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.
First Time Ever
Christy Moore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I Thought the sun rose in your eyes
And the moon and stars were the gifts you gave
To the dark and the endless sky, my love
The first time ever I kissed your mouth
I felt the earth move in my hand
Like a trembling heart of a captive bird
The first time ever I lay with you
I felt your heart so close to mine
And I knew our joy would fill the earth
And last 'till the end of time, my love
And last 'till the end of time
.
The song "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by Christy Moore captures the essence of the beauty and the impact of first love. The first verse relates how the singer viewed the beauty of his/her loved one upon their first meeting. The sun rising in the loved one's eyes and the moon and stars being given as gifts to the dark sky indicate the extraordinary nature of that first meeting. In the second verse, the singer describes the first time he/she kissed their loved one's mouth, and how it felt like the earth moved in his/her hand, like a captive bird. This illustrates how significant that first kiss was, and how it created a feeling of being in control of one's destiny. In the final verse, the singer describes how the first time the two lovers lay together, their hearts were so close that they knew their joy would fill the earth and that it would last until the end of time. This final verse emphasizes the powerful sense of intimacy and connection that first love can create.
Overall, the song captures a sense of awe and wonder that accompanies a truly memorable first love experience. It speaks to the deeply felt emotion that accompanies love at first sight, first kiss, and the first time being truly intimate with another person. The lasting nature of that first love is emphasized through the repeated refrain, "and last 'till the end of time, my love."
Fact #1: "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" was written by Ewan McColl in 1957 as a love song for his partner, Peggy Seeger.
Fact #2: The song has been covered by many artists over the years, including Roberta Flack, who brought the song to mainstream attention with her version in 1972.
Fact #3: The song won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1973 and was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.
Fact #4: Elvis Presley's version of the song was used in the final credits of the film "Love Me Tender," which was also the name of one of his songs.
Fact #5: The song has been used in numerous films and TV shows over the years, including "Play Misty For Me," "Shameless," and "Breaking Bad."
Fact #6: The song has been interpreted as a statement against patriarchal power dynamics, given that the lyrics present the woman's perspective on love and romance.
Fact #7: The melody for the song was borrowed from a traditional Scottish folk song called "The Blacksmith."
Fact #8: The song has been covered in many languages, including Spanish, French, and Portuguese.
Fact #9: The song has been parodied by a number of artists, including "Weird Al" Yankovic, who recorded a version called "The First Time Ever I Ate Food."
Fact #10: The song was also covered by George Michael in a duet with Queen's lead vocalist Freddie Mercury, which was released after Mercury's death in 1991.
Chords (in the key of C):
Verse:
C Em
The first time ever I saw your face
F G
I thought the sun rose in your eyes
C Em
And the moon and stars were the gifts you gave
F G C
To the dark and the endless skies, my love
Chorus:
C Em
And the first time ever I kissed your mouth
F G
I felt the earth move in my hand
C Em
Like the trembling heart of a captive bird
F G C
That was there at my command, my love
Line by Line Meaning
The First Time ever I saw your face
When I first laid eyes on you
I thought the sun rose in your eyes
Your beauty was overwhelming
And the moon and stars were the gifts you gave
You shared the most precious things in the world with me
To the dark and the endless sky, my love
It felt like you illuminated everything around you
The first time ever I kissed your mouth
When I first kissed you
I felt the earth move in my hand
I felt a powerful, intense connection with you
Like a trembling heart of a captive bird
My heart felt like it was both racing and restrained
That was there at my command, my love
I had complete control over my emotions in that moment
The first time ever I lay with you
When we first made love
I felt your heart so close to mine
I felt a deep emotional connection with you
And I knew our joy would fill the earth
I knew that our love was special and would bring happiness to the world
And last 'till the end of time, my love
Our love will endure for eternity
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Ewan Maccoll
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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