Ty Reacts To SIMPLE MINDS - Belfast Child

Today we dive into legendary Scottish rock band SIMPLE MINDS. "Belfast Child" was the lead single from the album Street Fighting Years and the Ballad of the Streets EP. The song reached number 1 in the UK and was a Top Ten Hit around the world!
What Do Ya'll Think ?!

[@tiernan7541]

The real beauty of this song is the history to which it refers. Jim and Simple Minds were about a decade ahead of the peace process in Northern Ireland. A minor silver lining is that beauty like this could come out of decades of darkness in Ireland

[@kilgh]

Shows how similar Scottish and Irish Celtic musical sensibilities are. And how well Celtic music works with modern music.

[@cudwieser3952]

The struggles of the Scots should never be ignored, for while Ireland bears the scar, Scotland also felt the pain.

[@JesperHellvik]

From one of my two favourite SM albums - Street Figthing Years and Real Life

[@TDOTMUSICNERD]

This track.. it brings tears every time I hear it.. my mum was from Tralee.. her best friends were from Belfast.. we heard we lived in real time the conflict..

[@stopbunsen]

The melody and chords are based on an old Irish folk song called "She moved through the fair". They just added different lyrics pretty much, and that's about the troubles in Northern Ireland. It's an amazing song

[@ThoraThoraThoraThora2012]

I find no similarities with that old folk song...

[@glenndouglas8822]

@@ThoraThoraThoraThora2012 Thora, you are completely wrong, it is based on..she moved through the fair..and yes Belfast Child is about the troubles.

[@mariflame1821]

Didnt know or remember this Simple Minds song...beautiful!

[@silverstitch28]

Luv this song.makes me cry everytime. My fave simple minds song is new gold dream and dont you forget about me.

[@glenn9683]

I was in Belfast yesterday was talking to my cousin about how much it has changed in the past 25 years, a beautiful city with a remarkable history Titanic built there etc etc

[@alandoust551]

I haven't heard this in a long time and forgot just how good it sounds so thank you for playing this, Very good reaction too.

[@winnywin]

I've always loved this song. Their version of 'Beko' is also wonderful.

[@Synthcronized]

What a great song! Thanks for this one ♥️ I love Simple Minds, my favorite album is “New Gold Dream”, great memories.

[@bryan7938]

I went to Belfast from England to visit the PSN&I, seeing the H&W cranes, marked kerbs and murals ……what a place

[@debbieburris9453]

Yes, AMAZING SONG ❤️ Beautiful vocals, beautiful instrumentally, & what a visually beautiful video ❤️🎶

[@smackeye]

Glad you guys liked this, nice reaction, it takes me back to January 1989 and my late teens. To date it's still Simple Minds only UK number #1 single. Despite being a no. #1 single, it was slightly divisive amongst fans, critics and the wider public at the time, and SM had a fair bit of flak over it... being from Glasgow and writing a song about Belfast... but as comedy legend Billy Connolly once said... "You don't have to go to the North Pole to know its cold there!", and the two cities are fairly similar and just a short hop over the water from each other. It's a bit of a Bohemian Rhapsody' style epic - in terms of song length, and all the different segments, but thankfully it got great exposure on the radiowaves etc., and if I recall correctly went straight in at number 1 on week of release in the UK at least. Lovely song, especially when it really kicks in during the second half.

[@Surge_Arrester]

This song brings memories. This song was released the year I arrived to Sydney Australia. The song was on the FM radio stations that year.

[@djmull63]

Saw them in Glasgow a few weeks ago they still sound good.

[@yolandeclaes3399]

Brilliant evening, really enjoyed it

[@orbytl2799]

love simple minds, my parents liked them , takes me back to my childhood in the 80s whenever i hear them

[@colinanderson7384]

Yes, their work is very good and they've had longevity. Even their album they did as recently as 2014 called 'Big Music' was very good.

[@tinadrew6104]

Love this band so much. Thanks for reacting!!

[@reactionextraction]

Hello Tina ... Simple Minds are just one of the best ever, agreed. So many great albums throughout the years. Jim Kerr has one of my favourite voices ever and love his Vibe on stage 😎😎

[@James-hd6ez]

​​@@reactionextractionIf you want to hear the very best of Simple minds give their first 5 Albums a listen allrecorded between 1979-82 before they went mainstream and made music mostly for the American Market, trust me you won't be disappointed 😉

[@pwph8361]

First CD I ever bought, way back in '89 - to this day the 'thickest' most unbreakable and unscratched CD I owned - yeah, back in the days when things were made to last :) sounds as beautiful today as it did 33 years ago! Yes young man, those bass hits are sooo good! nice choice guys!

