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Old Town — Phil Lynott / The Corrs
When I think of Phil Lynott, I think of Thin Lizzy’s swaggering frontman, powering through “The Boys Are Back In Town”.
But there was a lot more to Phil Lynott than swagger. He also wrote the very tender “Old Town”, with Jimmy Bain. That song is a million miles away from what you might immediately think of as Thin Lizzy material.
In fact it was so far away from their usual fare, that “Old Town” was never a Thin Lizzy track. It was always a purely solo project. But what a beautiful solo project it was.
“Old Town” is the story of the aftermath of a breakup. Specifically a breakup where Phil Lynott is the one who’s been left behind. This is hardly the sort of material swaggering rock stars write about normally…and that’s one of the things that makes the song so touching…
The girl’s a fool
She broke the rule
She hurt him hard
For a time Thin Lizzy were one of the biggest acts on the planet, with hits like “The Boys Are Back In Town”, “Jailbreak”. “Whiskey In The Jar”, “Waiting For An Alibi” and “Sarah”.
Perhaps “Sarah” was the song that lifted the lid a little on the Thin Lizzy frontman. Named after his daughter, lyrics include…
When you came in my life you changed the world
My Sarah
Everything seemed so right, my baby girl
My Sarah
