The Men Behind The Wire
Wolfe Tones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴Armoured cars and tanks and guns
Came to take away our sons
But every man must stand behind
The men behind the wire
Through the little streets of Belfast
In the dark of early morn
British soldiers came marauding
Heedless of the crying children
Cragging fathers from their beds
Beating sons while helpless mothers
Watched the blood poor from their heads
Not 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 all
Round 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 again
On the people step together
Proudly march on their way
Never fear never falter
Till the boys are home to stay
Overall Meaning
The Wolfe Tones’ song “The Men Behind the Wire” is a powerful ballad that tells the story of the British soldiers who wreaked havoc in the streets of Belfast, destroying homes and families while searching for Republican men. The first verse starts with the lines “Armoured cars and tanks and guns, Came to take away our sons, But every man must stand behind, The men behind the wire”. This verse sets the theme of the song, and it symbolizes how the British soldiers came to take away the sons of the Republican men.
The second verse describes the British soldiers’ brutality in the streets of Belfast, where they were beating sons while helpless mothers watched blood pour from their heads. The soldiers did not provide a judge or a trial, and being Irish meant that they were already guilty. The third verse concludes with the statement that the truth of the soldiers' evil will echo around the world, and England’s name will again be sullied in the eyes of the honest men.
Line by Line Meaning
Armoured cars and tanks and guns
The British authorities have deployed massive military hardware against the Irish independence movement.
Came to take away our sons
The British authorities have arrested and detained young Irish men for their pro-independence views.
But every man must stand behind
All Irish men must support and stand in solidarity behind those who have been unjustly detained.
The men behind the wire
The young Irish men who have been wrongfully imprisoned without due process of law.
Through the little streets of Belfast
The British authorities have been conducting aggressive raids on neighborhoods and homes of Irish nationalists in Northern Ireland's capital city.
In the dark of early morn
These raids and arrests are being done under the cover of darkness, likely to avoid media and public scrutiny.
British soldiers came marauding
The British troops, acting as an occupying force, are aggressively storming homes and terrorizing families.
Wrecking little homes with scorn
The British authorities are causing senseless damage to innocent people's homes and belongings.
Heedless of the crying children
The British authorities are indifferent towards the suffering of innocent children who have been traumatized by these aggressive raids.
Dragging fathers from their beds
The British authorities are forcefully and unceremoniously kidnapping men from their homes in the middle of the night.
Beating sons while helpless mothers
The British authorities are using physical violence against young men and boys, and their helpless mothers are forced to watch.
Watched the blood poor from their heads
The use of violence by the British authorities is causing serious harm to innocent people, with blood flowing from heads and other injuries being sustained.
Not for them a judge and jury
The British authorities are denying basic legal rights to Irish nationalists, such as a fair trial and due process.
Nor indeed a trial at all
The British authorities are not bothering to even pretend to provide a fair and impartial justice system.
But being Irish means you're guilty
The British authorities are treating being Irish as a crime in and of itself, with no regard for actual innocence or guilt.
So we're guilty one and all
All Irish people are guilty in the eyes of the occupying British forces, simply for existing as Irish and wanting independence.
Round the world the truth will echo
The truth about British human rights abuses and unjust actions in Ireland will be known around the world.
Cromwell's men are here again
The British military forces are acting with the same cruelty and disregard for life and human rights as the forces of Oliver Cromwell in the 17th century.
England's name again is sullied
The actions of the British authorities are bringing shame and negative attention to the reputation of England and its people.
In the eyes of honest men.
Those who believe in justice and human rights will condemn the actions of the British authorities and see them as dishonorable and reprehensible.
Proud we march behind our banner
Irish nationalists are proud of their cause and are committed to supporting one another in the struggle for independence.
Firm we'll stand behind our men
Irish nationalists will stand firmly behind those wrongfully detained and will work tirelessly for their release.
We will have them free to help us
As soon as the young men are released, they will immediately join the fight for Irish independence.
Build a nation once again
Irish nationalists are committed to building a new, independent nation free from British rule.
On the people step together
All Irish people must come together and work towards independence and freedom from their oppressors.
Proudly march on their way
Irish nationalists will not be intimidated by the oppressive actions of the British authorities and will continue to march forward towards their goal of independence.
Never fear never falter
Irish nationalists will not back down or lose hope, no matter what obstacles or challenges arise along the way.
Till the boys are home to stay
Irish nationalists will not rest until all young men are released from unjust detention and able to stay home with their families in a free and independent Ireland.
Contributed by Kylie N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight itncG1vNJzZmirn6O2pLTIrapnm5%2BifLe1w56maI%2BfobOmq7OopZ6rX4m1pqusnqWYepWdtq%2Bwvo2fnpeHnr%2Bm