A lovely song from Simple Minds from their 1989 Album Street Fighting Years.
This song is based on a popular folk tune called “She Moved Through The Fair.”
The song lasts 6mins 39 seconds. And at the time of its release, was the second-longest UK Number 1, beaten into first place by t The Beatles song “Hey Jude .”
The single’s B-side was “Mandela Day,” written for Nelson Mandela’s 70th birthday celebratory concert on June 11, 1988.It was the group “Simple Minds” first and only UK Number 1.
Here are the 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
So 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
And if you feel like singing along to Simple Minds Belfast Child here is the video, courtesy of YouTube: