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.
Hey Sandy
Christy Moore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The sun was hot and the air was heavy and the marching men came by
You stood at the door and you watched then pass you asked the reason why
The sound of steel on their Jackboot heel came pounding through your head
Your reason is past, they've come at last, with the blessings of the dead.
CHORUS
All the years of growing up are wasted now and gone.
Did you see them turn did you feel the burn of the bullets as they flew?
Hey Sandy, hey Sandy just what did you do?
At the college square they were standing there with flag and with the gun
And the whispered words as the young ones stirred, why are these things done
And the air was still with the lonely thrill of now the hour is near
And the smell of sweat was better yet than the awful smell of fear.
CHORUS
The awful shout as you all ran out, why are these things done
And you stood and stared yet no one cared for another campus bum
Your songs are dead and your hymns instead are to the funeral pyre
And the words of youth, like love and truth are just ashes on the fire.
CHORUS
Did you throw the stone at the men alone with their bayonets fixed for hire?
Did you think that they would kill no one did you scream as they opened fire?
As the square ran red with your bloodstains spread and the darkness round you grew
Did you feel the pain did you call the name of the man that you never knew?
CHORUS
Original Version
CHORUS
Hey Sandy, hey Sandy why were you the one?
All the years of growing up are wasted now and gone.
Did you see them turn, did you feel the burn of the bullets as they flew?
Hey Sandy, hey Sandy just what did you do?
Hey Sandy, hey Sandy just what did you do?
Well the sun was hot and the air was heavy and the marching men came by
And you ran to the door and you watched then pass you asked the soldiers "Why?"
The sound of steel and the black boot's heel was pounding in your head
And your freedom's past, they've come at last, with the blessings of the dead.
In the college square they were standing there with flag and with the gun
And the whispered words as the young ones stirred, "Now at last they've come"
And the air was still with the lonely thrill of now the hour is near
And the smell of sweat was better yet than the awful stench of fear.
Through the air th shout as you all ran out was "Why are these things done?"
You stood and you stared but no one cared for another campus bum
And your songs were dead and your hymns instead were to the burning pyre
And the words of youth, like love and truth, just ashes in the fire.
Did you throw the stone at the men alone with their bayonets fixed for hire?
Did you doubt that they would, say no one could, did you scream when they opened fire?
As the square ran red with your bloodstains spread and the darkness round you grew
Through the fear and pain did you call the name of the man you never knew?
Reproduced with permission
The lyrics to Christy Moore’s song “Hey Sandy” describe the violent clashes between Irish students and British troops during the Northern Ireland conflict. The song is addressed to Sandy, a fictional character who represents all the young people who lost their lives in the conflict. The first verse describes Sandy’s observation of the British troops, who are marching by with their steel-toed boots, which leave an impression on Sandy’s mind. The troops are welcomed by the dead, meaning the soldiers who fought and died in countless battles.
The chorus is an attempt to understand Sandy’s fate. The lyrics ask why she was the one who had to die, and wonder what she did to deserve the fate. The second verse talks about a college square where students are standing with flags and guns, with the knowledge that the hour of reckoning is near. The lyrics describe the feeling of fear as the students wait for the impending violence, and the smell of sweat that fills the air.
The last verse of the song is the most powerful. It questions whether Sandy threw a stone at the troops, and whether she believed the soldiers would fire on the unarmed students. As Sandy lays dying, the song asks if she called out to a man she never knew. The song’s lyrics convey the senselessness and futility of war.
Line by Line Meaning
The sun was hot and the air was heavy and the marching men came by
The atmosphere was tense as soldiers marched by.
You stood at the door and you watched then pass you asked the reason why
You observed the soldiers passing by and pondered the reason for their presence.
The sound of steel on their Jackboot heel came pounding through your head
The sound of the soldiers' boots resonated in your mind.
Your reason is past, they've come at last, with the blessings of the dead.
The soldiers arrived to fight for a cause that has already been lost, with the approval of the deceased.
Hey Sandy, hey Sandy why are you the one?
The chorus questions why Sandy was the one to experience the events described.
All the years of growing up are wasted now and gone.
Sandy's upbringing and past experiences have been invalidated by the events happening now.
Did you see them turn did you feel the burn of the bullets as they flew?
The chorus asks if Sandy experienced the violence of the bullets flying by.
Hey Sandy, hey Sandy just what did you do?
The chorus wants to know what Sandy did in response to the events she witnessed.
At the college square they were standing there with flag and with the gun
The soldiers gathered at the college square, armed with weapons and carrying their flag.
And the whispered words as the young ones stirred, why are these things done
The young people were uncertain about the reasons behind the soldiers' actions and questioned their motives.
And the air was still with the lonely thrill of now the hour is near
The atmosphere was tense as people awaited the impending conflict.
And the smell of sweat was better yet than the awful smell of fear.
The smell of sweat from anticipation was preferable to the fear that hung in the air.
The awful shout as you all ran out, why are these things done
People were shocked and upset as they tried to understand the violence around them.
And you stood and stared yet no one cared for another campus bum
Despite observing the events, no one paid attention to the singer or their opinions as they were just seen as another student on campus.
Your songs are dead and your hymns instead are to the funeral pyre
The causes or beliefs that the singer believed in are now ineffective and irrelevant in the wake of the violence that has occurred.
And the words of youth, like love and truth are just ashes on the fire.
Ideas that were once embraced with passion and conviction now hold no value or meaning.
Did you throw the stone at the men alone with their bayonets fixed for hire?
The chorus asks if Sandy fought back against the soldiers who were armed and paid to be there.
Did you think that they would kill no one did you scream as they opened fire?
The chorus questions if Sandy believed that the soldiers would not harm anyone, and if she reacted when they began shooting.
As the square ran red with your bloodstains spread and the darkness round you grew
As the violence escalated, the singer was injured and the situation became increasingly dire.
Did you feel the pain did you call the name of the man that you never knew?
The chorus wonders if Sandy experienced pain and if she called out for help, even though she didn't know who to turn to.
Contributed by Victoria Y. 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