Through the Barricades

Far and away Spandau Ballet's best track, Through The Barricades follows a route used by some of the greatest ballads - using a saxophone and acoustic guitar. Although much of the group's songs were commercial pop throwaways, this song stood out. It tells the story of two young people in love who happen to be on separate sides of the religious and political divide in Northern Ireland. It's a haunting and very well produced song which showed that standard pop groups can, every now and then, surpass themselves and produce a minor classic. Listen to the lyrics.

Mother doesn't know where love has gone She says it must be youth that keeps us feeling strong See it in her face that's turned to ice And when she smiles She shows the lines of sacrifice And now I know what they're saying As our sun begins to fade And we made our love on wasteland and through the barricades Father made my history He fought for what he thought would set us somehow free He taught me what to say in school I learned it off by heart But now that's torn in two And now I know what they're saying In the music of the parade And we made our love on wasteland and through the barricades Born on different sides of life But we feel the same and feel all of this strife So come to me when I'm asleep And we'll cross the line and dance upon the streets And now I know what they're saying As the drums begin to fade And we made our love on wasteland and through the barricades Oh, turn around and I'll be there Well there's a scar right through my heart But I'll bare it again Oh, I thought we were the human race But we were just another borderline case And the stars reach down And tell us that there's always one escape Oh, I don't know where love has gone And in this troubled land desperation keeps us strong Friday's child is full of soul With nothing left to lose There's everything to go And now I know what they're saying It's a terrible beauty we've made So we make our love on wasteland and through the barricades And now I know what they're saying As our hearts go to their graves And we made our love on wasteland and through the barricades