Out in the Fields (song)

"Out in the Fields"
Single by Gary Moore and Phil Lynott
from the album Run for Cover
B-side"Military Man"
Released6 May 1985 (UK)[1]
GenreHeavy metal
Length4:18
Label10
SongwriterGary Moore
ProducerPeter Collins
Gary Moore singles chronology
"Shapes of Things"
(1984)		 "Out in the Fields"
(1985)		 "Empty Rooms"
(1985)
Official audio
"Out in the Fields" on YouTube

"Out in the Fields" is a song by Irish musicians Gary Moore and Phil Lynott, who had previously been bandmates in Thin Lizzy. Written by Moore and released as a single in 1985, the song was also featured on his album Run for Cover in the same year. It is about the Troubles in Northern Ireland.[2]

The song performed well commercially, reaching No. 3 in the Irish Singles Chart[3] and No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart,[4] making it the highest-charting single for both of the performers. "Out in the Fields" was also one of the last recordings made by Phil Lynott before his death on 4 January 1986.[2]

Moore has described "Out in the Fields" as an "anti-war song". He told Record Mirror in 1985: "It says that killing is wrong whether you're black, white, yellow or purple. It's wrong for anybody to get a bullet for something they believe in."[5] Moore felt that Lynott's voice would suit the song and asked him to team up to record and promote it. They took what Moore described as a "very modern and sophisticated approach" to recording it.[5]

Critical reception

Upon its release, Mick Wall of Kerrang! described "Out in the Fields" as a "fabulously hard and driving rock single", with Moore "croon[ing] like a sheep-killing dog and play[ing] his axe like the true dyed-in-the-wool genius he is". He added that the "rugged and quite brilliantly performed" B-side, "Military Man", is "another of [Lynott's] typically angst-ridden ditties to misguided youth".[6] Paul Sexton, writing for Record Mirror, said that Moore and Pynott had "put together a slick piece of pop metal".[7] Jerry Smith of Music Week described it as "stormy HM" and a "commercial hard rock number that should give them a hit". He added: "Lynott's characteristic vocal and pumping bass forms a fine foil for Moore's more histrionic chorus and frenzied guitar figures."[8]

Sandy Roberts of Sounds gave a mixed review, calling the song "well put together and pretty energetic" but one that "still feels like an album cut".[9] Ro Newton, writing for Number One, considered the "underlying theme of racial equality" to be "admirable", but she felt the "heavy metal thrash and screeching guitar solos are none too appealing".[10]

Track listings

7" vinyl

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Out in the Fields"Gary Moore4:18
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Military Man"Phil Lynott5:38

7" vinyl double pack (limited edition)

  • UK: 10 Records / TEN 49
Disc one, side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Out in the Fields"Moore4:18
Disc one, side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Military Man"Lynott5:38
Disc two, side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Still in Love with You"Lynott5:51
Disc two, side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Stop Messin' Around"Clifford Adams, Peter Green3:55

12" vinyl

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Out in the Fields"Moore4:18
2."Military Man"Lynott5:38
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Still in Love with You"Lynott5:51

Personnel

Out in the Fields

Chart performance

Chart (1985) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[11] 62
Irish Singles Chart[3] 3
Dutch GfK chart[12] 21
Dutch Top 40[13] 28
Norwegian Singles Chart[14] 2
Swedish Singles Chart[15] 2
UK Singles Chart[4] 5

Cover versions

The song has been covered by multiple artists, including Riot (on The Brethren of the Long House, 1996), Dark at Dawn (on Crimson Frost, 2001), Michael Schenker Group (on Heavy Hitters, 2005), Supreme Majesty (on Elements of Creation, 2005), Primal Fear (on Metal Is Forever - The Very Best of Primal Fear, 2006), Sonata Arctica (as the B-side to "Paid in Full", 2007), Timo Kotipelto & Jani Liimatainen (on Blackoustic, 2012), Iron Mask (on V/A - Give Us Moore!: A Tribute to Gary Moore, 2004), Powerwolf (on Metallum Nostrum, bonus disc to Blessed & Possessed, 2015), Black Majesty (on Cross of Thorns, 2015) and Mono Inc. (on Together Till the End, 2017).

References

  1. ↑ Hung, Steffen. "Gary Moore / Phil Lynott - Out In The Fields". Hitparade.ch. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
  2. 1 2 "allmusic ((( Run for Cover > Overview)))". Retrieved 30 April 2009.
  3. 1 2 "irishcharts.ie search results". Retrieved 30 April 2009.
  4. 1 2 "The Official Charts Company - Gary Moore And Phil Lynott - Out In The Fields". Official Charts. Retrieved 30 April 2009.
  5. 1 2 Smith, Robin (1 June 1985). "Best of Friends". Record Mirror. p. 12. ISSN 0144-5804.
  6. ↑ Wall, Mick (16 May 1985). "Short Kutz". Kerrang!. No. 94. p. 39. ISSN 0262-6624.
  7. ↑ Sexton, Paul (18 May 1985). "Singles". Record Mirror. p. 13. ISSN 0144-5804.
  8. ↑ Smith, Jerry (18 May 1985). "Singles". Music Week. p. 11. ISSN 0265-1548.
  9. ↑ Roberts, Sandy (18 May 1985). "Singles". Sounds. p. 14. ISSN 0144-5774.
  10. ↑ Newton, Ro (11 May 1985). "Singles". Number One. No. 99. p. 36.
  11. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 183. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  12. ↑ "dutchcharts.nl - Gary Moore & Phil Lynott - Out In The Fields (in Dutch)". Retrieved 30 April 2009.
  13. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40, week 35, 1985 (in Dutch)". Retrieved 30 April 2009.
  14. ↑ "norwegiancharts.com - Gary Moore & Phil Lynott - Out In The Fields". Retrieved 30 April 2009.
  15. ↑ "swedishcharts.com - Gary Moore & Phil Lynott - Out In The Fields". Retrieved 30 April 2009.
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