"Crossfire" is about the 1980 Iranian Embassy siege, when the Iranian Embassy on Princes Gate (not 'Princes Gate Avenue' - Anderson apparently added the extra word to make it scan) in London was seized by six gunmen seeking independence for the Iranian province of Khuzestan. The song is apparently from the viewpoint of Police Constable Trevor Lock ("a regular boy dressed in blue"), a Diplomatic Protection Group officer assigned to the embassy, who was overpowered by the gunmen and held with the other hostages, mostly Iranian embassy staff.
On the sixth day of the siege, soldiers from the elite Special Air Service ("the hard men") ended the siege, abseiling down from the roof ("like spiders down ropes to free-fall"), stormed the building ("In go the windows, out go the lights") and killed five of the six hostage takers.
"Crossfire" is about the 1980 Iranian Embassy siege, when the Iranian Embassy on Princes Gate (not 'Princes Gate Avenue' - Anderson apparently added the extra word to make it scan) in London was seized by six gunmen seeking independence for the Iranian province of Khuzestan. The song is apparently from the viewpoint of Police Constable Trevor Lock ("a regular boy dressed in blue"), a Diplomatic Protection Group officer assigned to the embassy, who was overpowered by the gunmen and held with the other hostages, mostly Iranian embassy staff.
On the sixth day of the siege, soldiers from the elite Special Air Service ("the hard men") ended the siege, abseiling down from the roof ("like spiders down ropes to free-fall"), stormed the building ("In go the windows, out go the lights") and killed five of the six hostage takers.