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.
Last Cold Kiss
Christy Moore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And his faithful heart would not consider any other wife.
For three years peaceful joy midst the rushes of the pond,
Proud and gentle was the loving of the last two island swans.
Their love was like a circle, no beginning and no end,
With his lady by his side a treasure and best friend.
The pond was all so peaceful in the rising of the sun,
'Til a dread day in November when the searing cold did start,
Stalked the hunter with his bow and put an arrow through her heart.
Husband come to my side let your feathers warm my pain,
For I feel I will not spend another day with you again.
And the cold winds blow,
He was brave but he's laid low.
By her body in the isle of mist,
I saw him give her one last cold kiss, one last cold kiss.
Of swans the people talk of only one in this days tide,
Through they brought him twenty ladies he would take no other bride.
They say he will not move from the place where she did fall,
Once so proud he's beaten now and he will not rise at all.
Christy Moore's song "Last Cold Kiss" tells the tragic story of two swans who have found true love in each other. The swans have been together for three years and have enjoyed a peaceful life together at the pond. However, their idyllic life is suddenly shattered when a hunter kills the female swan with an arrow. The male swan, devastated by the loss of his mate, stays by her side and gives her one last cold kiss.
The lyrics of the song evoke deep emotions of sorrow and loss, as the male swan's love for his mate is captured in the lyrics. The two swans' love was like a circle with no beginning or end. However, the male swan's faithful heart would not consider any other wife, thus making his loss all the more tragic. The pond where they lived was once peaceful, but with the loss of his mate, the male swan is now alone and broken.
The song touches on the theme of true love, the pain of loss, and the power of grief. It describes the deep sense of devotion that the male swan had for his mate and his inability to move on from her tragic death. "Last Cold Kiss" is a heart-wrenching tribute to a love that knows no boundaries.
Line by Line Meaning
Two island swans, mated for life,
Two swans who lived on an island were inseparable and devoted to each other.
And his faithful heart would not consider any other wife.
The male swan's heart belonged only to his mate and he would not replace her.
For three years peaceful joy midst the rushes of the pond,
The couple had been living peacefully for three years in the midst of the pond's reeds.
Proud and gentle was the loving of the last two island swans.
The swans' love was proud and gentle, and they were the last two breeding swans on the island.
Their love was like a circle, no beginning and no end,
The swans' love was eternal, with no clear beginning or end.
With his lady by his side a treasure and best friend.
The female swan was the male swan's cherished companion and closest friend.
The pond was all so peaceful in the rising of the sun,
The pond was tranquil and serene as the sun rose.
Young and free at the island breeze their life had just begun.
The swans' lives were full of freedom and promise as they enjoyed the island breeze.
'Til a dread day in November when the searing cold did start,
In November, the swans' peaceful existence was shattered by the onset of a bitterly cold spell.
Stalked the hunter with his bow and put an arrow through her heart.
A hunter killed the female swan with an arrow.
Husband come to my side let your feathers warm my pain,
The male swan came to his mate's side to comfort her as she suffered from her injury.
For I feel I will not spend another day with you again.
The female swan knew she was dying and would not be able to spend another day with her mate.
And the cold winds blow,
The cold winds blew as the female swan died.
He was brave but he's laid low.
Despite being brave, the male swan was overcome with grief.
By her body in the isle of mist,
The male swan remained by his mate's body on the misty island.
I saw him give her one last cold kiss, one last cold kiss.
The male swan gave his mate a final farewell kiss.
Of swans the people talk of only one in this day's tide,
The people only talked about the male swan, as he was the last living breeding swan on the island.
Through they brought him twenty ladies he would take no other bride.
Even though other female swans were introduced to him, the male swan refused to take another mate.
They say he will not move from the place where she did fall,
The male swan refused to leave the spot where his mate had died.
Once so proud he's beaten now and he will not rise at all.
The male swan was once proud, but he was now defeated and would not recover from his grief.
Contributed by Declan E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@lewiswilson4520
Two island swans mated for life,
And his faithful heart would not consider any other
Wife.
For three years peaceful joy midst the rushes of the
Pond,
Proud and gentle was the loving of the last two island
Swans.
Their love was like a circle, no beginning and no end,
With his lady by his side a treasure and best friend.
And the pond was all so peaceful with the rising of the
Sun,
Young and free like the island breeze their life was
Just begun.
'Til a dread day in November when the searing cold did
Start,
Stalked the hunter with his bow, he put an arrow
Through her heart.
Husband come to my side let your feathers warm my pain,
For I feel I will not spend another day with you again.
And the cold winds blow,
He was brave but he's laid low.
By her body in the isle of mist,
I saw him give her one last cold kiss,
One last cold kiss.
Of swans the people talk of only one in this days tide,
They brought him twenty ladies he would take no other
Bride.
They say he will not move from the place where she did
Fall,
Once so proud he's beaten now, he will not speak at
All.
And the cold winds blow,
He was brave but he's laid low.
By her body in the isle of mist,
I saw him give her one last cold kiss,
One last cold kiss.
@insertlaughter
I learned this song when I was a girl.. maybe 9 or 10 years old. I used to be able to sing it without tears. Didn't understand the gravity of it. It's something I circle back to every few years.
Have heard many covers of this, christis is the best. By far the best.
@AlexMakhno
Thank you Christy for wrapping me with your music and your heart in the bad moments of life.
Greetings from Spain ; )
@markmunger9978
Mountain was the band that made me listen to lyrics. Gail Collins was a genius. A troubled genius, no doubt, but a genius nonetheless. RIP Felix and Leslie: this version is as good as it gets.
@chrisd0801
Loving your music Bud 🤠
@missteemc4039
Thank you Christy ❤️🙏
@drumsanddrumming
Originally written by Pappalardi/Collins and performed by MOUNTAIN.
@andrewkenny47
A masterclass from Christy and Declan.
@johnjorgensen4840
Yer kidding me ! Only a meager smattering of comments ? Great performance .
@lewiswilson4520
Two island swans mated for life,
And his faithful heart would not consider any other
Wife.
For three years peaceful joy midst the rushes of the
Pond,
Proud and gentle was the loving of the last two island
Swans.
Their love was like a circle, no beginning and no end,
With his lady by his side a treasure and best friend.
And the pond was all so peaceful with the rising of the
Sun,
Young and free like the island breeze their life was
Just begun.
'Til a dread day in November when the searing cold did
Start,
Stalked the hunter with his bow, he put an arrow
Through her heart.
Husband come to my side let your feathers warm my pain,
For I feel I will not spend another day with you again.
And the cold winds blow,
He was brave but he's laid low.
By her body in the isle of mist,
I saw him give her one last cold kiss,
One last cold kiss.
Of swans the people talk of only one in this days tide,
They brought him twenty ladies he would take no other
Bride.
They say he will not move from the place where she did
Fall,
Once so proud he's beaten now, he will not speak at
All.
And the cold winds blow,
He was brave but he's laid low.
By her body in the isle of mist,
I saw him give her one last cold kiss,
One last cold kiss.
@carolinegriffin1213
Please help me find instrumentals off all christy moore songs please
#rapmusic
# flows well
Your sincerely
Aaron griffin,...