“I played it to him on an acoustic guitar and he went, ‘That sounds kinda French… let me write some lyrics’”: Gary Moore on how Thin Lizzy’s Phil Lynott helped shaped one of his most iconic guitar tracks

Gary Moore's stint with Thin Lizzy may have been fraught with personal and creative disagreements with the band's co-founder, vocalist, and bassist Phil Lynott. However, the two did collaborate on several tunes, most notably on Moore's 1978 solo album Back on the Streets, which remain forever etched in rock history.

Discussing Lynott's role in writing his UK top 10 single Parisienne Walkways, Moore told Classic Rock, “It was such a lovely, creative process. I played it to him on an acoustic guitar and he went, ‘That sounds kinda French, let me write some lyrics.’

“I’d never even thought of that possibility. You should have seen us trying to play this fucking accordion in the studio; him on one side squeezing, and me on the other trying to play the keys. When it came out and was a huge hit, I was so proud that it showed what we could do together.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Moore asserted that Lynott's songwriting and unique musical sensibilities were underrated and not as recognized as they should've been.

“To me, Thin Lizzy reached a peak with Jailbreak [their sixth studio album, released in 1976]. By the time I joined them, they were on the way down,” he acknowledged.

“I’m still proud of the Black Rose album [their ninth and the band’s first with Moore], but it’s not regarded as a classic Lizzy album. He was writing better songs in those earlier days. I used to love going to see them with Scott [Gorham] and Robbo [Brian Robertson].”

He continued, “If the songs had stayed at that standard, he’d have had no problems cracking the next level – being on a par with the likes of Springsteen and Van Morrison. Lizzy never really cracked America, but Phil was one of the first people to bring that poetic, romantic Celtic style to rock music. He deserves credit for that.”