All the Little Children

This song is Sands’ attempt to look towards some light from the future, in a dark time after Bloody Sunday and Bloody Friday. It captures the sense of innocence of childhood during the Troubles and the simplicity of the thought that one day “all the little children they can play” - together, as one because “all our blood is red”.

The events of Bloody Sunday persuaded a multitude of young men to join the IRA. Many felt there was now no other way to achieve a “lasting peace”. Later David Ervine would tell Sands that Bloody Friday had persuaded him to join the UVF.

Copyright courtesy of Tommy Sands (Elm Grove Music)

On the album ‘Arising from the Troubles’

Lyrics:

Little children hiding in the shadows
Waiting for the changing of the day
Watching for a break between the showers
When they can go out and start to play

And we’re singing of the times
When the sun will always shine
And armoured cars and tanks will fade away
People will be one and the fighting will be done
And all the little children they can play

I can hear you saying it’s impossible
Just look at the blood upon the road
But I don’t think that it’s impossible
For now we see that all our blood is red

It seems that cure is better than prevention
If not then Doctor John would have no pay
And all the kings and queens would have no pensions
If all the little chidren they did play

I don’t suppose a man will stop his struggling
If he’s lying with his back upon the ground
It’s only when everyone is standing
That peace and justice can be found.