Top 10: Thin Lizzy Songs

A classic shot of Thin Lizzy circa 1983.

Rejoice! St. Patrick’s Day is here! It’s the one day of the year where everyone can drink beer, eat corned beef, and pretend they’re Irish while doing so. Such a festive occasion requires a proper soundtrack. And you ain’t gonna get it with those self righteous wimps known as U2. No, if you’re truly gonna celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, you’re gonna do so with the greatest hard rock band of all time, Thin Lizzy. I’ll be the first to admit that the following 10 songs, as amazingly awesome as they are, don’t do justice to Thin Lizzy’s flawless catalog. If for some insane reason you’ve never explored this band outside of the only 2 songs classic schlock radio knows of theirs (“The Boys Are Back in Town”, “Jailbreak”), I advise you take the day to binge listen to their catalog. But if you don’t have that sort of time, these 10 songs will serve as an introductory primer.

10. “Cold Sweat”

Kicking off our list at #10 is Lizzy at their absolute heaviest. After playing a key role in metal’s 70s development, and striding the line between hard rock and metal on Chinatown (1980) and Renegade (1981), Phil Lynott and company decided to go full blown denim and leather for their final album, Thunder and Lightning (1983). Aided by the talents of hot shot guitarist John Sykes, Thunder and Lightning is considered by many to be the band’s finest hour. And boy does Sykes go off for that guitar solo. That finger tapping section is enough to make the hair on every true headbanger’s neck stand up. It’s nothing short of tragic that we only got one album from this incarnation of the band. Who knows how much heavier Lizzy could’ve gotten as the 80s went along? They may have even been able to recapture America, as metal was storming the charts and MTV. Unfortunately, we’ll never know.

9. “Emerald”

Our #9 turns 45 this year, but feels much older. “Emerald” sounds like a rockified take on an old Irish folk song, just as Lizzy did with their 1972 rendition of “Whiskey in the Jar”. Yet the entire band wrote this as a collaborative effort. The spirit of medieval Ireland must’ve possessed Phil Lynott as he wrote this tale of battle and bloodshed. Like many of Lizzy’s songs, it plays out like a movie. The interplay of the guitars and eventual closing duel solo stand as substitutes for the clashing of swords. In the 45 years since its release, this classic song has been covered by everyone from Overkill and Skyclad, to Mastodon and Ace Frehley.

8. “Cowboy Song”

There are country, folk, and blues singers who have spent their entire lives in the heart of the American frontier. And yet none of those singers will ever be able to write a song that so perfectly captures the spirit of the land as “Cowboy Song”: a song written by a man of mixed race in Ireland. It’s no secret that Lynott’s abilities as a singer, songwriter, and bassist were unparalleled. “Cowboy Song” showcases Lynott the songwriter. He sings the lyrics with such conviction, you’d think he was actually a weathered cowboy who spent his entire life “busting broncs for the rodeo”.

7. “Southbound”

I’m fully convinced that Phil Lynott was the reincarnation of an old American drifter. If “Cowboy Song” wasn’t proof enough, “Southbound” should just about close the case. Surprisingly, the song’s intoxicating intro lead was played solely by Scott Gorham. After injuring his hand in a bar fight, Brian Robertson only appeared on a handful of tracks on Bad Reputation (1977). That left Gorham to play twin guitars by himself. I must say that he did an excellent job doing so. “Southbound” also boasts one of my favorite examples of Lynott’s wordplay: “The wild west has already been won. Northern lights are growing colder. And the old eastern ways are gone.” Which leaves us with only one direction to go: “Southbound”.

