| [00:04.505] |
A song for you this evening |
| [00:09.294] |
and it's not to make you sad |
| [00:12.255] |
Or for adding to the sorrow of a troubled Northern land |
| [00:18.265] |
But lately I've been thinking |
| [00:21.243] |
and it just won't leave my mind |
| [00:24.836] |
I'll tell you now of two good friends |
| [00:27.983] |
They were both good friends of mine |
| [00:33.522] |
Isaac Scott from Derry |
| [00:35.889] |
he lived just across the fields |
| [00:39.049] |
A great man for the music and the dancing and the reels |
| [00:45.436] |
MacDonald came from South Armagh to court young Agnes fair |
| [00:51.316] |
It was then we'd meet on Ryan Road |
| [00:54.231] |
and laughter filled the air |
| [01:05.450] |
Now, Isaac, he was Protestant and Sean was Catholic born |
| [01:11.843] |
But it never made a difference |
| [01:14.576] |
for their friendship it was strong |
| [01:18.185] |
And sometimes in the evening when we heard the sound of drums |
| [01:24.310] |
We said "War won't divide us |
| [01:27.026] |
we will always be as one |
| [01:30.979] |
For the land our fathers plow in |
| [01:34.931] |
the soil it is the same |
| [01:37.691] |
And the places where we say our prayers have just got different names |
| [01:44.450] |
We talked about our friends who'd died |
| [01:47.624] |
we hoped there'd be no more |
| [01:50.716] |
It was little then we realized the tragedy in store |
| [01:58.100] |
There were roses, roses, there were roses |
| [02:08.221] |
And the tears of the people ran together |
| [02:20.000] |
It was on a Sunday morning when the awful news came around |
| [02:26.947] |
There'd been another killing outside of Caplan town |
| [02:33.458] |
We knew that Isaac danced up there, we knew he liked the band |
| [02:39.299] |
We heard that he was dead, and we just could not understand |
| [02:45.417] |
We gathered at his graveside on a cold and rainy day |
| [02:53.051] |
The minister just closed his eyes, and for no revenge he prayed |
| [02:59.865] |
And those of us who knew him from along the Ryan Road |
| [03:05.689] |
Just bowed our heads and said a prayer for the resting of his soul |
| [03:11.996] |
There were roses, roses, there were roses |
| [03:23.210] |
And the tears of the people ran together |
| [03:45.492] |
Now fear it filled the countryside, and fear filled every home |
| [03:51.922] |
And late one night |
| [03:54.195] |
a car came prowling round the Ryan Road |
| [03:58.452] |
A Catholic would be killed tonight to even up the score |
| [04:04.447] |
Oh Christ, it's young MacDonald that they've taken from the door |
| [04:11.057] |
"Isaac was my friend!" he cried |
| [04:15.764] |
he begged them with his fear |
| [04:18.560] |
But centuries of hatred have ears that cannot hear |
| [04:25.040] |
"An eye for an eye" was all that filled their minds |
| [04:30.679] |
And another eye for another eye |
| [04:33.945] |
til everyone is blind |
| [04:37.162] |
There were roses, roses, there were roses |
| [04:48.422] |
And the tears of the people ran together |
| [04:58.822] |
Now I don't know where the moral is |
| [05:03.928] |
or how this song should end |
| [05:07.291] |
But I wonder just how many wars are fought between good friends |
| [05:13.384] |
And the men who give the orders, well |
| [05:16.804] |
they're not the ones who die |
| [05:19.332] |
It's Scott and MacDonald and the likes of you and I |
| [05:26.078] |
There were roses, roses, there were roses |
| [05:38.213] |
And the tears of the people ran together |
