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.
No Time For Love
Christy Moore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Conscription, partition and silence.
It's the law that they make to keep you and me where
They think we belong.
The hide behind steel and bullet-proof glass, machine
Guns and spies,
And tell us who suffer the tear gas and the torture
That we're in the wrong.
CHORUS
No time for love if they come in the morning,
No time to show tears or for fears in the morning,
No time for goodbye, no time to ask why,
And the sound of the siren's the cry of the morning.
They suffered the torture they rotted in cells, went
Crazy, wrote letters and died.
The limits of pain they endured - the loneliness got
Them instead.
And the courts gave them justice as justice is given by
Well-mannered thugs.
Sometimes they fought for the will to survive but more
Times they just wished they were dead.
CHORUS
They took away Sacco, Vanzetti, Connolly and Pearce in
Their time.
They came for Newton and Seal, Bobby Sands and some of
His friends.
In Boston, Chicago, Saigon, Santiago, Warsaw and
Belfast,
And places that never make headlines, the list never
Ends.
CHORUS
The boys in blue are only a few of the everyday cops on
The beat,
The C.I.D., Branchmen, informers and spies do their
Jobs just as well;
Behind them the men who tap phones, take photos,
Program computers and files,
And the man who tells them when to come and take you to
Your cell.
CHORUS
All of you people who give to your sisters and brothers
The will to fight on,
They say you can get used to a war, that doesn't mean
That the war isn't on.
The fish need the sea to survive, just like your people
Need you.
And the death squad can only get through to them if
First they can get through to you.
CHORUS
The song "No Time For Love" by Christy Moore is a powerful commentary on the oppressive laws as well as social and political issues that exist in societies. The lyrics begin by highlighting the disparity between what the ruling class calls law and what the minority perceives. The minority describes it correctly as apartheid, internment, conscription, partition, and silence. These terms paint an accurate picture of the effects of the laws on the community. The ruling class arm themselves with weapons and technology, imposing their laws on the minority, which leads to suffering, tears, and torture. All the while, those who suffer are gaslighted into thinking they are the ones at fault.
The chorus of the song reiterates that time is running out - no time for love, tears, or fears - because the oppressors may come at any moment. Those who have suffered under such laws, like Sacco, Vanzetti, Connolly, Pearce, Newton, Seal, Bobby Sands, his friends and countless others, have experienced extreme pain and loneliness. Some survived by fighting for their survival, while others wished for death instead. The song suggests that the ruling class operates by using police officers, informers, spies, and other high-tech resources. However, the real power lies in the people and their unity - the "fish need the sea to survive," and people need each other to survive.
Overall, "No Time For Love" by Christy Moore is a powerful message about social and political oppression. The lyrics teach us that laws are not necessarily fair or just, and that those who suffer from their effects are often powerless to fight back. The song calls for unity and action from common people to fight the oppression.
Line by Line Meaning
You call it the law, we call it apartheid, internment,
We've been oppressed and discriminated against through acts such as internment and apartheid, even if they call it 'the law'.
Conscription, partition and silence.
We've been forced to serve in wars we don't believe in, our country has been divided and we've been silenced.
It's the law that they make to keep you and me where
The law is made by those in power to keep us in our place.
They think we belong.
They believe we are meant to be oppressed and silenced, that we don't have a voice.
The hide behind steel and bullet-proof glass, machine
Those in power protect themselves with physical barriers, making themselves unapproachable.
Guns and spies,
They use violence and surveillance to maintain their control over us.
And tell us who suffer the tear gas and the torture
They tell us, the victims of their violence, that we are the ones in the wrong.
That we're in the wrong.
They paint us as the problem, rather than acknowledging their own role in our oppression.
CHORUS
The refrain of the song, which emphasizes that there is no time for love or mourning in the face of the violent oppression we face.
No time for love if they come in the morning,
If the oppressors come for us, we won't have time for love or affection. We must be ready to fight or flee.
No time to show tears or for fears in the morning,
We can't show any weakness in the face of such oppression, even when we are scared or overwhelmed.
No time for goodbye, no time to ask why,
We won't have a chance to explain ourselves or understand why we are being targeted.
And the sound of the siren's the cry of the morning.
The sound of the police siren signals that it is time to leave, quickly and quietly.
They suffered the torture they rotted in cells, went
Our ancestors endured physical and emotional torture, and many of them died as a result of their resistance.
Crazy, wrote letters and died.
Some went mad from the torture, others used their writing as a way to cope, and ultimately many died without ever seeing justice.
The limits of pain they endured - the loneliness got
The pain they faced was unimaginable, and despite their strength, they often succumbed to loneliness and despair.
Them instead.
Even the strongest among us can be broken by such brutal oppression.
