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.
Folk Tale
Christy Moore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In searching the wide world for her
He found her in the small house
In the clearing
In the forest
She was old and she was stooped
He pledged himself to her
To chop the wood and carry the water
Years went by until one day
The young man woke up longing, for a child
He went to the old women
And he asked to be released from his oath to her
That he might return, to the world
Certainly she said
On one condition
You must tell them that I am young beautiful
You must tell them that I am young beautiful
Christy Moore's song, Folk Tale, is a poignant and thought-provoking ballad that tells the story of a young man's search for truth. The lyrics explore timeless themes of love, loyalty, sacrifice, and the passing of time. The song opens with the young man having fallen in love with truth and setting out to find her, searching far and wide. In the end, he finds her in an unexpected place - a small house in a forest clearing. Despite her age and stooped frame, he pledges himself to her, offering to chop the wood and carry the water.
Years pass, and the young man's longing for a child awakens. He returns to the old woman and asks to be released from his oath to her, so that he can once again join the world. The old woman agrees, but on one condition - that he must tell everyone that she is young and beautiful. This twist at the end of the tale underscores the idea that truth can be elusive and subjective, and that perception can shape reality as much as anything else. By focusing on the power of storytelling and the intersection of reality and myth, the song invites listeners to reflect on the nature of truth and the role of perception in shaping the world we live in.
Line by Line Meaning
A young man fell in love with truth
The young man was seeking the concept of truth and fell in love with it.
In searching the wide world for her
He searched the entire world to find the concept of truth.
He found her in the small house
He found truth in a small and humble dwelling.
In the clearing
The small house was located in a clearing in a forest.
In the forest
The truth he sought was hidden in the depths of the forest.
She was old and she was stooped
The concept of truth he found was old and weathered, with a demeanour of humility.
He pledged himself to her
He committed himself fully to truth and its way of life.
To chop the wood and carry the water
He committed himself to a simple existence, devoid of materialism or excess, and to take life one step at a time.
Years went by until one day
Over time, the years went by, and his life continued in simplicity and devotion to truth.
The young man woke up longing, for a child
One day, the young man longed to become a father and raise a child.
He went to the old women
He went to the source of truth that he had found, which was now an old woman.
And he asked to be released from his oath to her
He requested to be released from his commitment to truth so he could start a family and return to the world.
That he might return, to the world
He wanted to leave his quiet life of devotion and return to the larger, more chaotic world outside.
Certainly she said
The old woman allowed him to leave with the one condition.
On one condition
Before he could leave, the old woman had one condition he needed to fulfil.
You must tell them that I am young beautiful
The old woman wanted the young man to portray her as young and beautiful to the world, as her image had become distorted over the years, so people would continue to search for her.
Contributed by Kylie J. 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