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.
Streets of London
Christy Moore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Kicking up the papers with his worn out shoes
In his eyes you see no pride, hand held loosely at his side
Yesterdays paper telling yesterdays news
chorus
So how can you tell me you're lonely
And say for you that the sun don't shine
Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London
Have you seen the old girl who walks the streets of london
Dirt in her hair and her clothes in rags
Shes no time for talking she just keeps right on walking
Carrying her home in two carrier bags
chorus
In the all night cafe, at a quarter past eleven,
Same old man sitting there on his own
Looking at the world over the rim of his teacup
Each tea lasts an hour and he wanders home alone
chorus
Have you seen the old man, outside the seamans mission?
Memory fading with the medal ribbons that he wears
In our winter city the rain cries a little pity
For one more forgotton hero and a world that doesnt't't't care
chorus
The lyrics to Christy Moore's "Streets of London" paint a vivid picture of the struggles of the homeless and forgotten individuals who exist in the city. The opening verse describes an old man in a closed down market, kicking up papers with his worn out shoes. The imagery of his appearance, with no pride and a hand held loosely at his side, creates a sense of hopelessness and despair. His tattered clothes and the old newspaper in his hand symbolize a life of poverty and struggle, where even the news is outdated and irrelevant.
The chorus of the song highlights the stark contrast between those who feel lonely despite their material comforts and those who are truly struggling to survive day to day. The invitation to take the listener by the hand and lead them through the streets of London is a call to action, an offer to share the experiences of those who exist on the fringes of society. The promise to show them something that will make them change their mind leaves an open-ended question about what exactly that might be - whether it's a transformative experience or simply a shift in perspective.
In the subsequent verses, the song continues to paint a bleak picture of the city, with descriptions of an old woman with dirty clothes and home in carrier bags and an old man in a cafe who spends hours looking at the world over his teacup. The final verse brings things full circle, describing an old man outside the seamans mission whose memory is fading along with the medal ribbons that he wears. The line about the rain crying a little pity for one more forgotten hero and a world that doesn't care highlights the harsh reality that many people face: that their struggles and sacrifices are often overlooked and ignored.
Overall, "Streets of London" is a powerful commentary on the struggles of those who exist on the margins of society. It invites the listener to empathize with these individuals and see the world from their perspective, challenging us to consider our own role in creating a more just and compassionate world.
Line by Line Meaning
Have you seen the old man in the closed down market
Have you taken notice of the elderly gentleman in the abandoned marketplace?
Kicking up the papers with his worn out shoes
Scuffing up newspapers with his tattered shoes
In his eyes you see no pride, hand held loosely at his side
His eyes portray a lack of dignity while his hand hangs lifelessly by his side
Yesterdays paper telling yesterdays news
Yesterday's newspaper reporting on yesterday's events
chorus
Refrain
So how can you tell me you're lonely
Then how can you claim to feel isolated?
And say for you that the sun don't shine
And assert that sunny days are impossible for you?
Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London
Permit me to guide you by the hand throughout the city of London
I'll show you something that will make you change your mind
I will present you with a sight that will alter your perspective
Have you seen the old girl who walks the streets of london
Have you encountered the older woman who roams the city?
Dirt in her hair and her clothes in rags
Dust atop her hair while her clothing is in unrecognizable condition
Shes no time for talking she just keeps right on walking
She lacks communication with others as she continues to stride forward
Carrying her home in two carrier bags
She transports her belongings in two receptacles
chorus
Refrain
In the all night cafe, at a quarter past eleven,
In the establishment that operates around the clock, at fifteen minutes past eleven,
Same old man sitting there on his own
The identical elderly man rests independently
Looking at the world over the rim of his teacup
Inspecting the universe beyond the edge of his teacup
Each tea lasts an hour and he wanders home alone
As each serving of tea persists for sixty minutes, he strolls home in solitude
chorus
Refrain
Have you seen the old man, outside the seamans mission?
Have you sighted the aged gentleman outdoors near the sailors' shelter?
