Phil Lynott – Fighting Irish
Bassist, Poet, Hero.
By Irish Brian Kelly
{There’s no secret March is the greatest month in the Roman calendar. Leprechauns, green beer, rioting, snow is melting, green beer again and green dreams for one and all. And more green beer. I’ve decided to celebrate March Madness by kicking it off with a new, abbreviated, music series focusing on the great Irishmen of rock n’ roll; ‘The Fighting Irish.’ There will be partial exceptions made to the rules, after all, St. Patrick wasn’t irish at all.}
Our March Madness Monkey series, Fighting Irish, kicked off with Liam Gallagher and Steven Patrick Morrissey. It celebrated itself by declaring March 16th a new holiday, St. BONO‘s Day. We conclude this cultural series with the God of Bass, a poet, my hero and a true Fighting Irishman, Phil Lynott.
This was tough. Son of a bitch tough, baby. How can you possibly follow up BONO? Look deep, bass deep. Anyone that wants to argue that Phil Lynott wasn’t a bad ass, well then, be prepared for the massive live and dangerous destruction that is Thin Lizzy. BASS GOD, POET, NOT THE SON OF A BITCH OR a HAIR OF A DOG GUY, BUT A TRUE FIGHTING IRISHMAN! Anyone who wants to continue the argument against Thin Lizzy and Phil Lynott? I will call you a racist whether you like it or not.
This shit is serious. How serious? Lynott was a poet first and foremost. 1) Don’t mess with bassists 2) Don’t mess with bassists that are poets. Regardless of the hits, Thin Lizzy, 12-13 hit records, a solo career-all before the age of 40 (died at 36)- he was a mother f*cking poet. What are you? Nothing. What James Joyce couldn’t do for my fellow Irishmen, Phil Lynott made up for it in swagger, rock n roll boogie, drugs, alcohol, and an amazing romantic grasp on the Irish-English language.
Please read Lynott’s first book of poetry Songs for While I’m Away to understand the power of Phil. If you can find it, suckers. Then once you find it, can you afford the book itself? Doubt it. All of of those poems became Thin Lizzy songs. How many bassists do you know of were a poet with a book considered a collector’s item, a frontman, and a FIGHTING IRISH? I will fight you, fist into face- and anyone that mentions VAN MORRISON gets the f*ck beaten out of them. Astral Weeks is horseshit.
You’re still in doubt? Phil Lynott has his own statue- do you?
Rest in peace, Phil. This one is for Dublin and for you. One of the most beautiful pieces of poetry ever written by a bassist, let alone a fellow countryman is recited in the first half of Paul Murphy’s narration below. Please listen to Murphy, another Irishman, preach the words of Phil Lynott below.
A song for while I’m away, and more.
I have nothing more to say except, You are the reason I became a poet, Phil.
Your spirit is a song for while I’m away.
FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT, IRISH, FIGHT!
BK
About the Author
Brian Kelly It's an honor to contribute to the Sock Monkey Sound website. I started as a fan, listening to the podcasts while working. I'm an Urban Engineer by day and a music collector by night. I love U2, David Gray, Damien Rice, Celtic Folk Music and Irish Fight songs. GO GREEN & GOLD! Because of my upbringing in Belvidere, IL, I became consumed with the Irish, it's a family thing so don't hold it against me if I casually yell out "BONO!" every now and then in my articles. Moving to Chicago after college helped me expand my cultural tastes, but I always come back to U2's "ACHTUNG BABY!" What a great irish pop record with a half german title. I can't wait to tell you about all the wonderful music I listen to when I get drunk at night after work with my friends. They usually hate my music picks on the jukebox but I try and pick what I read about so I can learn more about what the kids are listening to now a days! There's some crappy non-irish punk music out there, WTF? I hope you like my articles, they might not be as crazy as some of the staff members I've read here before but they'll definitely be as satisfying as a tall mug of green beer anytime of the year. GO IRISH!
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