The Undertones – It’s Going To Happen!

Released in 1981, “It’s Going To Happen!” was one of The Undertones’ most politically charged recordings and appeared on their third studio album, Positive Touch. Written by guitarist Damian O’Neill and bassist Michael Bradley, the song represented a significant change in subject matter for a band previously best known for energetic songs about teenage life, romance and everyday experiences.

The song was partly inspired by the 1981 hunger strikes in Northern Ireland, reflecting the tense political and social atmosphere surrounding the band’s home city of Derry. Rather than delivering an overt political statement, the lyrics use a series of unsettling observations and fragmented images to convey frustration, division and a sense that conflict and injustice are constantly repeating themselves.

Musically, the recording retains the driving energy of The Undertones but introduces a more sophisticated arrangement. Feargal Sharkey’s distinctive vocal sits over guitar, bass and drums, while trumpet and saxophone provide an unusual brass element that gives the track a different character from much of the band’s earlier work. The song was produced by Roger Bechirian and recorded at Wisseloord Studios in the Netherlands.

“It’s Going To Happen!” remains an important recording in The Undertones’ catalogue because it demonstrates how the band responded to the difficult circumstances surrounding them without abandoning their melodic instincts. Its combination of infectious rhythm, nervous energy and serious subject matter makes it one of their most compelling songs of the early 1980s.

The song peaked at No. 18 in the UK charts on 30th May 1981.