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.
Lisdoonvarna
Christy Moore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From Cork, New York, Dundalk, Gortahork and Glenamaddy.
Here we are in the County Clare
It's a long, long way from here to there.
There's the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher,
And the Tulla and the Kilfenora,
Miko Russell, Doctor Bill,
Willy Clancy and Noel Hill.
Flutes and fiddles everywhere.
If it's music you want,
You should go to Clare.
Oh, Lisdoonvarna
Lisdoon, Lisdoon, Lisdoon, Lisdoonvarna!
Everybody needs a break,
Climb a mountain or jump in a lake.
Some head off to exotic places,
Others go to the Galway Races.
Mattie goes to the South of France,
Jim to the dogs, Peter to the dance.
A cousin of mine goes potholing,
A cousin of here's loves Joe Dolan.
Summer comes around each year,
We go there and they come here.
Some jet off to ... Frijiliana,
But I always go to Lisdoonvarna.
Oh, Lisdoonvarna
Lisdoon, Lisdoon, Lisdoon, Lisdoonvarna!
I always leave on a Thursday night,
With me tent and me groundsheet rolled up tight.
I like to hit Lisdoon,
In around Friday afternoon.
This gives me time to get me gear together,
I don't need to worry about the weather.
Ramble in for a pint of stout,
And you'd never know who'd be hangin' about!
There's a Dutchman playing a mandolin,
And a German looking for Liam Óg O'Floinn.
And there's Adam, Bono and Garrett Fitzgerald,
Gettin' their photos taken for the Sunday World.
Finbarr, Charlie and Jim Hand,
And they drinkin' pints to bate the band.
Ain't it grand?
Oh, Lisdoonvarna
Lisdoon, Lisdoon, Lisdoon, Lisdoonvarna!
The multitudes, they flocked and thronged,
To hear the music and the songs.
Motorbikes and Hi-ace vans,
With bottles - barrels - flagons - cans.
Mighty craic. Loads of frolics,
Pioneers and alcoholics,
PLAC, SPUC and the FCA,
Free Nicky Kelly and the IRA.
Hairy chests and milk-white thighs,
And mickey dodgers in disguise.
Mc Graths, O'Briens, Pippins, Coxs,
Massage parlours in horse boxes.
There's amhráns, bodhráns, amadáns,
Arab sheiks, Hindu Sikhs, Jesus freaks,
RTE are makin' tapes, takin' breaks and throwin' shapes.
This is heaven, this is hell.
Who cares? Who can tell?
(Anyone for the last few Choc Ices, now?)
Oh, Lisdoonvarna
Lisdoon, Lisdoon, Lisdoon, Lisdoonvarna!
A 747 for Jackson Browne,
They had to build a special runway just to get him down.
Before the Chieftains could start to play,
Seven creamy pints came out on a tray.
Shergar was ridden by Lord Lucan,
Seán Cannon did the backstage cookin'.
Clannad were playin' "Harry's Game",
Christy was singin' "Nancy Spain".
Mary O'Hara and Brush Shields,
Together singin' "The Four Green Fields".
Van the Man and Emmy Lou,
Moving Hearts and Planxty too!
Oh, Lisdoonvarna
Lisdoon, Lisdoon, Lisdoon, Lisdoonvarna!
Everybody needs a break,
Climb a mountain or jump in a lake.
Sean Doherty goes to the Rose of Tralee,
Oliver J. Flanagan goes swimming in the Holy Sea.
But I like the music and the open air,
So every Summer I go to Clare.
Coz Woodstock, Knock nor the Feast of Cana,
Can hold a match to Lisdoonvarna.
Oh, Lisdoonvarna
Lisdoon, Lisdoon, Lisdoon, Lisdoonvarna!
