There Were Roses

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

Isaac Scott from Benny, he lived just across the field.
A great man for the music and the dancing and the reels.
MacDonald came from South Armagh to court young Agnes fair.
It's then we'd meet on Ryan Road, and laughter filled the air.

Now, Isaac, he was Protestant and Sean was Catholic born.
But 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 "War won't divide us, we always will be one.

For the land our fathers plow 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'd died, we hoped there'd be no more.
It was little then we realized the tragedy in store.

And there were roses, roses, there were roses.
And the tears of the people ran together.

It was on a Sunday morning when the awful news came around.
Another killing had been done just outside Caplan town.
We knew that Isaac danced up there, we knew he liked the band.
When we heard that he was dead, and we just could not understand.

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

And there were roses, roses, there were roses.
And the tears of the people ran together.

Now fear it filled the countryside, there was fear in every home.
And late at night, a car came prowling round the Ryan Road.
A Catholic would be killed tonight to even up the score.
Ah Christ, it's young MacDonald that they've taken from the door.

"Isaac 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 minds.
And another eye for another eye, til everyone is blind.

And there were roses, roses, there were roses.
And the tears of the people ran together.

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

And there were roses, roses, there were roses.
And the tears of the people ran together.

And there were roses, roses, there were roses.