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.
Miracles Of Nature
Christy Moore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I took a rocky road up Croagh Patrick,
And a mossy path up Sliabh Gallion Braes,
And I plunged in the deep at Brandon Creek,
And slept in a glade beyond Dún Maebh,
All alone along the Wicklow Way,
Peace and solitude I found.
When I reached the slopes of Mullaghmore,
Minister, minister,
Pause for reflection,
As you fly by helicopter,
In pursuit of re-election.
An obsession with affairs of State
And legislature
Leaves little time for us to share,
In the miracles of Nature.
Like the fairy foxglove,
And the rusty-back fern at Poll Na Gollum,
The silver cranesbill,
And columbine at Caher Connell,
The juniper at Bellharbour,
The wintergreen around Slaibh Carron.
These miracles of nature,
Surviving in the crevices of the Burren.
There's gonna be sewerage schemes
And septic tanks, tarmac and concrete mixers
And rumours circling Co. Clare,
Promising lots of nixers*,
And car parks to be levelled,
Infills and elevations.
And when the dust is settled,
A handful of jobs and relations.
Nature took two million years,
To sculpture Mullaghmore.
Carved from the ancient rock,
By the freezing ice and snow.
As the sun shines down on the mountain
At the broad Atlantic ocean,
You can hear the small birds singing,
On the Burren round Mullaghmore.
*Nixers - illegal, untaxed part-time work.
In Christy Moore's song "Miracles of Nature," the lyrics depict the natural beauty and wonder of Ireland's landscapes. The opening verse describes the artist's journey up various mountains and into forests, where they find peace and solitude. They say they felt as if they were on holy ground when they set foot on the slopes of Mullaghmore. The lyrics then shift in tone and bring attention to the destruction of nature via human activities. The artist addresses government officials, urging them to take pauses for reflection when they fly their helicopters around in pursuit of re-election. The latter half of the song laments over the impending destruction of the Burren landscape due to infrastructure developments such as sewerage schemes, septic tanks, and car parks.
The song's message centers around the idea that the natural wonders surrounding us are deserving of respect and need protection from our own destructive tendencies. The lyrics plead with those in power to remember the beauty of nature and how easy it is to lose it. The song speaks to big-picture issues regarding development and the environment, but it also allows listeners to get a sense of how Ireland's natural beauty fostered and inspired the artist.
Line by Line Meaning
I took a rocky road up Croagh Patrick,
I traveled up a bumpy path to Croagh Patrick, a pilgrimage site in Ireland.
And a mossy path up Sliabh Gallion Braes,
I walked along a path covered in moss to reach Sliabh Gallion Braes, a hilly area in Ireland.
And I plunged in the deep at Brandon Creek,
I went for a swim in the deep waters of Brandon Creek, a body of water in Ireland.
And slept in a glade beyond Dún Maebh,
I slept in a grassy area beyond Dún Maebh, a historic site in Ireland.
All alone along the Wicklow Way,
I walked alone along the Wicklow Way, a scenic walking trail in Ireland.
Peace and solitude I found.
I found peace and solitude during my travels.
When I reached the slopes of Mullaghmore,
When I arrived at the slopes of Mullaghmore, a mountain in Ireland,
I could have sworn that was the holy ground.
I felt as if the mountain was a sacred place.
Minister, minister,
Addressing a government official.
Pause for reflection,
Stop and think about something.
As you fly by helicopter,
While you travel by helicopter.
In pursuit of re-election.
In an effort to be re-elected to office.
An obsession with affairs of state
A strong preoccupation with government business.
And legislature
And laws.
Leaves little time for us to share,
Leaves little time for ordinary people to enjoy.
In the miracles of nature.
The wonders of the natural world.
Like the fairy foxglove,
Similar to the small pretty flower called foxglove.
And the rusty-back fern at Poll Na Gollum,
And the brownish-colored fern near Poll Na Gollum, a body of water in Ireland.
The silver cranesbill,
A type of plant called cranesbill that has silver-colored flowers.
And columbine at Caher Connell,
And the columbine flower at Caher Connell, a historic site in Ireland.
The juniper at Bellharbour,
The juniper tree in Bellharbour, a village in Ireland.
The wintergreen around Slaibh Carron.
The wintergreen plant near Slaibh Carron, a hill in Ireland.
These miracles of nature,
These incredible natural wonders.
Surviving in the crevices of the Burren.
Thriving in the cracks and crevices of the Burren, a rocky area in Ireland.
There's gonna be sewerage schemes
There are plans to build sewer systems.
And septic tanks, tarmac and concrete mixers
And to install septic tanks and pave roads using concrete mixers.
And rumours circling Co. Clare,
And rumors spreading throughout County Clare, an area in Ireland.
Promising lots of nixers*
Promising many opportunities for illegal, untaxed part-time work.
And car parks to be levelled,
And plans to demolish car parks.
Infills and elevations.
Filling and leveling the land.
And when the dust is settled,
Once everything is completed.
A handful of jobs and relations.
Only a few job opportunities and connections remain.
Nature took two million years,
It took millions of years for nature to create something.
To sculpture Mullaghmore.
To shape and form Mullaghmore, a mountain in Ireland.
Carved from the ancient rock,
Formed from rock that is very old.
By the freezing ice and snow.
As a result of extremely cold temperatures over time.
As the sun shines down on the mountain
As the sun casts its light on the mountain
At the broad Atlantic ocean,
Which overlooks the wide expanse of the Atlantic ocean
You can hear the small birds singing,
You can hear the melodious chirping of small birds nearby
On the Burren round Mullaghmore.
In the rocky region around Mullaghmore, known as the Burren.
Contributed by Madelyn G. 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