Thin Lizzy met while at school in Dublin in the early 1960s. Lynott, born 20 August 1949 in West Bromwich, England to an Irish mother Philomena (1930– ) and Guyanese father Cecil Parris (1925–2010), was brought up in Dublin from the age of three. Downey, born 27 January 1951, is a Dublin native. Lynott joined a local band, The Black Eagles, as vocalist in 1963, and Downey was recruited as their drummer in 1965. In 1967, Lynott was asked to join Skid Row by bass guitarist Brush Shiels, who brought teenage Belfast guitarist Gary Moore (4 April 1952 – 6 February 2011)
Sarah (Thin Lizzy song) been a member of Clover, a band that had supported Thin Lizzy on previous tours. Moore confirmed that the song was mostly composed on an acoustic guitar, mostly by him, and that a drum machine was used. "It wasn't even intended to be for Thin Lizzy... I thought it might end up on Phil's solo record," he added, and suggested that the song only appeared on "Black Rose" because Lynott was one track short for the album. He also praised Tony Visconti's production and the layering of guitars on the solo. Regarding the melody, he said he could not remember