The search was half of the fun on this week’s prompt. Memorizing musician’s and songwriter’s birthdays is not my area of expertise, so I went through the days in wikipedia until I hit on Phil. A few years or so ago, when I was listening to Spotify’s Release Radar, I came across a song by Thin Lizzy that I didn’t know, nor particularly care for, but I favorited it and put it on a playlist. Every time it rolled around it became more likeable, until it has become a song I really like. It shows me a side of Thin Lizzy I wasn’t familiar with, a softer side. First, here is a little information on Phil. I would encourage you to check out wikipedia for a lot more information on him and his musical history.
Philip “Phil” Parris Lynott, (b. 8/20/49 — d. 1/4/86) was an Irish musician who was the co-founder, lead vocalist, bassist, and primary songwriter of the hard rock band Thin Lizzy. He was noted for his distinctive pick-based style on the bass and for his imaginative lyrics, including working-class tales and numerous characters drawn from personal influences and Celtic culture.
Lynott was born in the West Midlands of England and grew up in Dublin with his grandparents. He remained close to his mother, Philomena, throughout his life. He fronted several bands as a lead vocalist, including Skid Row alongside Gary Moore, before learning the bass guitar and forming Thin Lizzy in 1969. After initial success with, “Whiskey in the Jar,” the band had several hits in the mid-1970s, such as “The Boys Are Back in Town,” “Jailbreak,” and “Waiting for an Alibi.” The band became a popular live attraction, combining Lynott’s vocal and songwriting skills with dual lead guitars. Towards the end of the 1970s, Lynott embarked upon a solo career and published two books of poetry. After Thin Lizzy disbanded, he assembled and fronted the band Grand Slam.
During the 1980s, Lynott increasingly suffered from drug addiction, particularly to heroin. He and Moore had one more chart success with “Out in the Fields” in 1985, before Lynott died of septicemia-induced pneumonia and heart failure early the following year. He remains a popular figure in rock music, and a statue in his memory was erected in Dublin in 2005.
“A Song for While I’m Away” is the 8th and last cut on Vagabonds of the Western World, which was Irish hard rock band, Thin Lizzy’s, third studio album, released in 1973. It was the band’s last album with original guitarist Eric Bell, as well as as a trio, and the first to feature the artwork of Jim Fitzpatrick, whose work would appear on many subsequent albums by the band.
Personnel:
Phillip Lynott – vocals, bass guitar, associate producer
Eric Bell – guitars, vocals
Brian Downey – drums, percussion
Fiachra Trench — string arrangement
Strings: Tony Harris – viola; Ian MacKinnon – violin; Don McVay – viola; Alan Merrick – violin; Paul Mosby – cor anglais, oboe; Peter Oxar – violin; Peter Poole – violin; Godfrey Salmon – violin; Alan Sloan – violin; Quentin Williams – cello
Source: wikipedia
While looking for the YouTube of the song, I found a full documentary on Phil Lynott! I am pleased to share it with you:
I see another doc, “Phil Lynott: Songs While I’m Away” was released about 4 years ago.
Jim Adams is the host of Song Lyric Sunday. This week Jim wants us to share music from a musician or songwriter who was born in August.
Tao-Talk 
Great post Lisa – Thin Lizzy a great Irish rock band and Lynott was a brilliant singer song writer- I hadn’t heard this track before it’s very special. And I’ll be looking at the documentary later 🩷
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes they are and yes he was. Glad the song is new to you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙌
LikeLiked by 1 person
Excellent post Lisa. Love me some Thin Lizzy. Growing up a rock guy in the eighties Phil’s absence was felt pretty deeply in the scene. I’ve been to Dublin to see his statue, listened to many of their albums and was very used to seeing and hearing him on the BBC as a kid. Lovely links to the documentaries too. Their softer stuff was really lovely because Phil was such a big hearted romantic.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks much, Steve, and appreciate your connection with Phil and the band. This song is a gem in a sad sea of his passing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A great choice, and a lovely song – so prescient of him, sadly. I am a big fan of Thin Lizzy, and saw them twice in concert: they were amazing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clive, I love that you saw them live twice! Can’t imagine the energy in the place.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They were fantastic both times. I’d have gone again but sadly didn’t get the chance before Phil left us.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Brill!~~~
LikeLiked by 1 person
:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m pleased with your wonderful selection today. Thin Lizzy is so much more than The Boys Are Back In Town which was a staple in my youth.
