering plants,
And the Ladas and Volga's are parked by the door,
And the bike's in its usual stance.
Our evergreen trees lie withered and drooped,
They've poisoned our fertile land,
The streets speak a deafening silence,
Nothing stirs but the sand.
A visit back home is so eerie today,
A modern Pompeii on view,
To see all the old shops and the Forest Hotel,
And the Promyet Cinema too.
The mementos we gathered were all left behind,
Our Photos, letters and cards,
The toys of our children untouchable now,
Toy soldiers left standing on guard.
So fare thee well Pripyat, my home and my soul,
Your sorrow can know no relief,
A terrifying glimpse of the future you show,
Your children all scattered like geese,
The clothes line still sways but the owners long gone,
As the nomadic era returns,
The question in black and white blurred into grey,
The answer is too easy to learn.
Christy Moore's song Farewell To Pripchat tells the story of the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine, which occurred on April 26th, 1986. The song's lyrics vividly describe the devastation caused by the nuclear explosion, starting from the moment when the dust rained down on buildings, streets, and people's lives. Moore sings about how the disaster forced the town's citizens to flee, leaving behind their homes, possessions, and memories. He speaks of the eerie silence that now engulfs the town and how Pripyat has become a modern Pompeii, frozen in time.
Line by Line Meaning
It was a Friday in April 1986,
The beginning of a catastrophic event that changed the course of history.
The day that the nightmare began,
The start of a series of events that would alter the lives of thousands of people forever.
When the dust it rained down on our buildings and streets,
The radioactive fallout that left everything contaminated.
And entered our bedrooms at noon,
The extent of the contamination was such that it penetrated even into the private spaces of our homes.
Touched the grass and the streets, bicycles, cars,
No one and nothing was spared from the contamination.
Beds books and picture frames too,
Our personal belongings became toxic and had to be abandoned.
We stood around, helpless, confused,
In the face of this disaster, we were left without direction or guidance.
Nobody knew what to do.
There was no protocol or manual to follow for such an unprecedented and unexpected event.
At two o'clock on Sunday the buses arrived,
The belated response to the disaster only began after two days.
A fleet of a thousand or more,
Officials mobilized hundreds of resources to evacuate the area.
We were ordered to be on our way,
The decision to evacuate was made for us, with no choice or consultation.
Not knowing what lay in store,
We left behind our homes and the life we knew, without any idea of what would come next.
Some of our citizens fled in dismay,
Many were reluctant to leave without being sure they would not return.
And looked for a good place to hide,
Some sought refuge wherever they could find it, fearing the toxic exposure.
Four o'clock came and the last bus pulled out,
The evacuation was complete.
T'was the day our lovely town died.
The day everything changed and nothing would ever be the same again.
And the shirts sheets and handkerchiefs crack in the wind,
The abandoned clothes and belongings of the evacuated residents remain as they were the day they were left, disintegrating in the elements.
On the window ledge the withering plants,
The poisonous dust killed everything, even the plants.
And the Ladas and Volga's are parked by the door,
The abandoned cars of the residents of Pripyat remain standing where they were left.
And the bike's in its usual stance.
As if waiting for its owner to return, the bike remains standing, untouched.
Our evergreen trees lie withered and drooped,
The once beautiful trees are now a sad reminder of what has been lost.
They've poisoned our fertile land,
The soil has been contaminated and cannot support life.
The streets speak a deafening silence,
In the deserted streets, there is no longer any human activity or sound.
Nothing stirs but the sand.
The only sound is the wind, blowing toxic sand in the air.
A visit back home is so eerie today,
Visiting the evacuated area is a surreal experience.
A modern Pompeii on view,
Like the ancient city of Pompeii preserved in time, Pripyat is a monument to an unexpected disaster.
To see all the old shops and the Forest Hotel,
The ruined buildings are a testimony to the past lives of the residents.
And the Promyet Cinema too.
Even the entertainment centers have been left to decay.
The mementos we gathered were all left behind,
The things that were important to us, the things that held our memories, were left behind.
Our Photos, letters and cards,
Personal belongings that are now toxic and can never be retrieved.
The toys of our children untouchable now,
Even the toys of our children are now too dangerous to handle.
Toy soldiers left standing on guard.
As if guarding and waiting for their owners to return, the toys stand as a testament to lost innocence.
So fare thee well Pripyat, my home and my soul,
A farewell to the home that was lost and the soul that was shattered.
Your sorrow can know no relief,
The pain of the loss is infinite and cannot be eased.
A terrifying glimpse of the future you show,
Pripyat is a warning of what we are capable of and what consequences our actions can have.
Your children all scattered like geese,
The families that lived in Pripyat have been dispersed across the world.
The clothes line still sways but the owners long gone,
Even after decades, the image of the swaying clothesline remains haunting.
As the nomadic era returns,
The forced evacuation turned the residents of Pripyat into refugees, unable to return to their homes.
The question in black and white blurred into grey,
The morality of nuclear power and its effects on human life are no longer a clear-cut issue.
The answer is too easy to learn.
The tragedy of Pripyat reveals the devastating effects of human negligence and arrogance.
Contributed by Brody G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Oisin feehilly
on By Barna
Hellow Lady, Can I borrow your teddy
Samuel Joseph Donnelly
on Whacker Humphries
Ask "whacker" about the Provo they marched on and set up for votes in council elections- set up by a brasser from the Barn named Lilly Healy- 18 fucking years in blocks/cages/ torture centres and back stabbed by wannabes from Dublin! Between Active service ( killing etc whacker in case you didn't know!!
Chloe Mcl
on Hey Paddy
Is that the words Brendan O'Carroll sing