And the courts gave them justice as justice is given by
Those who are meant to provide justice are often themselves corrupt and unwilling to do the right thing.
Well-mannered thugs.
The people in power might look and sound respectable, but they are still thugs who use violence and intimidation to maintain their control.
Sometimes they fought for the will to survive but more
Sometimes people fought hard for their right to live, but other times they wished for death rather than continue under such conditions.
Times they just wished they were dead.
The suffering was so great that death seemed like the only escape.
They took away Sacco, Vanzetti, Connolly and Pearce in
The names of some of our heroes who were taken away from us.
Their time.
They were taken away during their lifetime, before they could see the fruits of their labor.
They came for Newton and Seal, Bobby Sands and some of
Other names of those who bravely fought against oppression.
His friends.
Their friends and allies were also targeted by those in power.
In Boston, Chicago, Saigon, Santiago, Warsaw and
Oppression is a global problem, and these cities are just some of the places where people have struggled for their freedom.
Belfast,
Belfast is mentioned specifically because it is the hometown of the singer, and a place where he witnessed oppression firsthand.
And places that never make headlines, the list never
Oppression happens everywhere, even in places that never make the news.
Ends.
The list of names and places affected by oppression continues, seemingly without end.
The boys in blue are only a few of the everyday cops on
The police are just one arm of those in power, but they are not the only ones carrying out oppression.
The beat,
They are a visible presence on the streets, but they are also backed up by those who work behind the scenes.
The C.I.D., Branchmen, informers and spies do their
There are many other people involved in keeping us under surveillance and oppression.
Jobs just as well;
They are all doing their jobs to maintain the status quo and keep us in our place.
Behind them the men who tap phones, take photos,
Those who are surveilling us are also taking actions like tapping our phones and taking photos.
Program computers and files,
Technology is also being used against us, with our information being stored in various files and programs.
And the man who tells them when to come and take you to
There are higher-ups who are making the decisions about who to target and how to carry out their oppression.
Your cell.
Once you are targeted, there is no escaping the oppressive system.
All of you people who give to your sisters and brothers
The song addresses those who are fighting for the freedom of others.
The will to fight on,
Those who are continuing the fight for freedom are doing so with incredible willpower and determination.
They say you can get used to a war, that doesn't mean
Just because we've been fighting for a long time doesn't mean we'll ever get used to the violence and oppression we face.
That the war isn't on.
The war for our freedom continues, no matter how long it's been going on.
The fish need the sea to survive, just like your people
Just as fish need the ocean to live, our people need freedom to survive.
Need you.
We need the support of our allies to continue fighting for our rights and freedoms.
And the death squad can only get through to them if
Oppressors can only reach our people if they first go through us.
First they can get through to you.
We must remain strong in the face of oppression, so that we can protect our people and our communities.
Contributed by Cameron K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mochmoch9453
Dear Christy Moore
I've been thinking about writing these lines here for a very long time.
I hear this song over and over for a few days.
I know pretty well what you're talking about.
…..“It's the law that they make to keep you and me where they think we belong…. and...
They suffered the torture they rotted in cells....
When Bobby Sands starved to death in his cell in Ireland, I too, at the age of 20, was in a cell as a political prisoner in East Germany. The rulers in East Berlin from the ruling politician also was : whoever is not with us, is against us !
With all the consequences
I was very lucky for me, after almost 1 1/2 years in prison, I was sent to West Germany
Released to freedom.
THOUSAND THANKS for this fantastic Song... that touches deeply !!!!
Thanks to Ireland from Germany
@johnmcaree7298
Not many songs end with a guitar crescendo. With this and the lyrics, guaranteed to get the blood pumping.
@chesterproudfoot9864
I love Viva la Quinta Brigada, but I think this just might have become my new favority Christy Moore tune. Declan is a guitar god!! Plus, I see it was recorded at the same Barrowlands show. 💚💚
@syfer26
Saw you in Sligo this spring, it was wonderful, I was impressed :) I came all the way from Swizerland especially, being half Swiss and half Irish ! Magical atmosphere, Hawk's Well theatre is really beautiful ! Thanks so much Christy, you helped me reconnect to my Irish roots !! Much love ! 💚🤍🧡 Caoimhín
@inglesespanolyviceversa
ohh i was in Sligo some years ago...such beautiful land!!
@aislingm8913
Outstanding performance, never gets old.
@danbreen6946
What a powerful performance 👏
@cyrilmoussoki3193
Very good song, great singers, real guitarists.
@user-sv7em2vz1p
What a version of this song Christy, so powerful and beautiful.
Declan is absolutely outstanding on guitar
My favorite song!
@tubemonks
WOW!!!!! Only recently heard of this guy recently. And OMG"!! The lead guitarist is amazing too.
@girayhankaya
Declan hunt