Memory fading with the medal ribbons that he wears
His recollection slowly declining in tandem with his war decorations
In our winter city the rain cries a little pity
In our city during the colder months, the downpour evokes a mere amount of sympathy
For one more forgotton hero and a world that doesnt't't't care
For another abandoned hero and a world that appears uncaring.
chorus
Refrain
Contributed by Hunter B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@margaretpaewai3717
Have you seen the old man
In the closed down market
Kicking up the papers
With his worn out shoes?
In his eyes, you see no pride
Hand held loosely at his side
Yesterday's paper
Telling yesterday's news
So, how can you tell me you're lonely
And say for you that the sun don't shine?
Let me take you by the hand
And lead you through the streets of London
Show you something to make you change your mind
Have you seen the old girl
Who walks the streets of London
Dirt in her hair
And her clothes in rags?
She's no time for talking
She just keeps right on walking
Carrying her home
In two carrier bags
So, how can you tell me you're lonely
And say for you that the sun don't shine?
Let me take you by the hand
And lead you through the streets of London
Show you something to make you change your mind
In the all night cafe
At a quarter past eleven
Same old man
Sitting there on his own
Looking at the world
Over the rim of his tea cup
Each tea lasts an hour
And he wanders home alone
So, how can you tell me you're lonely?
Don't say for you that the sun don't shine
Let me take you by the hand
And lead you through the streets of London
Show you something to make you change your mind
Have you seen the old man
Outside the seaman's mission
Memory fading with
The medal ribbons that he wears?
In our winter city
The rain cries a little pity
For one more forgotten hero
And a world that doesn't care
So, how can you tell me you're lonely
And say for you that the sun don't shine?
Let me take you by the hand
And lead you through the streets of London
I'll show you something to make you change your mind ... 💖💋💖
@cathalmurphy5701
Lyrics:
Have you seen the old man in the closed down market
Picking up the papers with his worn out shoes
In his eyes you see no pride and hanging loosely at his side
Yesterdays paper, telling yesterdays news
So how can you tell me you're lonely
And say for you that the sun don't shine
Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London
I'll show you something to make you change your mind
Have you seen the old dear who walks the streets of London
Dirt in her hair and her clothes in rags
She's no time for talking, she just keeps right on walking
Carrying her home, in two carrier bags
So how can you tell me you're lonely
And say for you that the sun don't shine
Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London
I'll show you something to make you change your mind
And in the all night cafe at a quarter past eleven
Same old man sitting there on his own
Looking at the world over the rim of his teacup
And each tea lasts an hour and he wanders home alone
So how can you tell me that you're lonely
And say for you that the sun don't shine
Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London
I'll show you something to make you change your mind
Have you seen the old man outside the seaman's mission
Memory fading with the medal ribbons that he wears
And in the winter city, the rain cries a little pity
For one more forgotten hero, and a World that doesn't care
So how can you tell me that you're lonely
And say for you that the sun don't shine
Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London
I'll show you something to make you change your mind
@keeleydount8366
I love this song. I have severe depression and anxiety but it makes you realise that there are many people worse off than you. Such a very sad song.
@SimonCU
do you know another sad song called "the end of the world" Sung by Skeeter Davis?
@simontimoney
Me too x
@carollangford4466
Yes. And, you my dear, find one blessing, count it, then soon count another. Slowly rise. I believe in you.
@jimmytobin5735
SoTrue❤
@jimmytobin5735
As a Scottish guy I noticed Us Scott's And Irish Had to stick together there As Alot do Not like us somehow That's Jst the mantalety of Most, Anyways on words an upWords huuu >< 😊
@nbp9891
As a young child, this song always made me cry. It still does.
@jamielaverock1958
My teacher played this song to us as a class in 1976 Or so, when I was 8 or 9 years old... About 35 years later, I am homeless and know what it is like, trust me! Some say it is a lifestyle choice, but it is very hard to get out of! Love to all homeless people! Xxx
@jamielaverock1958
Forgot to say, xxx to Mrs Mullholand?
@Sorie420Israel
same here <3