An empire on which the sun never sets
) of why “The Irish Times” is mentioned in a 2015 song by the London band Real Lies, amid lyrics that are otherwise about that city’s edgy nightlife, my colleague Brian Boyd has offered possible enlightenment.Aha. That would make more sense – and I should have guessed. Because whatever about being name-checked in songs, something in which it lags well behind the New York Times and other titles, this newspaper must be unique in the world for the number of pubs it has named after it.
The Sun has inspired more than a few songs too. My favourite is from the Mancunian punk poet John Cooper Clarke, who in“Read the paper – humdrum/Henley Regatta – page one/Eat, die – ho hum/Page three – big bum/Giving a lunatic a loaded gun/He walks – others run/Thirty dead – no fun . . . Sit right down, write a letter to the Sun/Say ‘Bring back hanging, for everyone.”It doesn’t mention any specific media title but T.S.M.N.W.A.
As with lampooning the Daily Mail in general, complaining about newspapers misspelling names is a long tradition too. These include the composer’s alleged habit, when judging at the Feis Bhéal Feirste, to cut performers off after a few notes if he didn’t like them. Harsh as it sounds, this proved quite a draw in Belfast, where his adjudications became a big crowd puller.
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