🎶 My Crucial Track for 22 October 2026 - Streets of Sorrow / Birmingham Six by Lyra

What’s your favorite protest song?

This is hot off the digital press. It’s an old Pogue’s song that’s been re-recorded for the upcoming Shane Macgowan tribute LP.

It’s actually two songs stitched together. The first is a gentle, mournful plea for peace in the north of Ireland, and beyond. The second is a raucous protest against the imprisonment of the Guildford Four and the Birmingham Six. They had been convicted on terrorism offences but all were later exonerated. The song says they were locked up ‘for being Irish at the wrong place and at the wrong time’.

Terry Woods (I think) used to introduce this saying that the two songs were brother and sister…but at that time some people used to boo during the Streets of Sorrow. They were very grim times, all round.

Anyway, I love this version.

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