ved ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁" W oman ▁Is ▁the ▁N igger ▁of ▁the ▁World ." ▁ ▁A ▁live ▁ac oust ic ▁performance ▁was ▁released ▁on ▁several ▁John ▁L enn on ▁compilation ▁albums . ▁ ▁Music ▁and ▁lyr ics ▁" The ▁L uck ▁of ▁the ▁Irish " ▁uses ▁a ▁folk - like ▁mel ody . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁L enn on ▁and ▁O no ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁simplicity ▁of ▁a ▁folk ▁mel ody ▁would ▁encou rage ▁audience ▁participation ▁and ▁help ▁eng age ▁the ▁audience ▁in ▁their ▁protest . ▁ ▁Music ▁critic ▁Johnny ▁Rog an ▁describes ▁it ▁as ▁having ▁a ▁" walt zt ime ▁arrangement ." ▁ ▁A ▁fl ute ▁played ▁by ▁Stan ▁Bron stein ▁provides ▁a ▁counter mel ody ▁to ▁the ▁vocal ▁part . ▁ ▁Rog an ▁regards ▁the ▁fl ute ▁part ▁as ▁evidence ▁that ▁the ▁song ▁began ▁as ▁a ▁folk ▁song ▁and ▁was ▁subsequently ▁converted ▁to ▁a ▁pop ▁song . ▁ ▁Ben ▁Ur ish ▁and ▁Ken ▁B iel en ▁describe ▁the ▁music ▁as ▁having ▁a ▁" ple asant ▁l il ting ▁rh ythm ." ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁vers es , ▁L enn on ▁s ings ▁of ▁the ▁difficult ▁history ▁between ▁England ▁and ▁Ireland ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁contemporary ▁political ▁problems ▁in ▁Northern ▁Ireland ▁resulting ▁from ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁British ▁colonial ism . ▁ ▁The ▁title ▁of ▁the ▁song ▁is ▁ir onic , ▁as ▁L enn on ▁s ings ▁that ▁the ▁luck ▁of ▁the ▁Irish ▁has ▁been ▁bad , ▁and ▁" if ▁you ▁had ▁the ▁luck ▁of ▁the ▁Irish " ▁that ▁" you