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.
Go! Move! Shift!
Christy Moore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a [D] horsedrawn carriage on the [G] old A-[Am]-5
[Am] The big twelve wheeler shook my bed,
You [D] can't stay [Am] here the po-[D]-liceman [Em] said.
CHORUS
You'd [Am] better get [G] born in [D] some place [Em] else.
So [Am] move along [Em] get along
[F] Go [G] Move [Am] Shift!
Born in the common by a building site
Where the ground was rutted by the trail of wheels
The local Christian said to me,
"You'll lower the price of property."
You'd better get born in some place else.
So move along, get along, Move along, get along,
Go! Move! Shift!
Born at potato picking time
In a noble tent in a tatie field.
The farmer said, "The work's all done
It's time that you was moving on."
You'd better get born in some place else.
So move along, get along, Move along, get along,
Go! Move! Shift!
Born at the back of a hawthorn hedge
Where the black hole frost lay on the ground.
No eastern kings came bearing gifts.
Instead the order came to shift.
You'd better get born in some place else.
So move along, get along, Move along, get along,
Go! Move! Shift!
The eastern sky was full of stars
And one shone brighter than the rest
The wise men came so stern and strict
And brought the orders to evict
You'd better get born in some place else.
So move along, get along, Move along, get along,
Go! Move! Shift!
Wagon, tent or trailer born,
Last month, last year or in far off days.
Born here or a thousand miles away
There‚s always men nearby who'll say
You'd better get born in some place else.
So move along, get along, Move along, get along,
Go! Move! Shift!
[The sleeve notes from 'Live at the Point"has two extra verses (added by Christy)]
Six in the morning out in Inchicore
The guards came through the wagon door.
John Maughan was arrested in the cold
A travelling boy just ten years old.
You'd better get born in some place else.
So move along, get along, Move along, get along,
Go! Move! Shift!
Mary Joyce was living at the side of the road
No halting place and no fixed abode.
The vigilantes came to the Darndale site
And they shot her son in the middle of the night.
You'd better get born in some place else.
So move along, get along, Move along, get along,
Go! Move! Shift!
The song "Go! Move! Shift!" by Christy Moore is a powerful commentary on the struggles and injustices faced by the Traveller community in Ireland. The lyrics tell the stories of individuals who were born into poverty and prejudice, and who faced harassment and eviction from authorities and vigilantes alike. Each verse describes a different situation in which the singer is told they don't belong, whether it's a policeman telling a newborn baby to leave their carriage, a Christian warning that the singer will devalue property, or a farmer insisting it's time to move on from the potato field.
The repeated chorus serves as a rallying cry for the marginalized and oppressed, urging them to keep moving forward despite the obstacles in their way. The final two verses added by Christy Moore refer to specific instances of violence against the Traveller community, including a young boy being arrested and a son being shot by vigilantes.
The song is a powerful social commentary on the treatment of the Traveller community in Ireland and their ongoing struggle for equality and recognition. Despite being written over 30 years ago, the themes and issues raised in the song are still relevant today.
Line by Line Meaning
Born in the middle of the afternoon
In a horsedrawn carriage on the old A-5
The big twelve wheeler shook my bed,
You can't stay here the policeman said.
Being born in the middle of the day in a horse-drawn carriage on the road A-5 was a bumpy ride as it shook the bed. Unfortunately, the police officer said that one cannot stay here.
You'd better get born in some place else.
So move along, get along, Move along, get along,
Go! Move! Shift!
The singer advises that it would be better to be born somewhere else, and that one should move from one place to another, hence the chorus, 'Go! Move! Shift!'
Born in the common by a building site
Where the ground was rutted by the trail of wheels
The local Christian said to me,
"You'll lower the price of property."
Being born on a common land near a building site where the wheels had made tracks; the local Christian informed you that you will bring down the property prices in the area.
Born at potato picking time
In a noble tent in a tatie field.
The farmer said, "The work's all done
It's time that you was moving on."
Born during the potato picking season in a tent in a field; the farmer conveyed that the work was completed, and it's time to leave the place.
Born at the back of a hawthorn hedge
Where the black hole frost lay on the ground.
No eastern kings came bearing gifts.
Instead the order came to shift.
Born at the end of a hawthorn hedge, and the ground covered with frost. No kings came to bear gifts, but instead received orders to vacate the place.
The eastern sky was full of stars
And one shone brighter than the rest
The wise men came so stern and strict
And brought the orders to evict
The sky in the east was full of stars, and one was shining brighter than the others. The wise men came to deliver the order with a strict demeanor to vacate the place.
Wagon, tent, or trailer born,
Last month, last year, or in far-off days.
Born here or a thousand miles away
There's always men nearby who'll say
Irrespective of whether one is born in a wagon, tent or trailer, recently or yesteryear, or a thousand miles away, there will always be people nearby who advise one to move along.
Six in the morning out in Inchicore
The guards came through the wagon door.
John Maughan was arrested in the cold
A traveling boy just ten years old.
At 6 AM, in Inchicore, the guards entered the wagon, resulting in the arrest of John Maughan, a ten-year-old traveling boy in the cold.
Mary Joyce was living at the side of the road
No halting place and no fixed abode.
The vigilantes came to the Darndale site
And they shot her son in the middle of the night.
Mary Joyce was living on the side of the road and had no place to halt or stay. The vigilantes arrived at the Darndale site and killed her son in the middle of the night.
Writer(s): Ewan Mac Coll, Donal Lunny
Contributed by Owen E. 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