6. “The Holy War”

Never one to shy away from loaded topics, Phil Lynott went straight for the jugular on “The Holy War”. The questions posed in this song are questions that we as a human race ponder on a daily basis, whether we know it or not: Is there a God? If there is, why is evil allowed to take place? Furthermore, what constitutes “good” and “evil”, and how can we avoid the latter in this “Holy War”? Needless to say, these lyrics are a far cry from “Please believe in love. I believe there is a God above.” in Bad Reputation‘s “Downtown Showdown”. The ultra metallic riffs of Sykes and Gorham, bashing drums of Brian Downey, and atmospheric keys of Darren Wharton would have you convinced this is the soundtrack to the rapture.

5. “Opium Trail”

Remember that wordplay I mentioned a couple entries earlier in “Southbound”? It appears full force on yet another cut off Bad Reputation, “Opium Trail”. “I took a line that leads you to the opium trail.” Did Phil take a “line” (train) to a literal “Opium Trail”? Or did he “take a line” (snort) “that leads you to the opium trail”? You be the judge. As fantastic as “Opium Trail” is, there’s a bittersweet sense of irony to it. While our faces melt to the otherworldly playing of Gorham and Robertson, we must not forget that it was too many “lines” to this very “Opium Trail” that lead to Lynott’s untimely demise 9 years later. In that respect, despite its fantasy imagery, “Opium Trail” can almost be taken as autobiographical.

4. “Waiting for an Alibi”

What does it mean to be “cool”? Before you answer that, ask yourself this: What makes something “cool” in the first place and why is that something “cool”? If you can explain why something is “cool”, then it automatically isn’t cool. Why? Because cool can’t be explained. It can be felt, heard, seen…but it can’t be explained. “Waiting for an Alibi” oozes cool. From the bass to Lynott’s silky smooth vocals to the all too short lived duo Scott Gorham and Gary Moore. Somehow, someway, this collection of sounds combined creates what might be the coolest 3 and a half minutes known to man.

3. “Don’t Believe a Word”

2 minutes and 18 seconds: That’s all the time Phil Lynott needed to lay down a song that contains more hooks than most bands can come up with in their entire careers. The only other songwriters in music history who could be this memorable in such a brief amount of time were Lennon and McCartney. It was only 13 years earlier that the famed duo penned an equally memorable 2 minute and 18 second composition entitled “She Loves You”. I can’t help but think upon first listen of “Don’t Believe a Word”, one of them (likely McCartney as he was friends with Lynott) reacted with something along the lines of, “That son of a bitch has done it again.”, while a smile creeped upon his face.

2. “Róisín Dubh (Black Rose): A Rock Legend”

America has “The Star Spangled Banner”. The UK has “God Save the Queen”. Canada has “O Canada”. And Ireland has “Róisín Dubh (Black Rose): A Rock Legend”. This song makes me so proud to have Irish blood flowing through my veins. I’m not afraid to admit it. I’ve heard “Black Rose” a million times. Not only will it never fail to amaze me, but it will always manage to bring a tear to my eye. On most lists, this would be the unanimous choice for title of “Thin Lizzy’s greatest song”, and rightfully so. However, there’s one more song in the Lizzy catalog that stands the slightest hair above them all.

  1. “Heart Attack”

“Heart Attack”? Really? My personal bias is really showing on this one. Yes, this song kicks all sorts of ass. The riffs are stupidly heavy and the lead melody is a full blown earworm. But those aesthetics alone are not what makes “Heart Attack” the greatest Thin Lizzy song of all time. Matter of fact, this might be the only song John Sykes ever played on where he’s NOT the main event. No, “Heart Attack” earned its #1 spot for its historic context. As the last song on the last album (Thunder and Lightning), it’s the final chapter in the Thin Lizzy saga. Then there’s its frantic pace and eerily foreshadowing lyrics: “Mama I’m dying of a heart attack, heart attack, heart attack…Papa I’m dying of an overdose, overdose, overdose…” Lynott sings with such desperation, it’s as if he knows his end is near. Put all these elements together and you’ve got a true metal masterpiece. If you’re gonna go out, go out on top. That’s exactly what Thin Lizzy did. And that’s why “Heart Attack” is the greatest Thin Lizzy song of all time.