"Come Out Ye Black and Tans" was written by Irish singer-songwriter Dominic Behan, son of Irish revolutionary Stephen Behan and the younger brother of playwright Brendan Behan. The song is a powerful response to the actions of the Black and Tans, a British paramilitary force deployed during the Irish War of Independence (1919–1921).
The Black and Tans were mostly recruited from British veterans of World War I and sent to support the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) in suppressing the Irish Republican Army (IRA), which was fighting for independence from British rule. The force received its infamous nickname due to its mismatched uniforms—dark green RIC tunics combined with khaki British Army trousers—owing to a shortage of standard RIC gear.
These forces quickly gained a reputation for indiscriminate violence, often targeting civilians in retaliation for IRA attacks. Their brutal tactics included burning homes, terrorizing communities, and killing civilians, which stoked fear and deepened anti-British sentiment among the Irish people.
The song’s lyrics are a fiery call to challenge the Black and Tans, taunting their legacy of violence while celebrating the resilience and resistance of the Irish people. Through lines that mock their supposed bravery and question why they fought unarmed civilians, the song delivers a cutting commentary on British involvement in Ireland. Behan even invokes his own family history, referencing the Irish Citizen Army and the heroes of the 1916 Easter Rising, connecting personal memory with national struggle.
While controversial to some, O’McPub Band continues to perform this song to encourage listeners to reflect on Ireland’s complex and painful history with British colonialism. Music can be a powerful way to preserve memory, voice outrage, and foster solidarity—even a century after the events that inspired it.