Give Ireland Back To The Irish
Wings, Paul McCartney
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Give Ireland back to the Irish Don't make them have to take it away Give Ireland back to the Irish Make Ireland Irish today Great Britain, you are tremendous And nobody knows like me But really, what are you doin' In the land across the sea? Tell me, how would you like it If on your way to work You were stopped by Irish soldiers? Would you lie down, do nothing Would you give in or go berserk? Give Ireland back to the Irish Don't make them have to take it away Give Ireland back to the Irish Make Ireland Irish today Great Britain and all the people Say that all people must be free And meanwhile back in Ireland There's a man who looks like me And he dreams of god and country And he's feeling really bad And he's sitting in a prison Say, should he lie down, do nothing Should give in or go mad? Give Ireland back to the Irish Don't make them have to take it away Give Ireland back to the Irish Make Ireland Irish today Give Ireland back to the Irish Don't make them have to take it away Give Ireland back to the Irish Make Ireland Irish today (yeah, yeah)
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Written by: Linda McCartney, Paul McCartney
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
10 facts about this song
Origin of the Song"Give Ireland Back to the Irish" was written by Paul McCartney in response to the "Bloody Sunday" massacre in Derry, Northern Ireland, on 30th January 1972, where British troops killed 14 unarmed civil rights protestors.
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Band InvolvementThe song was the first single released by "Wings", the band Paul McCartney formed after The Beatles disbanded.
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Emotive LyricsThe lyrics of the song were a direct political commentary on the situation in Northern Ireland, which was a departure from McCartney’s usual apolitical stance in his songwriting.
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CensorshipThe song was outright banned by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for its controversial and politically sensitive matter.
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Chart PerformanceDespite the restrictions put on its broadcasting, the song reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart. In contrast, it performed better globally hitting number 1 in both Spain and the Republic of Ireland and reaching number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.
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McCartney's Irish HeritagePaul McCartney has an Irish heritage with his maternal grandfather being from Ireland, which further fueled his passion to write and perform this song.
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Cover VersionsA Spanish version of the song exists, sung by former Wings member Denny Laine.
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AvailabilityEven though the song was controversial at the time, it was included in the "Wild Life" deluxe edition album released by Wings in 2018.
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Rarity of PerformanceDespite its popularity, the song is rarely performed live by McCartney due to its political nature.
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Co-writingLinda McCartney, Paul's wife at the time, is credited as a co-writer of the song.
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Citation
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"Give Ireland Back To The Irish Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 May 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/35750945/Paul+McCartney/Give+Ireland+Back+To+The+Irish>.
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