The Helicopter Song Lyrics
The Wolfe TonesMusic Video
The Helicopter Song
It's up like a bird and its over the city
"Three men are missing" I heard the warder cry
"Sure it must have been a bird that flew into the prison
Or one of these new Ministers" says the warder in the Joy
Early one morning as the branchmen they were sleeping
A little helicopter flew across the sky
Down into the yard where some prisoners were walking
"Get ready for inspection" says the warder in the Joy
And its up like a bird and its over the city
"Three men are missing" I heard the warder cry
"Sure it must have been a bird that flew into the prison
Or one of these new Ministers" says the warder in the Joy
Down in the yard through the pushing and the shoving
Three of the prisoners they climbed upon the bird
And up and away they went into the grey skies
"I think that someone escaped" says the warder in the Joy
And its up like a bird and its over the city
"Three men are missing" I heard the warder cry
"Sure it must have been a bird that flew into the prison
Or one of these new Ministers" says the warder in the Joy
"Search every hole search every nook and cranny
Let no man rest until these men are found,
For this cannot happen to a law and order government."
"I think you'll never find them" says the warder in the Joy
And its up like a bird and its over the city
"Three men are missing" I heard the warder cry
"Sure it must have been a bird that flew into the prison
Or one of these new Ministers" says the warder in the Joy
Over in the Dail they were drinking gin and brandy
The Minister for Justice was soaking up the sun
When came this little message that some prisoners have escaping
"I think its three of the Provos" says the warder in the Joy
And its up like a bird and its over the city
"Three men are missing" I heard the warder cry
"Sure it must have been a bird that flew into the prison
Or one of these new Ministers" says the warder in the Joy
And its up like a bird and its over the city
"Three men are missing" I heard the warder cry
"Sure it must have been a bird that flew into the prison
Or one of these new Ministers" says the warder in the Joy
Song Details
🎶 Songwriter: Seán McGinley from Castlefinn, County Donegal.
📝 Song Brief:The song was released just weeks after the actual event, making it a "living" piece of history.
- The Mountjoy Escape: On October 31, 1973 (Halloween), a hijacked helicopter landed in the exercise yard of Mountjoy Prison in Dublin. It took off again with three high-profile prisoners—Seamus Twomey, J.B. O'Hagan, and Kevin Mallon.
- A "Number One" Hit: Despite being banned from the airwaves by the Irish government at the time, the song became a massive commercial success, proving the power of the "oral tradition" in modern Ireland.
- The Humor: Unlike many sombre rebel songs, this one is filled with "craic." It pokes fun at the prison guards' confusion as they looked up and saw a "bird" in the sky that wasn't a bird at all.
- The Joy — Mountjoy Prison - One of Ireland’s oldest and most famous prisons, located in Dublin.
- the Dáil — refers to Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament.
- Provos — A common nickname for members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, an organisation active during the Troubles. In songs, the term is often used informally to describe republican prisoners or activists of that period.
🍀 Genre: Contemporary Irish Folk (Rebel Song)
👥 Covers: The Irish Brigade, Eire Og.
🎤 Featured Artists: The Wolfe Tones
💿 Album: 25th Anniversary
Released: 1989
Country: Ireland
Format: 2 x CD Compilation
Label: Harmac (HMCD 50)
You may also like: Prison and Exile Songs
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