Phil Lynott's Mom Objects to Republicans Using Thin Lizzy's 'The Boys are Back in Town' at Convention

Posted on Sep 4th 2012 11:10AM by Jason MacNeil
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After Silversun Pickups, Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello and Twisted Sister's Dee Snider have recently publicly criticized the Republican Party for using their songs without permission during campaign stops, you would think the protocol for asking permission to use artists' songs would have been hashed out by now.

But it appears you can add another to that list after Philomena Lynott, mother of the late Thin Lizzy singer Phil Lynott, objected to Mitt Romney's use of "The Boys are Back in Town" last week during the Republican National Convention in Tampa.

According to The Guardian, Lynott's mother -- who said the song's use was "deeply upsetting" -- told Irish music magazine Hot Press the musician would've rejected the party using the song and any association with the staunch Christian segment of the party.

"As far as I'm concerned, Mitt Romney's opposition to gay marriage and to civil unions for gays makes him anti-gay -- which is not something that Philip would have supported," she said. "He had some wonderful gay friends, as indeed I do, and they deserve equal treatment in every respect, whether in Ireland or the United States.

Philomena Lynott added that the late singer -- who died in 1986 -- would also oppose the "taxing the poor and offering tax cuts to the rich" policies both Romney and Vice-Presidential candidate Paul Ryan are proposing.

"There is certainly no way that I would want the Lynott name to be associated with any of those ideas," she said, adding she didn't want her son's music to "be used in any way that could hurt a single person, and this is the effect of what happened with Paul Ryan using and abusing my son's music in that way."

"There is a black president of American, which to me -- as it would have been to Philip, as a proud, black Irishman -- is wonderfully symbolic."

There was no comment found on Thin Lizzy's official site or Facebook page regarding Philomena's comments as the band still tours with three surviving members of the band. There was also no confirmation as to whether or not the Republican party sought permission to use the song before including it in last week's convention.

This year's string of artists who have objected to their songs being used at political rallies join a long line of artists over the last three decades who have experienced the same thing. Bruce Springsteen, Heart, ABBA and Tom Petty are just some of those artists. Earlier this year Dropkick Murphys criticized Jeff Fitzgerald, a Wisconsin Republican Senate candidate, for using "Shipping Up to Boston" before a speech. According to the Huffington Post, the band called his use of their music "laughable" and compared it to a "white supremacist coming out to gangsta rap!"

Watch Thin Lizzy's "The Boys are Back in Town" Video