There Were Roses Lyrics

My song for you this evening, it's not to make you sad,
Nor for adding to the sorrows of this troubled northern land.
But lately I've been thinking and it just won't leave my mind
To tell you of two friends one time who were both good friends of mine.

Alan Bell from Benagh, he lived just across the fields,
A great man for the music, and the dancing and the reels
O'Malley came from South Armagh, to court young Alice fair,
And we'd often meet on the Ryan Road, and the laughter filled the air.

Chorus:

There were roses,
Roses,
There were roses,
And the tears of the people run together.

Though Alan, he was Protestant, and Sean was Catholic born,
It never made a difference, for the friendship, it was strong.
And sometimes in the evening when we heard the sound of drums
We said it won't divide us, we will always be the one.

For the ground our fathers ploughed in, the soil, it is the same
And the places where we say our prayers have just got different names.
We talked about the friends who died and we hoped there'll be no more.
It's little then we realized the tragedy in store.

Chorus

It was on a sunday morning, when the awful news came round.
Another killing has been done just outside Newry Town.
We knew that Alan danced up there, we knew he liked the band.
But when we heard that he was dead, we just could not understand.

We gathered at the graveside on that cold and rainy day,
And the minister, he closed his eyes and he prayed for no revenge.
And all the ones who knew him from along the Ryan Road,
They bowed their heads and they said a prayer for the resting of his soul.

Chorus

Well, fear, it filled the countryside, there was fear in every home,
When a car of death came prowling round the lonely Ryan Road.
A Catholic would be killed tonight, to even up the score.
Oh Christ! It's young O'Malley that they've taken from the door.

"Alan was my friend" he cried, he begged them with his fear.
But centuries of hatred have ears that cannot hear.
An eye for an eye, it was all that filled their mind,
And another eye for another eye 'till everyone is blind.

Chorus

So my song for you this evening, it's not to make you sad,
Nor for adding to the sorrows of this troubled northern land.
But lately I've been thinking and it just won't leave my mind
To tell you of two friends one time who were both good friends of mine.

I don't know where the moral is or where this song should end,
But I wonder how many wars are fought between good friends.
And those who give the orders are not the ones to die.
It's Bell - and O'Malley - and the likes of you and I.

Chorus