song list
Don't Let It Slip Away
Version 1 (Philip Lynott, The Man & His Music Volume 4) -- 7:42
(Lynott ?)

Although the "Philip: the Man and His Music" Volume IV refers to this version
as "Don't Let Him Slip Away", when I transcribed these lyrics I decided to refer
to it as "Don't Let It Slip Away" to be more consistent with the lyrics.
Subsequently others have picked up on this distinction and this has become
the more common name for this version.

For a completely different set of lyrics
see also "Don't Let Him Slip Away" Version 2.

I've been told by a very reliable source that there are three completed recordings
of this song, although I've only heard these two myself, The 3rd version is "in the vault"
and reportedly runs 5 minutes.

The others, which I call version 3 and 4, are apparently merely fan edits, which is consistent with
the similarity of the lyrics to the above versions.

See also what I refer to as Version 3, also known as THE PABLO MIX

See also what I refer to as Version 4, ALMOST the same as Version 2

You should have seen it
How they tore him down
They lined him up against the wall
And they shot him to the ground
You should have seen it
There were tears in his eyes
His body was broken
And his spirit did not materialize
There is no reason
For this to pass
He's broken now
Alas

And when I feel what he's done
He was the child
He was the chosen one
You should have seen
How they broke him down
The knife in his back
Brought him down
With a knife in his back
And no ground

Don't let it slip away
Don't let it slip away
It was a period of redemption
Just a matter of time
It was a period of redemption
Just a matter of time

You'd think they'd listen
You should have seen it
How they broke him down
They took his heart
And they shot his body down
It drives me crazy
Just to hear
That the man was the King of Heaven
And in us He holds the key
There is a rhyme and a reason
To our destiny

I wish I'd seen him
Now that he's gone
The man was the King, the King, the King gone
I should have seen it
Called aloud
I'll bow down before you
I'm not so proud
The sword in his hand
He took command
With a gun
He started to run

I'll run with the rebels
I'll fight the good fight
I am a leader of all the men
That you left behind your back
I will take over the dungeons
I will destroy the jailer
And I'm the man, I know I will

I trust the legend, ah
I believe it to be true
I will fight until I die
Until we sew her up
We learned have the reasons
Just bare two hands
Take it now, please boys
Understand
Tell me the reasons for it
We must make our stand
We'll fight and fight and fight
To have the upper hand
There is a rhythm
I know this to be true
The words that I preach were once said
by somebody who stole a forty-four too
I do it. I feel it. I can touch it sometimes
But I need the power and the glory
To make it mine for all time

Don't let it slip away, Oh no
There was a pain and a vengence in the glory
Don't let it slip away
There was a pain in the story
So don't ever let it go away
I believe in the power and the glory
Until this day

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from the album PHILIP LYNOTT: THE MAN AND HIS MUSIC - Volume 4