Lyrics Encore - Christy Moore
When
I
first
heard
Tommy
Makem
and
the
Clancy's
my
future
it
was
sealed
I
was
bitten
by
the
ballad
bug
and
since
then
the
wound
has
never
healed
When
I
got
my
first
guitar
my
fingers
bled
until
I
learned
a
chord
or
two
I
pulled
on
my
aran
sweater,
wrote
my
Ma
a
goodbye
letter
And
started
throwing
shapes
in
O'Donoghue's.
I
played
cabaret
in
Bundoran,
marquees
for
Father
Horan
And
I
once
stood
in
for
Johnny
McEvoy
From
Berlin
to
San
Francisco
I've
gone
on
before
the
disco
Lashing
out
the
four
green
fields
of
Athenry
Mountbellew
was
like
purgatory
but
Tulsk
was
just
like
being
in
hell
I've
received
my
education
in
the
lounges
of
the
nation
After
25
years
I
am
doing
well
If
I
get
an
encore
I
go
home
feeling
like
a
king
It's
a
two
way
situation
I
get
a
lot
of
pleasure
when
I
sing
I've
played
every
lounge
in
Ireland
from
Dingle
right
up
to
Donegal
I've
sung
Nancy
Spain
on
stages
Where
no
other
ballad
singers
play
at
all
From
the
rising
sun
in
Brownstown
to
the
Blue
Lagoon
above
in
Sligo
Town
Ballymurphy
and
the
Bogside,
Ballinamore
And
even
once
in
Ballinasloe.
I
was
playing
in
the
Meeting
place
when
half
the
Special
Branch
came
in
the
door
They
were
looking
for
an
outlaw
He
stole
their
trousers
back
in
1984
They
started
listening
to
my
songs
and
hung
around
till
after
the
show
If
I
ever
need
a
taxi
plate
or
a
massage
at
a
special
rate
They're
the
boys
to
tell
me
where
to
go
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