The Men Behind The Wire, Lyrics And Chords
Written by Paddy McGuigan from The Barleycorn and recorded by The Wolfe Tones. Pat was interned just for writing Irish songs in Ireland, The video is of Barleycorn singing The Men Behind The Wire, the original recording.The Barleycorn's single of this tune has sold more copies than any other single record in the history of Ireland. The Irish, who number slightly more than four million, bought over 250,000 copies of this single; its closest competition sold approximately 47,000. In terms of our population, the record would have sold an unprecedented 11 million copies. Brian McCormick, base guitar, sings the lead on this song. Written by Paddy McGuigan, (as are many of the tunes done by The Barleycorn) this song has been recorded by scores of Irish ballad singers both here and abroad.
The men behind the wire
2,000 Irishmen - mostly Catholics - were taken from their homes at 4:30 a.m. on Monday, August 9, 1971.
from their homes at 4:30 a.m. and held in the British Concentration Camps
(Long Kesh)! The internment takes place without an exact charge,
without a trial, the mere suspicion of belonging to the republican movement is
movement is enough legitimation to imprison Irish fathers, mothers or youths for an indefinite
Irish family fathers, mothers or youths for an indefinite period of time.
The aim of these measures is to strengthen the resistance of the Irish population against
imperialist paternalism and exploitation of their own resources.
Using scientifically sophisticated modern torture methods (e.g. sensory de-
privation), which are tried out in Northern Irish concentration camps and prisons, any resistance shall be
paralyzed, the chance to form an independent identity is thwarted from the beginning.
But despite these inhumane and brutal methods of repression, the opposite is often achieved.
most of the Irish internees leave the concentration camps as better fighters than before.
They have trained themselves politically as prisoners, their struggle has
not ceased behind the barbed wire, and, above all, they experience
and solidarity from outside, which became clear not least during the great prison uprising at
the end of 1974, when the organized struggle (the Nissen huts in Long Kesh were burned to the ground)
The struggle continued en masse in the neighborhoods in the form of solidarity and protest actions. -
The song was written in the "Civil Resistance Campaign" that arose as a result of the in-
ternment. It was dedicated to the men interned in the Long Kesh Concentration
The men behind the wire
2,000 Irishmen - mostly Catholics - were taken from their homes at 4:30 a.m. on Monday, August 9, 1971.
from their homes at 4:30 a.m. and held in the British Concentration Camps
(Long Kesh)! The internment takes place without an exact charge,
without a trial, the mere suspicion of belonging to the republican movement is
movement is enough legitimation to imprison Irish fathers, mothers or youths for an indefinite
Irish family fathers, mothers or youths for an indefinite period of time.
The aim of these measures is to strengthen the resistance of the Irish population against
imperialist paternalism and exploitation of their own resources.
Using scientifically sophisticated modern torture methods (e.g. sensory de-
privation), which are tried out in Northern Irish concentration camps and prisons, any resistance shall be
paralyzed, the chance to form an independent identity is thwarted from the beginning.
But despite these inhumane and brutal methods of repression, the opposite is often achieved.
most of the Irish internees leave the concentration camps as better fighters than before.
They have trained themselves politically as prisoners, their struggle has
not ceased behind the barbed wire, and, above all, they experience
and solidarity from outside, which became clear not least during the great prison uprising at
the end of 1974, when the organized struggle (the Nissen huts in Long Kesh were burned to the ground)
The struggle continued en masse in the neighborhoods in the form of solidarity and protest actions. -
The song was written in the "Civil Resistance Campaign" that arose as a result of the in-
ternment. It was dedicated to the men interned in the Long Kesh Concentration
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[Chorus]
[C]Armored cars and[Am] tanks and guns[G],came to take[C] away our sons, But[C] every man must[F] stand behind,the[C] men be[G]hind the[C] wire [1] In[C] the little[F] streets of Belfast,[C]in the dark of[G] early morn, [C]British solders[F] came a running,[C]wrecking little [G]homes with[C] scorn, Here[C] the sobs of[F] crying children,[C]dragging fathers[G] from their beds, [C]Watch the scene as[F] helpless mothers,[C]watch the blood[G] fall from their[C] heads, [2] Not for them a judge or jury,nor for them a crime at all, Being Irish means they'r guilty,so were guilty one and all, Around the world the truth will echo,Cromwell's men are here again, England's name again is sullied,in the eyes of honest men. [3] Proudly march behind our banner,proudly march behind our men, We will have them free to help us,build a nation once again [ song lyrics ], All the people step togeather,proudly firmly on our way, Never fear or never falter till the boys come home to stay. Return to The Wolfe Tones Songs |
Here are the guitar chords as played by The Wolfe Tones.
[F]Armored cars and tanks and guns[C],came to take[F] away our sons, But every man must[Bb] stand behind,the[C] men behind the[C] wire [1] [F]In the little[Bb] streets of Belfast,[F]in the dark of[C] early morn, [F]British solders[Gm] came a running,[F]wrecking little homes with scorn, Here the sobs of[Bb] crying children,[F]dragging fathers[C] from their beds, [F]Watch the scene as helpless mothers,watch the blood fall [C]from their[F] heads, 
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