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There Were Roses by Tommy Sands
There Were Roses
Standard tuning (or in my case, slightly flat of standard), with a capo on the second fret.
D
my song for you this evening
G A D
It's not to make you sad
A
nor for adding to the sorrows
G
of this troubled northern land
D
but lately I been thinking
G A D
and it just won't leave my mind
A
to tell you of two friends one time
G
who were both good friends of mine
D
alan bell from benagh
G A D
he lived just across the fields
A
a great man for the music
G
and the dancing and the reels
D
o'malley came from south armagh
G A D
to court young alice fair
A
and we'd often meet on the ryan road
G
and laughter filled the air
G D G D G D
there were roses, roses, there were roses
D A G D
and the tears of the people ran together
D
alan he was protestant
G A D
and sean was catholic born
A
it never made a difference
G
for the friendship it was strong
D
and sometimes in the evening
G A D
when we heard the sound of the drums
A
we said it won't divide us
G
we will always be the ones
D
for the ground our fathers ploughed in
G A D
well the soil is just the same
A
and the places where we say our prayers
G
have just got different names
D
we talked about the friends who died
G A D
and hoped there'd be no more
A
it was little then that we realised
G
the tragedy in store
G D G D G D
there were roses, roses, there were roses
D A G D
and the tears of the people ran together
D
it was on the sunday morning
G A D
when the awful news came round
A
another killing has been done
G
just outside newry town
D
we knew that alan danced up there
G A D
we knew he liked the band
A
when we heard that he was dead
G
we just could not understand
D
we gathered at the graveside
G A D
on that cold and rainy day
A
and the minister he closed his eyes
G
and he prayed for no revenge
D
and all the ones who knew him
G A D
from along the ryan road
bowed their heads
A
and said a prayer
G
for the resting of his soul
G D G D G D
there were roses, roses, there were roses
D A G D
and the tears of the people ran together
D
well fear it filled the countryside
G A D
there was fear in every home
A
when the car of death came prowling
G
round the lonely ryan road
D
a catholic will be killed tonight
G A D
to even up the score
A
o christ it's young o'malley
G
that they've taken from the door
D
"alan was my friend" he cried
G A D
he begged them with his fear
A
but centuries of hatred
G
have ears that cannot hear
D
an eye for an eye
G A D
was all that filled their minds
A
and another eye for another eye
G
till everyone is blind
G D G D G D
there were roses, roses, there were roses
D A G D
and the tears of the people ran together
D
so my song for you this evening
G A D
it's not to make you sad
A
nor for adding to the sorrows
G
of this troubled northern land
D
but lately I been thinking
G A D
and it just won't leave my mind
A
to tell you of two friends one time
G
who were both good friends of mine
D
I don't know where the moral is
G A D
or where this song should end
A
but I wonder just how many wars
G
are fought between good friends
D
and those that give the orders
G A D
are not the ones to die
A
it's bell and o'malley
G
and the likes of you and i
G D G D G D
there were roses, roses, there were roses
D A G D
and the tears of the people ran together
G D G D G D
there were roses, roses, there were roses
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