The Men Behind the Wire
Encyclopedia
"The Men Behind The Wire" is a song written and composed by Paddy McGuigan
of the Barleycorn
folk group in the aftermath of internment
.
The song was recorded by the Barleycorn in Belfast
(produced by Billy McBurney) and pressed in Dublin by Release Records in December 1971. After its release on 14 December the song shot into the Irish charts, selling far more copies than any other single until then released in Ireland, and remained in the charts for months. It reached #1 position in the Irish charts on 22 January 1972, where it remained for three weeks. After a gap of one week it returned to #1 for two weeks on 15 February. Royalties from the recording were donated to families of the internees.
The song was subsequently recorded by many singers and bands in Ireland and abroad, including the Wolfe Tones
, Liam Clancy
and the Flying Column. British singer/songwriter Dido
in her song "Let's Do the Things We Normally Do" from the album Safe Trip Home
used a few lines from this song. This included the lyrics "Armoured cars and tanks and guns, came to take away our sons. But every man must stand behind, the men behind the wire."
The song describes raids by British soldiers, and the "men behind the wire" refers to those held without charge or trial at Long Kesh prison camp
, Magilligan prison
camp and on board the Maidstone Prison Ship
.
McGuigan himself was picked up in a later round of internment, which some saw as the British state's revenge for writing the song.
Paddy McGuigan
Paddy McGuigan is an Irish musician who played for some years with the folk group Barleycorn. He has written some Irish rebel songs, including "The Men Behind the Wire", "The Boys of the Old Brigade", and "Irish Soldier Laddie"....
of the Barleycorn
The Barleycorn
The Barleycorn were an Irish traditional music band who also played Irish rebel music.The band, consisting of Paddy McGuigan, Liam Tiernan, Brian McCormick and John Delaney was formed in mid-1971...
folk group in the aftermath of internment
Operation Demetrius
Operation Demetrius began in Northern Ireland on the morning of Monday 9 August 1971. Operation Demetrius was launched by the British Army and Royal Ulster Constabulary and involved arresting and interning people accused of being paramilitary members...
.
The song was recorded by the Barleycorn in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
(produced by Billy McBurney) and pressed in Dublin by Release Records in December 1971. After its release on 14 December the song shot into the Irish charts, selling far more copies than any other single until then released in Ireland, and remained in the charts for months. It reached #1 position in the Irish charts on 22 January 1972, where it remained for three weeks. After a gap of one week it returned to #1 for two weeks on 15 February. Royalties from the recording were donated to families of the internees.
The song was subsequently recorded by many singers and bands in Ireland and abroad, including the Wolfe Tones
Wolfe Tones
The Wolfe Tones are an Irish rebel music band who incorporate elements of Irish traditional music in their songs. They are named after the Irish rebel and patriot Theobald Wolfe Tone, one of the leaders of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, with the double entendre that a wolf tone is a spurious sound...
, Liam Clancy
Liam Clancy
William "Liam" Clancy was an Irish folk singer and actor from Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary. He was the youngest and last surviving member of performing group The Clancy Brothers. The group were regarded as Ireland's first pop stars...
and the Flying Column. British singer/songwriter Dido
Dido (singer)
Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong , known as Dido, is an English singer-songwriter.Dido shot to worldwide success with her debut album, No Angel...
in her song "Let's Do the Things We Normally Do" from the album Safe Trip Home
Safe Trip Home
The album received very positive reviews. Metacritic, which is a website that gives an average rating over a number of reviews, rates the album at 74 out of a 100...
used a few lines from this song. This included the lyrics "Armoured cars and tanks and guns, came to take away our sons. But every man must stand behind, the men behind the wire."
The song describes raids by British soldiers, and the "men behind the wire" refers to those held without charge or trial at Long Kesh prison camp
Maze (HM Prison)
Her Majesty's Prison Maze was a prison in Northern Ireland that was used to house paramilitary prisoners during the Troubles from mid-1971 to mid-2000....
, Magilligan prison
Magilligan (HM Prison)
Magilligan Prison is a prison run by the Northern Ireland Prison Service situated near Limavady, County Londonderry. It was first opened in May 1972 and comprised eight Nissen huts on the site of an army camp...
camp and on board the Maidstone Prison Ship
HMS Maidstone (1937)
HMS Maidstone was a submarine depot ship of the Royal Navy.-Facilities:She was built to support the increasing numbers of submarines, especially on distant stations, such as the Mediterranean and the Pacific Far East...
.
McGuigan himself was picked up in a later round of internment, which some saw as the British state's revenge for writing the song.
Covers
- The BarleycornThe BarleycornThe Barleycorn were an Irish traditional music band who also played Irish rebel music.The band, consisting of Paddy McGuigan, Liam Tiernan, Brian McCormick and John Delaney was formed in mid-1971...
Live at the Embankment Release DRL 2004 LP (1972) - The Clancy BrothersThe Clancy BrothersThe Clancy Brothers were an influential Irish folk music singing group, most popular in the 1960s, they were famed for their woolly Aran jumpers and are widely credited with popularizing Irish traditional music in the United States. The brothers were Patrick "Paddy" Clancy, Tom Clancy, Bobby Clancy...
Save the Land (1972) - The Wolfe TonesWolfe TonesThe Wolfe Tones are an Irish rebel music band who incorporate elements of Irish traditional music in their songs. They are named after the Irish rebel and patriot Theobald Wolfe Tone, one of the leaders of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, with the double entendre that a wolf tone is a spurious sound...
on their first album, Let the People Sing (1973) - Patsy WatchornPatsy WatchornPatsy Watchorn is an Irish folk singer. He first came to prominence c. 1969 as the lead singer of The Quare Fellas, a Dublin-based ballad group, in 1969. They evolved into The Dublin City Ramblers in the early 1970s and with Patsy as their lead singer they had hits with songs such as "The Rare Old...
on Irish Republican Jail Songs (re-released 2001)