Give Ireland Back to the Irish (Paul McCartney, 1972)

Give Ireland Back to the Irish was the debut single for Paul McCartney’s band Wings. It was inspired by the Bloody Sunday shootings in January 1972. While McCartney was born in Liverpool his family – like many others in the city – was of Irish descent, so he was affected by the events in Derry. Give Ireland Back to the Irish was written by McCartney and his wife Linda in the week after the shootings, then recorded at Abbey Road the following day. It was released by Apple, The Beatles’ own record company, at the end of February 1972.

Give Ireland Back to the Irish is musically uninteresting, though there are obvious echoes from several Beatles songs. McCartney’s lyrics contain a simple political message: “Give Ireland back to the Irish / Don’t make them have to take it away”. He also hints at British hypocrisy, demanding that “all people must be free” while withholding it from the Irish. This overtly political stance generated enormous controversy. Give Ireland Back to the Irish was deemed too provocative and banned throughout Britain. As a consequence it received no airplay on commercial radio or television; the title of the song was not even mentioned. Despite this controversy (or perhaps because of it) Give Ireland Back to the Irish sold well, charting as high as number 16 in Britain and reaching number one in the Republic of Ireland.

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
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
Should he lie down, do nothing
Should he 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


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This page was written by Jennifer Llewellyn and Steve Thompson. To reference this page, use the following citation:
J. Llewellyn and S. Thompson, “Give Ireland Back to the Irish (Paul McCartney, 1972)”, Alpha History, accessed [today’s date], https://alphahistory.com/northernireland/give-ireland-back-to-the-irish-1972.