BELFAST CHILD by Simple minds

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BELFAST CHILD by Simple minds
This song was inspired by the 1987 Enniskillen bombing, when a bomb planted by the IRA exploded during a Remembrance Day service at Enniskillen in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, killing 11 people and injuring at least 63. Simple Minds lead singer Jim Kerr explained to Q magazine in 1989: "In the second part of 'Belfast Child' I'm trying to relate to people in Northern Ireland who've also lost loved ones. I'm trying to talk about the madness and sadness and emptiness. I'm not saying I have any pearls of wisdom, but I have a few questions to ask. When I'm asked on American TV who my heroes are, rather than saying Lou Reed or Bob Dylan or someone who goes without saying, I say there are these people called Amnesty International and what they are doing I think is rather heroic. It only takes about 30 seconds."




The music is based on a traditional song alled "She Moved Through The Fair," which Jim Kerr heard for the first time a few days after the bombing and decided to use the melody for this song.

This runs 6:39. At the time, it was the second-longest UK #1, after The Beatles "Hey Jude ."

The B-side of the single was "Mandela Day," which was written for Nelson Mandela's 70th birthday concert on June 11, 1988.

This was Simple Minds' first and only UK #1 hit, but they have charted in the UK Top-40 24 times.








LYRICS 
When my love said to me
Meet me down by the gallow tree
For it's sad news I bring
About this old town and all that it's offering
Some say troubles abound
Some day soon they're gonna pull the old town down

One day we'll return here,
When the Belfast Child sings again

Brothers, sisters where are you now
As I look for you right through the crowd
All my life here I've spent
With my faith in God, the Church and the Government
But there's sadness abound
Some day soon they're gonna pull the old town down

One day we'll return here,
When the Belfast Child sings again
When the Belfast Child sings again

Some come back, Billy, won't you come on home
Come back Mary, you've been away so long
The streets are empty, and your mother's gone
The girls are crying, it's been oh so long
And your father's calling, come on home
Won't you come on home, won't you come on home

Come back people, you've been gone a while
And the war is raging, in the Emerald Isle
That's flesh and blood man, that's flesh and blood
All the girls are crying but all's not lost

The streets are empty, the streets are cold
Won't you come on home, won't you come on home

The streets are empty
Life goes on

One day we'll return here
When the Belfast Child sings again
When the Belfast Child sings again










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