The song "Lisdoonvarna" by Christy Moore is a tribute to a small town in County Clare, Ireland. The first verse of the song acknowledges the various places where people come from, Cork, New York, Dundalk, Gortahork, and Glenamaddy, to enjoy the music scene in Clare. The lyrics describe the beauty of the County Clare, mentioning landmarks like the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher while also honouring famous Irish musicians like Miko Russell, Doctor Bill, Willy Clancy, and Noel Hill. The chorus is a repeated chant "Lisdoon, Lisdoon, Lisdoon, Lisdoonvarna!", whereby Moore invites the listeners to join in and experience what Lisdoonvarna has to offer.
The second verse acknowledges that everyone needs a break and mentions some people’s preferences, like climbing mountains or swimming in the sea, but for Moore, Lisdoonvarna is the place to be in the summer. He talks about his experiences, frequently going there with his tent and groundsheet. The verse also describes the environment and how people from different countries come together, united by their love of music. The final verse of the song is a list of musicians who have performed in Lisdoonvarna, which include Irish and international musicians like Jackson Browne, The Chieftains, and Emmylou Harris. The final line repeats the chorus again, with Moore affirming that no other place can compare to Lisdoonvarna.
Line by Line Meaning
How's it goin' there everybody,
Greetings to everyone from different places.
From Cork, New York, Dundalk, Gortahork and Glenamaddy.
People from different parts of the world are welcome here.
Here we are in the County Clare
We are in County Clare.
It's a long, long way from here to there.
County Clare is far from different places.
There's the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher,
Burren and Cliffs of Moher are located here.
And the Tulla and the Kilfenora,
Tulla and Kilfenora are also located here.
Miko Russell, Doctor Bill,
Musicians Miko Russell and Doctor Bill are here.
Willy Clancy and Noel Hill.
Musicians Willy Clancy and Noel Hill are also here.
Flutes and fiddles everywhere.
Instruments like flutes and fiddles can be seen everywhere.
If it's music you want,
If you want music,
You should go to Clare.
you should come to County Clare.
Oh, Lisdoonvarna
Lisdoonvarna is a place we are going to talk about.
Lisdoon, Lisdoon, Lisdoon, Lisdoonvarna!
Repetition of the name of this place.
Everybody needs a break,
Everyone deserves a break.
Climb a mountain or jump in a lake.
People go climbing or swimming in a lake when they want a break.
Some head off to exotic places,
Some people go to different places to enjoy their break.
Others go to the Galway Races.
Some people go to Galway Races for the break.
Mattie goes to the South of France,
Mattie goes to the South of France during his break.
Jim to the dogs, Peter to the dance.
Some people go to dog races, and others go to dances.
A cousin of mine goes potholing,
One of my cousins likes to explore caves during a break.
A cousin of here's loves Joe Dolan.
Another cousin loves Joe Dolan's music during her break.
Summer comes around each year,
Every summer season arrives without fail.
We go there and they come here.
Some people come to our place, and we go to their place.
Some jet off to ... Frijiliana,
Some people go to Frijiliana for their break.
But I always go to Lisdoonvarna.
But I always go to Lisdoonvarna for my break.
I always leave on a Thursday night,
I leave on Thursday night for Lisdoonvarna.
With me tent and me groundsheet rolled up tight.
I bring my tent and my groundsheet along with me.
I like to hit Lisdoon,
I prefer visiting Lisdoon.
In around Friday afternoon.
Friday afternoon is the time I usually arrive in Lisdoon.
This gives me time to get me gear together,
This gives me some time to organize myself.
I don't need to worry about the weather.
I don't have to worry about the weather forecast.
Ramble in for a pint of stout,
I usually buy a pint of stout to drink.
And you'd never know who'd be hangin' about!
Surprise visitors could be found around!
There's a Dutchman playing a mandolin,
A musician from the Netherlands playing a mandolin.
And a German looking for Liam Óg O'Floinn.
A German looking for Liam Óg O'Floinn can also be found here.
And there's Adam, Bono, and Garrett Fitzgerald,
Adam, Bono, and Garrett Fitzgerald are here.