[@reactionextraction]

Niiice 😎😎

[@frankschlanker]

Early Simple Minds album Sister Feelings Call & Sons and Fascination is an absolute must for any music listener!!

[@mattpotter8725]

This is an amazing song. I didn't really like it when it came out, but it has grown on me and is an amazing song, plus it resonates with me having family over there in Northern Ireland.

[@leslapins7617]

That gives me chill and makes me want to travel to Ireland in the next flight! 💚

[@giovannagozzi1077]

I'm going to see them on 18th July in the ancient roman Arena in Verona with my 22 yo daughter. Can't wait to be in that magical place with them.

[@reactionextraction]

Very Cool 😎😎

[@frankschlanker]

To think this was 1989 and the body of work they had produced from 1979 until then is amazing. Must admit I was at the concert for this tour with 25,000 others

[@jleaser7269]

Love this band!

[@thecentralscrutinizer5730]

Classic jam! Ty and pops great video

[@reactionextraction]

Thank You Louie 😎😎

[@richardwaterson7557]

The shipyards in the video are where RMS Titanic was built

[@jemxs]

Beautiful song, I do get strong Bono vibes with this one🤣. You don't get such raw music like this anymore! Was lucky enough to see them live in 2007 I think, when they supported INXS.

[@reactionextraction]

Ooh great concert to see! 😎😎 Very cool !!

[@garyb5998]

The Hill in the background 😎.. I live at the foot of it. 😂 😂 The video even features my local bus Nu10... I was 18 was in Australia 🇦🇺just arrived from Belfast Ireland 🇮🇪 and planning to stay and make a knew life.... I couldn't and this song helped me decide my future that I do not regret. I will share a different version of the song...this is what I was living in but still wanted to be home. I will also share a few links of Belfast 😎 today and why my heart ♥ stays true to it

[@reactionextraction]

Great story and comments Gary B 😎 appreciate you sharing your memories and thoughts 😎 Cheers from Dallas

[@kirstinetermansen3227]

I made a promise Of love, and fear of war

[@melissaheneghan5939]

If you want to hear more beautiful instrumentation listen to the entire album this is from called Street fighting years it’s an epic masterpiece in my opinion. FYI this is the radio edit version your watching the album version has a longer guitar instrumental in the middle.

[@mongooz24]

So you can explore Synth/Retrowave (new New Wave) and scratch your Scottish itch by checking out Michael Oakley - “Left Behind,” clearly Erasure inspired, that one. “Rabbit in the Headlights” is another one, different sound but still retro. Several others by him, many good ones. Cheers

[@mongooz24]

I lived in Glasgow 2019-2020 and discovered Michael there…miss it! Was hoping to see Simple Minds live while there but COVID cancelled the concert…😕

[@reactionextraction]

Thx Michael, Cheers 😎😎

[@GayJayU26]

At one time rivals with U2

[@kirstinetermansen3227]

I was in Edinburgh with my classes and dad, I have went out with Jim And he told, be Over there is Belfast,. The children cry, When i became a star, i Ask Clinton peacemaker plan I been on it 30 year's all I wore,. Do, that's why Denmark I'm was , hold up by Irish I. A child crimes,. It had to stop

[@tconnolly9820]

This was about the conflict in Northern Ireland and as much as I like it, it also annoyed me a lot because of the line, "and the war is raging through the emerald Isle". I live in Ireland just below the border with Northern Ireland and while over 3,000 people died over thirty years in the conflict mostly in Northern Ireland, there wasn't an actual war raging all over the island. Simple Minds also borrowed from a traditional Irish song called She Moved Through The Fair ". Here's a link to a version performed by Sinead O'Connor..... m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4iskoNmg9N4hbM

[@reactionextraction]

Great insight, thank you T Connolly and thx for the link ✌🏼

[@matthewrandom4523]

Never make the troubles come back again, people from Northern Ireland! NEVER! Religion isn't wotrth it. Politics isn't worth it. Nothing is worth the pain!!!!!!

[@David-ib3oi]

Do you actually know what the song is about because you dont talk to that at all. What they are singing about is the thing that makes this so great. Much like their song 'Sun City'. I just think that all these people that are posting on KZbin their reactions to music then they should research a little bit on the lead up.

[@kirstinetermansen3227]

I Love jarls Stoltenberg sweeter

[@kirstinetermansen3227]

If you sing writer's. It's not 🚫 It you Or. I It's a emotional World Sea A. Er large story The old lady And her dogs Her young man The son, of A heartbrok Castle Hotel The World Og the Words Untold The Wolfs Rounds The the tail The boy And the old Lady Went throw The town with There dogs To find the lost man In the river church He, might be And the sun rise up He gets return To the, warm of A family in cry out As the young man No ever return Was not, in God's promised Can you ,. To write Is s Craft , not thst hard