LYNOTT, Phil. Songs for While I’m Away. With drawings by Fitzpatrick (Rare limited edition)

Dublin: Pippen Publishers, 1974. pp. 31. Pictorial wrappers designed by Jim FitzPatrick, depicting a striking black-and-white portrait of Lynott. Title within stylised border. Dedication: “To My Father.” Illustrated throughout with drawings by FitzPatrick and Tim Booth. Preface by Peter Fallon. Edition limited to 1,000 copies, of which 200 were issued in hardback and signed by the author. A fine, bright copy with minimal toning to covers. A scarce and culturally iconic publication. Extreemly fine copy.

Issued when Thin Lizzy were emerging as one of Ireland’s most significant rock groups, Songs for While I’m Away captures Lynott’s lyrical and poetic sensibility before his fame reached international level. The work was edited by poet and publisher Peter Fallon, whose introduction situates Lynott among the new generation of rock writers “for whom lyrics began to matter.” The cover and internal art were supplied by FitzPatrick — Lynott’s lifelong friend and collaborator — whose Art Nouveau-inflected designs became visual hallmarks of Thin Lizzy’s early aesthetic.

The collection includes lyrics to several of Lynott’s finest early songs — Honesty is No Excuse, Little Girl in Bloom, Sarah, The Rocker, and A Song for While I’m Away — revealing his gift for narrative intimacy, Dublin nostalgia, and romantic introspection.

[WR music]