‘This is not a Rebel Song’: The Irish Conflict and Popular Music

1 R. Denselow , When the Music’s Over: the story of political pop (London, Faber & Faber 1989), p. 133–133.

2 See S. O’Hagan , ‘I was there helping to make history’, Observer, review section (24 May 1998), pp. 2–3.

3 T. Adorno , ‘On popular music’, in S. Frith and A. Goodwin (eds), On Record: rock, pop and the written word (London, Routledge 1990), pp. 301–314.

4 D. Harker , One for the Money: politics and popular song (London, Hutchinson 1980), p. 87–87.

5 J. Street , Rebel Rock: the politics of popular music (Oxford, Blackwell 1986), p. 7–7.

6 S. Frith , Performing Rites: on the value of popular music (Oxford, OUP 1996), p. 158–158.

7 S. Frith , ‘Towards an aesthetic of popular music’, in R. Leppert and S. McClary (eds), Music and Society: the politics of consumption (Cambridge, CUP 1987), p. 141–141.

8 D. Robinson , E. Buck and M. Cuthbert , Music at the Margins: popular music and global cultural diversity (London, Sage 1991), p. 266–266.

9 Street, op. cit., pp. 80–1.

10 A. Sivanandan , ‘All that melts into air is solid: the hokum of New Times’, Race & Class (Vol. 31, no 3, 1989), pp. 1–30.

11 For a comprehensive and informative account, see M. Prendergast , Irish Rock: roots, personalities, directions (Dublin, O’Brien Press 1987). More glossy but also informative is T. Clayton-Lea and R. Taylor, Irish Rock (Dublin, Gill and Macmillan, 1992).

12 Prendergast, op. cit., p. 11.

13 Ibid., p. 89.

14 R. Bennett , ‘An Irish answer’, The Guardian (16 July 1994). See also B. Hinton, Celtic Crossroads: the art of Van Morrison (London, Sanctuary, 1997).

15 The marketability of Irish music has been recognised by the government of the Republic; see Forte Task Force, Access All Areas: Irish music–an international industry. Report to the Minister of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht (Dublin, Stationery Office, 1996).

16 Prendergast, op. cit., p. 112.

17 For a consideration of loyalist songs, see B. Rolston , ‘Music and politics in Ireland: the case of loyalism’, in J. Harrington and E. Mitchell (eds), Politics and Performance in Contemporary Northern Ireland (Amherst, University of Massachusetts Press 1999), pp. 29–56.

18 Clayton-Lea and Taylor, op. cit., p. 27.

19 Ibid., p. 28.

20 S. Goodman , Burning Desire: the complete U2 story (Chessington, Surrey, Castle Communications 1993), p. 96–96.

21 N. Stokes , Into the Heart: the stories behind every U2 song (London, Omnibus Press 1996), p. 38–38.

22 Cited in The Food of Love and Hate, part 3, ‘Outside looking in’, Radio Ulster (12 March 1995).

23 Graham Lock, New Musical Express, 1979; cited in G. McKay, Senseless Acts of Beauty: cultures of resistance since the sixties (London, Verso, 1996), p. 96.

24 See J. Cotter , ‘Sounds of hate: the role of white power rock and roll in the development and diffusion of the neo-Nazi skinhead culture’, paper presented to the International Studies Association, South, Annual Conference, Charlotte, North Carolina, 1998.

25 For a sympathetic celebration of punk’s ability to transcend Northern Ireland’s traditional fault lines, see John T. Davis’s film, Shellshock Rock (Holywood Films, 1980). For brief accounts of each of Northern Ireland’s punk groups, see G. Trelford and S. O’Neill, It Makes You Want to Spit: punk in Ulster, ’77–’82 (Belfast, the Punk Appreciation Society, 1998). In passing, it is worth noting that rave is currently viewed by some in a similar way to punk, namely, a musical form which brings young people together across the sectarian divide.

26 ‘It’s Going to Happen’ (EMI 1981) is possibly the only exception. According to Damien O’Neill of the Undertones: ‘The original lyrics to this were about the hunger strike... but the verses were shockingly cornball, so Michael wrote new lyrics.’ From the sleeve notes of The Best of the Undertones, Castle Communications, 1993.

27 Cited in Rock ’n the North, part 3, ‘Rock ’n a Hard Place’, Radio Ulster (16 August 1994).

28 Paul Brady was seen to redeem himself partially in the eyes of republican critics as a result of his powerful song, ‘Nothing But the Same Old Story’ (Warner 1981), in which he practically screams his opposition to anti-Irish racism in Britain.

29 See F. Connolly (ed.), The Christy Moore Songbook (Dingle, Brandon 1984).

30 B. Graham , ‘Irish ways and Irish laws: the Moving Hearts interview’, Hot Press (Vol. 5, no 21, 30 October–12 November 1981), pp. 7–9.

31 J. McGurk, ‘Republican rappers cancel gig’, Irish News (11 August 1994). House of Pain’s first CD is entitled Fine Malt Lyrics (XL Recordings, 1992). See interview with House of Pain member Danny Boy O’Connor in B. Cross, It’s Not About a Salary: rap, race and resistance in Los Angeles (London, Verso, 1993), pp. 249–52. Interestingly, House of Pain’s CDs are often filed under ‘Black music’ in German outlets, a fact which would undoubtedly please the group!

32 Ibid.

33 An exhaustive list of pop songs tackling the Irish conflict would include: Black 47’s ‘Fanatic Heart’ (EMI 1993) and ‘Time to Go’; Luka Bloom’s ‘This is For Life’ (Reprise 1990); Billy Bragg’s ‘My Youngest Son Came Home Today’; Billy Connolly’s ‘Sergeant, Where’s Mine?’ (Polydor); Phil Coulter’s ‘The Town I Loved So Well’; The Divine Comedy’s ‘Sunrise’; Everything But The Girl’s ‘Sean’ (WEA 1985); Fun Boy Three’s ‘The More I See (The Less I Believe)’ (Chrysalis 1982); Nanci Griffiths’‘It’s a Hard Life Wherever You Go’ (MCA 1989); Christy Moore’s ‘The Time has Come’ and ‘Unfinished Revolution’ (WEA 1987); Sinead O’Connor’s ‘This is a Rebel Song’; Martin Okasili’s ‘Troubles Will Pass’ (WEA 1997); Rogue Male’s ‘Belfast’ (Music for Nations, 1986); The Rolling Stones’‘Blinded by Rainbows’; Ruefrex’s ‘Paid in Kind’ (Kasper 1985) and ‘On Kingsmill Road’ (Flicknife); The Saw Doctors’‘Freedom Fighters’; The Screamin’ Bin Lids’‘Running Up Hill’ (1997); The Storm’s ‘Malice in Wonderland’ (Silent Records, 1985); U2’s ‘Wake Up Dead Man’ (Polygram 1997); and Andy White’s ‘Religious Persuasion’ and ‘The Walking Wounded’ (Decca 1986).