1979

(In 1979, Black Rose hit UK # 2 on may 12, which was Thin Lizzy's second consecutive UK # 2 album, the #1 UK LP was 'The Very Best of Leo Sayer'.)

Philip Lynott - Bass/Vocals

Scott Gorham -Guitar

Gary Moore -Guitar

Brian Downey - Drums

"...the probable next single 'Do Anything You Want To' a strong anthemic number with Scott and Gary pounding kettle drums in the heavy thumping start before taking off on a beautiful guitar riff."

" 'Do Anything You Want To Is' is both a philosophical statement and Lynott reacting to the critical drubbing he's expecting:

(Phil says) "The opening lines are very anti-critics, 'There are people who will investigate you / They'll insinuate, intimidate and complicate you / So never wait or hesitate to state the fate that awaits / Those who try to shake or take you / Don't let them break you / You can do anything you want to do...' ."

"It's about when people can't understand you and then proceed to blindly criticize you for not doing what they think you ought to be doing. At least the kids who catch this tour will be given a chance to make their own minds up."

"And on the other level it's about what you can achieve. People say success is a God-given talent, that only the chosen few are allowed through the door but if you really want it you can achieve success. If you work at it, if you apply the effort you can achieve your aims."

2. Toughest Street In Town (3:59)

3. S&M

"He even tackles funk and gets away with it, bruising it up but good on "S & M," complete with Jaggerjive mumblejumble and hi-hat hijinx from Brian Downey."

(Excerpt from Sounds, May 27, 1978, before the release of the Black Rose LP, the author Donna McAllister hears Thin Lizzy practice the song before it made the album.)

"They were practicing together for a new song, uncharacteristically called 'S&M' , one impossible to describe from the unconnected bits I heard, but it will undoubtedly be complete by the time they tour England again."

(Excerpt from Record Mirror, February 12, 1979)

" 'S&M' features the drums of Brian Downey and draws the sexual side of hitting drums into the affair..."

"(Phil says) "...I remember reading a review of Brian's drumming that said he had super thighs, insinuating that drumming had actually changed his legs, and I was building that and just thought it'd be great to write a rhythmic drum track with Brian beating the drums, y'know the things he loves."

4. Waiting For An Alibi (3:29)

"The guy Phil wrote it about is very much alive, Phyllis introduced him at the Vibe 2000 and he said a few words - Joe Leach, the name just came back to me; he now lives in Manchester. This I have on video so it can be confirmed."

(Excerpt from Record Mirror, February 17, 1979)

" 'Waitin' For An Alibi' , an exceedingly commercial  song that Lynott states is a gamblin' song".

(Excerpt from Sounds, April 14, 1979)

(Phil says) "Okay, 'Waiting For An Alibi' is a gambling song , about the guys y'get in betting shops who are always just hanging around. I used to share a flat with a guy and one day he'd win 300 quid, the next day he was broke...my gamble is getting applause every night."

5. Sarah (3:30) (UK # 24, Dec. 1, 1979)

A  song that Philip named after and wrote for his first daughter, Sarah.

(An excerpt from Piccadilly Radio, Manchester, UK Nov. 16, 1981)

(Phil says): "The media, they’re always looking to define you in one short paragraph or in one quick sentence and the work they always pick on is the macho thing. To do a  song such as ‘Sarah’ which is about my daughter is as lovey-dovey as you can get and what am I supposed to say? That I don’t love my daughter? Music is an art form and it should surely reflect what goes on in your life. You have a child, everybody has a child and it’s a big occasion in your life. For me, I had to write a  song."

6. Got To Give It Up (4:38)

7. Get Out of Here (3:35)

8. With Love (4:38)

(Excerpt from Record Mirror, February 17, 1979)

" 'With love' (Phil says) "a  song about all Dear John letters in the world that end 'with love' and aren't".

(Excerpt from Melody Maker, June 16, 1979)

"(Phil says)...I'm trying to be honest in the   song'With Love' too. I wanted to achieve total honesty and also write a love  song, and say 'This Casanova's days are over, more or less,' that's the honest bit. It shows the human elements, the wanting."

(Excerpt from Record Mirror, February 17, 1979)

" 'Black Rose' , the title track is another of Lizzy's Irish Epics which features 'Shenandoah' , 'Danny Boy' , 'Go Lassie Go' and all manner of jigs and reels."

(Excerpt from Sounds, April 14, 1979)

(Q:) "Ah yes, ''Black Rose, the magnum opus, Explanations?"

(Phil says) "It's based on legends, how legends and myths survive. Y'know Black Rose, Roi'sin Dubh, is the old name for Ireland. Initially you think I'm just talking about the past then I come up with fairly modern Irish lilts."

" 'Shenandoah' is an Irish-American  song. 'Go Lassie Go' is Scottish. See at the time I conceived it Robbo was in the group and that was him, 'Danny Boy' is Irish, Downey and meself.. I brought it to the band about two years ago and they said it was too silly, but then Gary came back into the band and we worked on it together."

"At the end of the recorded version there's spoken lines like 'Oscar he's so wild' being Oscar Wilde, 'Brendan where have you been?' Brendan Behan, 'the joy that Joyce brought to me' , 'Georgie he knows best'. I was trying to get 'nobody shouts like a Liam Brady' with 'it's a long way to Tipparary' but I couldn't get it in. Thinking back on it, it's saying there's so many things you can be proud of if you're Irish, cos there's so much bad press for Ireland'.

(The following submitted by Alan Helfner, who went through a bunch of traditional Irish music records and found it pretty amazing how many pieces of these songs he pored over landed up in some way, shape or form in Thin Lizzy songs)

"Black Rose", one of the most well-known of such songs, features several instrumental snippets, "Wild Mountain Thyme (Go Lassie Go?)" and "O'Donnell Abú" being only two.."