My song for you this evening It's not to make you sad Nor for adding to the sorrows Of our troubled northern land But lately I've been thinking And it just won't leave my mind I'll tell you of two friends one time Who were both good friends of mine
Now Isaac he was Protestant And Sean was Catholic born But it never made a difference For their friendship that was strong And sometimes in the evening When we heard the sound of drums We said it won't devide us We will always be as one
There were roses, roses There were roses And the tears of the people run together
It was on a Sunday morning When the awful news came round Another killing had been done Just outside Newry town We knew that Isaac danced up there We knew he liked the band But when we heard that he was dead We just could not understand
Now fear it filled the countryside There was fear in every home When late at night a car came Prowling round the Ryan Road A Catholic would be killed tonight To even up the score Oh Christ, it's young MacDonald They have taken from the door
There were roses, roses There were roses And the tears of the people run together
Isaac was my friend he cried He begged them with his tears But centuries of hatred Have ears that do not hear An eye for an eye That was all that filled their minds And another eye for another eye Till everyone is blind
Now, I don't know where the moral is Or where this song should end But I wonder just how many wars Are fought between good friends And those who gave the orders Are not the ones to die It's Scott and young MacDonald And the likes of you and I
There were roses, roses There were roses And the tears of the people run together