(Produced by Phil Lynott)
(Fighting reached UK #60, Sept. 27, 1975)
Philip Lynott -Vocals/Bass
Scott Gorham - Guitar
Brian Robertson -Guitar
Brian Downey - Drums
1. Rosalie (3:11)
A cover of a song by Bob Segar and
the Silver Bullet Band. Thin Lizzy toured
with them in 1975 and heard the song and thought that it was a good song
that Bob Segar wasn't showcasing as much as they should, so they covered
the song, brought up the tempo and made their own.
2. For Those Who Love To Live (3:08)
(This excerpt is from an article from Melody Maker called "Irelands' Own" which appeared in 5-01-77)
" ...inspired by the life and times of George Best."
(Phil says) "When I met Georgie. I really liked him. There he was, he was goin' through a bad stage in his career. He just gone through that Marjorie Wallace thing. Do you remember all that scandal?"
"I met him in Me Ma's place (Lynott's Mother owns a Hotel in Manchester), and he was really nice. I'd been up and was goin' down as well, right, and (Manchester) United, the football team - I know it sounds silly, but they were goin' through bad times too. And there was Bestie and he had such dignity, even though he was goin' down and people were ready to put the boot in."
5 .Suicide (5:12)
(Here is an en excerpt from a tape of a Sweedish Fan Club interview with Phil from 7/2/81)
(Q:) Can you name your favorite song to play live?
(Phil:) To play at the moment...I always enjoy....eh...I have to give it up. Suicide , yes Suicide is the oldest number in the set. Suicide we did even as a three piece band. There’s a version of that , that they have at Decca Records and I won’t let them release that."
(Q:) When was Suicide written?
(Phil:) It was written ‘71, ‘72. #81 was really funny ‘cos #81 was the number of the bus that I used to get home.
4. Wild One (4:18)
In the Documentary 'The Rocker : A Portrait of Philip Lynott' they featured live footage of Thin Lizzy playing this song. Phil introduces the song as, "This is a song about those who will not be around at Christmas."
(This excerpt is from an article from Melody Maker called "Irelands' Own" which appeared in 5-01-77)
"It is, however, on another "Fighting" song, "the Wild One", that Lynott best disguises the Irish influence. The song's concept feeds off of a period in Irish history called The Flight of the Wild Geese, when Ireland's brightest Son's fled the country. The song, Lynott says was never as wild as the title."
(Phil says) "I was just thinking generally about people who had left the country. Anybody that was hip. Like, there's an awful lot of really clever Irish people in London, right? The amount of Irish guys there hustling on the King's Road is great. And they're all deluxe hustlers. Only the cream go away and survive in London. I just thought that in the song it was a terrible waste of talent."
"The song is really very simple. The lyrics are really very simple. 'You go your way and I'll try to follow, and if you change your mind I'll try to follow, and if you change your mind I will be waiting for you here tomorrow.' All the time 'I' is supposed to represent Ireland. The call of Ireland to it's wild ones to come back. That was the idea, but I put it in such a way that it came across as if it was a love song."
(L to R) Brian Downey, Brian Robertson, Phil Lynott and Scott gorham.
5. Fighting My Way Back (3:12)
Another great song Philip wrote about being a stronger person. A lot of his songs are about being a stronger person, aren't they?
(This excerpt is from an article from Melody Maker called "Irelands' Own" which appeared in 5-01-77)
"...refers to a period in
Lizzy's history when they were put under pressure to make or break: 'This
boy's goin' off to wreck and ruin/He ain't quite sure of what he's doin'/You
see it happened a little too soon/But all there is in this here
tune."
6. King's Vengeance (4:08)
A song that Phil co-wrote with
Scott Gorham. Scott Gorham played the song in his own band 21 Guns in the
1996 album 'Nothings Real'.
7. Spirit Slips Away (4:35)
8. Silver Dollar (3:26)
9. Freedom Song
(3:32)
(This excerpt is from an article from Melody Maker called "Irelands' Own" which appeared in 5-01-77)
" 'Freedom Song' from 'Fighting' also had quite serious political overtones. Both could refer either to the situation in Ireland or to injustices served on Blacks."
(Phil says) "Subconsciously,
I'm sure the Black or the Irish in me was sayin' 'Freedom! Right On
Brother!'
"
10. Ballad of a Hard Man (3:14)
A song entirely written by Scott Gorham.