Belfast from the Irish: Béal Feirste, meaning ‘mouth of the sand-bank ford’ is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 10th-largest primary urban area in the UK and the second-largest city in Ireland. It has been the subject for songs by a variety of musicians over the years.
“I’ll Tell Me Ma” is a traditional children’s song. It was collected in various parts of the UK in the 19th century and again appears in collections from shortly after the turn of the 20th century. In Ireland, especially within Ulster, the chorus usually refers to Belfast city and is known colloquially as “The Belle of Belfast City“. The song accompanies a children’s game. A ring is formed by the children joining hands, one player standing in the centre. When asked, “Please tell me who they be,” the girl in the middle gives the name or initials of a boy in the ring (or vice versa). The ring then sings the rest of the words, and the boy who was named goes into the centre.
Belfast” is the second single of the Euro disco band Boney M’s 1977 album Love For Sale. “Belfast” was the first Boney M. single to feature lead vocals by Marcia Barrett and became their 4th consecutive German chart-topper. In the UK it peaked at No. 8. It remained a popular track in the group’s live shows over the years and was re-recorded by Marcia Barrett as a solo track on her album Come Into My Life (2005).
“Belfast Child” is a song by Simple Minds, first released as the lead track on the Ballad of the Streets EP in February 1989. The EP also included “Mandela Day” (originally its B-side). The record reached number one in the UK as well as in Ireland and the Netherlands, and it became a top-ten hit in Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Switzerland and West Germany. The song uses the music from the Irish folk song “She Noved Through The Fair”, but has completely different words.
“Belfast Polka” (also known as Pennsylvania Railroad) was written by Phil Coulter and appeared on his 1998 album ‘Winter’s Crossing’. His recording features Sir James Galway on flute. This recording is by the Celtic Thunder and performed live at the Poughkeepsie in 2010.
“Belfast” is a song by Energy Orchard who were an early 1990s Bap Kennedy fronted group who floated this debut single out when all things Irish were riding high in the UK. Think Riverdance. B*witched, Caffery’s ale, fighting, etc. Received very little commercial success but made it on to a number of Celtic compilation albums. The line “you’re like heaven, you’re like hell” still resonants.
