James Connelly

Marchin' down O'Connell Street
With the Starry Plough on high
Here comes the Citizen's Army
With their fists raised in the sky
Leading them was a mighty man
With a mad rage in his eye

"My name is James Connolly
I didn't come here to die"

"But to fight for the rights of the working man
The small farmer too
To protect the proletariat
From the bosses and their screws
So hold on to your rifles, boys
Don't give up the dream
Of a Republic for the workin' class
Economic liberty"

Then Jem cries out:
"Oh Citizens, this system is a curse
An English boss is a monster
An Irish one is worse
They'll never lock us out again
And here's the reason why

"My name is James Connolly
I didn't come here to die"

"But to fight for the rights of the working man
The small farmer too
To protect the proletariat
From the bosses and their screws
So hold on to your rifles, boys
Don't give up the dream
Of a Republic for the workin' class
Economic liberty"

Now over in the GPO
With the bullets whizzin' by
Is Pearse and Sean McDermott
They're telling each other goodbye
Up steps our citizen leader
As he roars out to the sky

"My name is James Connolly
I didn't come here to die"

"But to fight for the rights of the working man
The small farmer too
To protect the proletariat
From the bosses and their screws
So hold on to your rifles, boys
Don't give up the dream
Of a Republic for the workin' class
Economic liberty"

We fought them to a standstill
While the flames lit up the sky
'Til a bullet pierced our leader
And we gave up on the fight
They shot him in Kilmainham jail
But they'll never stop his cry

"My name is James Connolly
I didn't come here to die"

"But to fight for the rights of the working man
The small farmer too
To protect the proletariat
From the bosses and their screws
So hold on to your rifles, boys
Don't give up the dream
Of a Republic for the workin' class
Economic liberty"

"So hold on to your rifles, boys
Don't give up the dream
Of a Republic for the workin' class
Economic liberty"