"Thousands Are Sailing" has since become one of The Pogues' most popular songs, and according to The Irish Times, it is "recognised as one of the finest songs about Irish emigration". It was written by the band's new guitarist Chevron, and although he had written many songs before as the frontman of his previous band the Radiators, he admitted that for a long time he had felt unsure about putting his song forward for consideration as MacGowan was the recognised songwriter in the band. It was only when Terry Woods offered to help him out with the track and MacGowan showed his approval of the song that Chevron gained the confidence to complete it. Featuring what has been described as a "heartfelt lyric, soaring tune and compelling chorus on the theme of emigration from Ireland to America", "Thousands Are Sailing" inspired the 2012 Derek McCullough graphic novel Gone to Amerikay. Although Chevron also contributed other songs to later Pogues albums, "Thousands Are Sailing" remains his most popular composition, and it was played at his funeral when he died of cancer in October 2013. "Fiesta" was inspired by a riotous party, which lasted for several days, that the band had during their stay in southern Spain while filming Straight to Hell. Finer based the melody of the song on a fairground-style tune played by fast-food stalls which the band kept hearing everywhere in Spain, and which Finer said he found it impossible to get out of his head. The chorus of "Fiesta" also contains elements of "Liechtensteiner Polka", written by Edmund Kotscher and Rudi Lindt, and on later Pogues compilation albums they are given co-writing credits. "Fiesta" includes a verse in Spanish which adapts four lines from Federico Lorca's poem and changes the name of the character to "Jaime Fearnley", the Spanish version of the name of the Pogues' accordion player James Fearnley. The verse also namechecks Elvis Costello (described as el rey de America, a reference to his 1986 album King of America) and Cait O'Riordan. The date at the start of the verse changes Lorca's original date of 25 June to 25 August, which happens to be Costello's birthday. The song "Streets of Sorrow"/"Birmingham Six" is the album's most explicitly political commentary. The first half is a ballad composed and sung by Woods about the life of Irish independence leader Michael Collins. It was originally a much longer standalone