The Men Behind the Wire is a song about internment in Northern Ireland. It was written by Belfast musician Paddy McGuigan and recorded by McGuigan’s band The Barleycorn in late 1971. Its lyrics are resolute and defiant, taking aim at the heavy-handedness of internment (“armoured cars and tanks and guns / came to take away our sons”) as well as British authority in Ireland (“Cromwell’s men are here again / England name again is sullied”). The Men Behind the Wire became very popular, reaching number one on the Irish singles chart in early 1972. It even inspired a Loyalist version, penned after their own paramilitary volunteers were interned. McGuigan was himself interned for three months, apparently for the ‘crime’ of writing The Men Behind the Wire. He later penned a succession of Irish rebel songs, including The Boys of the Old Brigade.
Armoured cars and tanks and guns
Came to take away our sons
But every man must stand behind
The men behind the wireThrough the little streets of Belfast
In the dark of early morn
British soldiers came marauding
Wrecking little homes with scornHeedless of the crying children
Dragging fathers from their beds
Beating sons while helpless mothers
Watched the blood pour from their headsNot for them a judge and jury
Nor indeed a trial at all
But being Irish means you’re guilty
So we’re guilty one and allRound the world the truth will echo
Cromwell’s men are here again
England’s name again is sullied
In the eyes of honest men.Proud we march behind our banner
Firm we’ll stand behind our men
We will have them free to help us
Build a nation once againOn the people, step together
Proudly, firmly, on their way
Never fear and never falter
Till the boys come home to stay
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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, “The Men Behind the Wire (The Barleycorn, 1971)”, Alpha History, accessed [today’s date], https://alphahistory.com/northernireland/the-men-behind-the-wire-barleycorn-1971/.