Moving Hearts – No Time For Love – 1981
The Mob – Cry Of The Morning – 1983
Moving Hearts were formed in 1981 by Dónal Lunny and Christy Moore of Planxty, both wanting to explore the possibilities of linking contemporary music to Irish traditional music.
The band expanded the line up and by the recording of the debut album had nine members.
“This was an exciting time. Donal and I agreed to work together and our next port of call was with Declan Sinnott who volunteered immediately. Then we gradually expanded. Richie Buckley played one gig in Kilkenny, Bill “Riverdance” Whelan left after one rehearsal citing political differences. Tommy Moore came and left to join Paul Brady.
One by one we slowly assembled. Brian Calnan came from Cork to sit in the traps, Eoghan O’Neill ran out of Tipperary to drive hot bass up our spines, Keith Donald came down from the mountain blowing cool air through his reed, Davy left the camps and got up on the amps – the collective was completed by Matt Kelleghan, George and Cyril and we were ready to roll”.
Christy Moore
The Moving Hearts self titled album had several political songs upon it. Songs concerning the ‘Troubles’. Songs like ‘Irish Ways And Irish Laws’ and the song I have uploaded this evening; the protest song; ‘No Time For Love’.
‘No Time For Love’ is actually a cover version of a 1979 song by Jack Warshaw, an American folk singer strongly influenced by Pete and Peggy Seeger, The Weavers and Ewan MacColl. By 1979 Jack Warshaw had been in England for fifteen years promoting low key folk nights and supporting Anti Vietnam, Chile Solidarity and Anti Apartheid musicians, and events.
“You call it the law, we call it apartheid internment conscription partition and silence
It’s a law that they make to keep up you and me where they think we belong
They hide behind steel and bullets-proof glass, machine guns and spies
And they tell us who suffered the teargas and torture that we’re in the wrong
No time for love if they come in the morning
No time to show tears or for fears in the morning
No time for goodbye no time to ask why
And the sound of the sirens the cry of the morning
They suffered the torture they rotted in cells went crazy wrote letters and died
The limits of the pain they endured but the loneliness got them instead
And the courts gave them justice, as justice is given by well-mannered thugs
Sometimes they fought for the will who survive more times they just wished they were dead
No time for love if they come in the morning
No time to show tears or for fears in the morning
No time for goodbye no time to ask why
And the sound of the sirens the cry of the morning
They took away Sacho, Vanzetti, Connoly and Pearse in their time
They came for Newton and Seal, Bobby Sands and some of his friends
In Boston, Chicago, Saigon, Santiago, Warsaw and Belfast
And places that never make headlines the list never ends
No time for love if they come in the morning
No time to show tears or for fears in the morning
No time for goodbye no time to ask why
And the sound of the sirens the cry of the morning
The boys in blue are only a few of the everyday cops on their beat
The C. I. D. branch-men, informers and spies do their jobs just as well
Behind them the man who tap phones take photos, program computers and files
And the man who tells them when to come and take you to your cell
No time for love if they come in the morning
No time to show tears or for fears in the morning
No time for goodbye no time to ask why
And the sound of the sirens the cry of the morning
They tell us that here we are free to live our lives as well as we please
To march, to write and to sing so long as we do it alone
But say it or do it with comrades united and strong
And they’ll take you for a long rest with walls and barbed wire for your home
No time for love if they come in the morning
No time to show tears or for fears in the morning
No time for goodbye no time to ask why
And the sound of the sirens the cry of the morning
So come all you people who give to your sister and brothers the will to fight on
They say you can get used to this war, that doesn’t mean that this war isn’t on
The fish need the sea to survive just like your comrades need you
And the death squad can only get through to them if first they can get through to you
No time for love if they come in the morning
No time to show tears or for fears in the morning
No time for goodbye no time to ask why
And the sound of the sirens the cry of the morning”
It took Christy Moore’s Moving Hearts to deliver the song ‘No Time For Love’ to a larger audience, and I assume that members of The Mob were listening at some point in the early 1980’s.
‘Cry Of The Morning’, a song by The Mob, adapts the chorus from ‘No Time For Love’, and although the Moving Hearts version of the song, deals directly with the Northern Ireland Troubles, The Mob’s ‘Cry Of The Morning’ is less specific, hints at the same scenario of law enforcement breaking down doors for non specific arrests. Possibly for drugs, squat evictions, muscling known protest agitators and the peace convoy, and so on.
I might be wrong on all of that of course, but The Mob’s version certainly does not have a Long Kesh angle.
“No time for love if they come in the morning
No time to show fear or for tears in the morning
No time for goodbyes, no time to ask why
And the wail of the siren is the cry of the morning
No time for hate if they come in the morning
No time, young mothers, for mourning
No time for turning or running away
Of the crying young babies in the morning
No time to fight back if they come in the morning
No time for withdrawal or for hiding
No time for reflection of lost dreams and hopes
And the wail of the siren is the cry of the morning
And the wail of the siren is the cry”
The images that accompany the Moving Hearts part of this post are photographs from Derry taken by Don McCullin in 1971.
The images that accompany The Mob’s part of this post, are two pieces of artwork by Wilf who designed all of the sleeve artwork for The Mob and other West Country bands like The Review and Thatcher On Acid.
The original police line with girl artwork is from Joanne’s collection.
The peace punk couple under a tent is from my collection, and was to be used for the cover artwork for the reissued ‘Crying Again’ 12″ single released on All The Madmen Records in 1986.