Gettin' their photos taken for the Sunday World.
Their photos are being taken for the Sunday World newspaper.
Finbarr, Charlie, and Jim Hand,
Musicians Finbarr, Charlie, and Jim Hand can also be found here.
And they're drinkin' pints to bate the band.
They're enjoying beer too much to stop.
Ain't it grand?
Isn't it wonderful?
The multitudes, they flocked and thronged,
People have come in huge numbers.
To hear the music and the songs.
They have come to listen to music and songs.
Motorbikes and Hi-ace vans,
Motorbikes and vans can be seen here.
With bottles - barrels - flagons - cans.
People have brought bottles, barrels, flagons, and cans.
Mighty craic. Loads of frolics,
There is an enormous amount of fun here.
Pioneers and alcoholics,
Both non-alcoholics and alcoholics are here.
PLAC, SPUC, and the FCA,
Different organizations have come to the event.
Free Nicky Kelly and the IRA.
There are supporters of Nicky Kelly and the IRA here.
Hairy chests and milk-white thighs,
Men have hairy chests, and some men and women have white thighs.
And mickey dodgers in disguise.
There are people here with hidden desires.
Mc Graths, O'Briens, Pippins, Coxs,
Different families with their names are also here.
Massage parlours in horse boxes.
Massage parlors have been set up in horse boxes.
There's amhráns, bodhráns, amadáns,
People are singing amhráns and playing bodhráns.
Arab sheiks, Hindu Sikhs, Jesus freaks,
Different types of people like Arab sheiks, Hindu Sikhs, Jesus freaks can be found here.
RTE are makin' tapes, takin' breaks and throwin' shapes.
RTE is recording videos, taking some breaks, and dancing.
This is heaven, this is hell.
Some people love the environment while some don't.
Who cares? Who can tell?
Nobody cares, nobody knows, and it doesn't matter.
(Anyone for the last few Choc Ices, now?)
(Would anyone like to have some iced chocolate for the last time?)
A 747 for Jackson Browne,
An airplane (747) had to be arranged to transport Jackson Browne.
They had to build a special runway just to get him down.
A special runway had to be constructed for him to land.
Before the Chieftains could start to play,
The Chieftains could only play music after his landing.
Seven creamy pints came out on a tray.
Seven pints of creamy beer were served.
Shergar was ridden by Lord Lucan,
Shergar was ridden by Lord Lucan in the race.
Seán Cannon did the backstage cookin'.
Seán Cannon was doing some backstage cooking for the event.
Clannad were playin' "Harry's Game",
Clannad were playing a song called "Harry's Game".
Christy was singin' "Nancy Spain".
Christy was singing a song called "Nancy Spain".
Mary O'Hara and Brush Shields,
Musicians Mary O'Hara and Brush Shields can be found here.
Together singin' "The Four Green Fields".
They are singing a song together called "The Four Green Fields".
Van the Man and Emmy Lou,
Van the Man and Emmy Lou Harris are here.
Moving Hearts and Planxty too!
Musical bands like Moving Hearts and Planxty are also present.
Sean Doherty goes to the Rose of Tralee,
Sean Doherty goes to the Rose of Tralee during his break.
Oliver J. Flanagan goes swimming in the Holy Sea.
Oliver J. Flanagan goes swimming to the Holy Sea for a break.
But I like the music and the open air,
I prefer music and open air during my break.
So every Summer I go to Clare.
Therefore, every summer, I visit County Clare.
Coz Woodstock, Knock nor the Feast of Cana,
Woodstock, Knock, nor the Feast of Cana can match what is here.
Can hold a match to Lisdoonvarna.
They are not as good as Lisdoonvarna.
Oh, Lisdoonvarna
Lisdoonvarna is a place we have been talking about.
Lisdoon, Lisdoon, Lisdoon, Lisdoonvarna!
Repetition of the name of the place.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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