1 April 1972 In this year of 'The Men Behind The Wire' and 'Give Ireland Back To The Irish', surely 'Three Leafed Shamrock' is another politically-charged protest song, right? Or maybe, like 'Ceol An Ghrá' immediately before it at number one, it showcases a new-found national pride in Irish cultural heritage, doesn't it? No and … Continue reading John Kerr – ‘Three Leafed Shamrock’
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Ed Sheeran – ‘Galway Girl’
10 March 2017 Steve Earle's Galway Girl was from Dublin. Ed Sheeran's Galway Girl was from Limerick. Alliteration, rhythm and other mysteries of lyric writing were probably the forces prevailing over mundane accuracy in both instances. That said, fans of feminist and post-colonial theories will recognise the trope of a western male tourist or voyager … Continue reading Ed Sheeran – ‘Galway Girl’
Sandie Jones – ‘Ceol An Ghrá’
18 Márta 1972 Seo é an t-aon amhrán as Gaeilge a bheith ag barr na gcairteanna in Eirinn - agus ár n-aon iomaitheoir as Gaeilge i gComórtas na hEoraifíse freisin. Mar sin, táim ag iarraidh an alt seo a scríobh as Gaeilge, le cabhair foclóir ó am go chéile ach gan leagan Béarla agus gan … Continue reading Sandie Jones – ‘Ceol An Ghrá’
Nilsson – ‘Without You’
11 March 1972 I checked Harry Nilsson's figures on a well-known streaming service, and was unsurprised to see that 'Without You' and 'Everybody's Talkin'' were doing around five to ten times the numbers of his other songs. Even my awareness of him in the '90s was just for those two tracks and little in the … Continue reading Nilsson – ‘Without You’
Ed Sheeran – ‘Shape Of You’
13 January 2017 Welcome to 2017, the year Ed Sheeran broke the Irish singles charts and they had to change the rules. It's also the year that, aside from a week's carry-over of 'Rockabye' from the end of 2016, only eight songs went to number one in Ireland; since three of them are his that's … Continue reading Ed Sheeran – ‘Shape Of You’
Wings – ‘Give Ireland Back To The Irish’
4 March 1972 The immediate responses to Bloody Sunday included the burning of the British Embassy in Dublin, Bernadette Devlin slapping Tory minister Reginald Maudling on the floor of the House of Commons, and Paul McCartney writing 'Give Ireland Back To The Irish'. Also: Irish people buying 'Give Ireland Back To The Irish' all the … Continue reading Wings – ‘Give Ireland Back To The Irish’
Clean Bandit ft. Sean Paul and Anne-Marie – ‘Rockabye’
18 November 2016 Gawd. The knuckle-gnawingly naff title and chorus alone were enough to put me off 'Rockabye' at the time. Yet this was a genuine heavyweight smash: eight weeks at the top of the charts in Ireland, nine weeks in the UK, and in both countries the 2016 Christmas number one. Not being a … Continue reading Clean Bandit ft. Sean Paul and Anne-Marie – ‘Rockabye’
T. Rex – ‘Telegram Sam’
12 February 1972 You can still send a telegram today. Isn't that cute? Less cute is how anyone nicknamed Telegram Sam today is more likely to be an avid user of a certain social media site frequented by right-wing knuckle-draggers with lEgiTiMaTe qUeStIoNs. There are a few competing footnotes as to who the Telegram Sam … Continue reading T. Rex – ‘Telegram Sam’
Little Mix – ‘Shout Out To My Ex’
28 October 2016 Going by the tepid take-up for their debut solo releases in 2024-25, next on the Little Mix agenda may well be the perfunctory reunion and greatest hits tour. That's a pity. Okay, Perrie's tracks were safe and unmemorable chart-pop, but I liked Leigh-Anne's dip into garage and Afrobeat, and Jade's intriguing 'Angel … Continue reading Little Mix – ‘Shout Out To My Ex’
Barleycorn – ‘The Men Behind The Wire’
22 January 1972 This chart-topping original of 'The Men Behind The Wire' has a spoken-word introduction: On Monday the ninth of August 1971 at 4:30 a.m., Irish men from all over the six counties were taken from their homes. Hundreds of these men are now imprisoned without trial. This song is borne of the civil … Continue reading Barleycorn – ‘The Men Behind The Wire’