I love documentaries too! Thanks for sharing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
J, happy you are pleased with my choice and glad you are a fan :)
LikeLiked by 1 person
The boys are back in town 🎶🎶🎶
LikeLiked by 1 person
<3
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is great, Lisa. Excellent choice going with Phil. Thanks for the doc vid which I’ll try to catch later today.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Nancy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for sharing this, Lisa as I had no idea that Thin Lizzy did love songs. I learned a lot about this group from your post, and I enjoyed reading what you wrote about them, as I only know a few of their songs and I did not know their history or the name of anyone who played in the band.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Jim, you are welcome and glad you learned something from the post.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great choice and resource again Li.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Paul, thanks much.
LikeLike
Great choice. They released five albums before the one that finally made them big. Which of course was ‘Jailbreak’.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glyn, thank you. Amazing what they accomplished in such a short time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Once I realized there’s more to Thin Lizzy’s picture than the great “Whiskey in the Jar,” which was instant love, I quickly started digging many of their other songs I heard. While I believe I pretty much touched each of their albums when exploring them in greater depth some six years ago, I don’t recall “Songs for While I’m Away.”
I think it’s fair to say with its lush orchestral arrangement, it’s not your typical hard-charging Thin Lizzy song. That said, I really dig it. To my ears, it has a bit of a Moody Blues vibe.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Christian, happy to introduce you to this song and I can hear the Moody Blues in it in more ways than one.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Excellent choice, Lisa. Not as familiar with the band’s entire catalog, but it was refreshing to hear what definitely was a different vibe for me here. I should take a run through their entire body of work and see what other gems need unearthed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I would also like to listen to it. Happy you liked this one, Bruce.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lisa .. Phil Lynott and thin Lizzy are heros of mine ..their music is varied and so memorable.. there always something special about groups for Ireland that draws me in. 💜💜💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
Willow, so happy to hear you’re a big fan <3
LikeLiked by 1 person
Always a pleasure to ti hear your choices. 💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
<3
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lisa, this is a lovely song pick today from Thin Lizzie. I remember the daughter of a British comedian, Leslie Crowther, married Phil Lynott in 1980 when I was still living in the UK. They had two daughters I belive and then he died not long after. So sad.
LikeLike
Christine, I’m glad you have memories connected to the band, and it is so sad that he left 2 young kids and a wife behind :(
LikeLiked by 1 person
Indeed. It is very sad 😢
LikeLike
This is great Lisa! I love Phil and always have. It’s hard to pick a bad song by him. I loved this vocals and songwriting most of all….and he was a great bass player…it was his singing and inflections that I really liked.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Max, I totally agree on Phil’s voice and all the rest. Cut short in the prime of life by demon drugs.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t think anyone has musicians birthdays memorized! Ive never gone this far back into Thin Lizzy but have been enjoying some of their other records lately.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Graham, so awesome on you listening to the band now. I need to listen to more beyond their hits.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for this Lisa, I’m a big fan of Thin Lizzy. A good friend of mine back in Dublin was a friend of Phil and helped them out on the band’s audition with Decca.
LikeLike
Hi, Li! That top photo is great! What an expression! And he totally looks like at least several cousins of mine, lol. The Boys are Back in Town–one of my favorites!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey Stacey! That top pic was love at first sight. He looks so happy there! Cool on him resembling cousins of yours. I have yet to meet a Thin Lizzy song I didn’t like. This one was unusual to me but glad I persisted and now love it!
LikeLiked by 1 person