“Back Home in Derry” was written by Robert Gerard “Bobby” Sands. It reflects the struggle and resistance of the Irish people as well as their unbreakable spirit. The song dates back to the 1970s and the height of the Troubles in Ireland.
Sands was a writer, but was more famous for being an Irish Republican
and member of the IRA who was imprisoned for his involvement with the IRA. While
in prison, Sands wrote many articles, letters, and songs, including “Back Home
in Derry,” using the pseudonym “Marcella.”
Sands wrote “Back Home In Derry” out of nostalgia and
longing for his hometown. The song mentions his beloved city. The song also mentions
the Bloody Sunday massacre that took place in Derry in 1972.
The song is said to commemorate those prisoners who were
transported to Van Diemen’s Land (modern-day Tasmania). Between 1791 and 1853,
Irish prisoners were sent to penal colonies, including Van Diemen’s Land and
Australia. In modern times, these sentences have become prison sentences in
Ireland instead of abroad.
Sands died in Long Kesh (Maze Prison) in Northern Ireland after
66 days of a hunger strike. He led the hunger strike to protest the British
government’s policy that refused political prisoner status to IRA inmates. Sands was 27
when he died.
Sands’ death on May 5, 1981, has since become a symbol of
the Irish resistance to British rule. It highlights the Irish spirit of
rebellion against oppression, especially that of the British. The song offers a
prisoner’s perspective and experience of being imprisoned for standing up for
what they believe in.
This song is typically performed to the tune of Gordon
Lightfoot’s "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." It was originally
recorded by Christy Moore, who played the song in G minor. Moore himself is known for being a left-wing Republican. Because of Moore’s performance of the song at
Glastonbury Festival, the song gained popularity as an anthem for Irish
resistance.
The song has since been covered by a variety of musicians.
This includes Neil Byrne and Ryan Kelly, Scythian, Galway City Ramblers,
Barleycorn, and the Young Wolfe Tones, among many others.
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