I was born in a Dublin street Where the royal drums do beat And the loving English feet, they tramped all over us And each and every night When me father'd come home tight He'd invite the neighbours outside with this chorus:
Oh, come out, ye Black and Tans Come out and fight me like a man Show your wife how you won medals down in Flanders Tell them how the I.R.A. Made you run like hell way From the green and lovely lanes in Killeshandra
Come, let me hear you tell How you slandered great Parnell, When you thought him well and truly persecuted Where are the sneers and jeers That you bravely let us hear When our heroes of sixteen were executed?
Oh, come out, ye Black and Tans Come out and fight me like a man Show your wife how you won medals down in Flanders Tell them how the I.R.A. Made you run like hell way From the green and lovely lanes in Killeshandra
Come, tell us how you slew Them poor Arabs two by two Like the Zulus they had spears and bows and arrows How you bravely faced each one with your sixteen pounder gun And you frightened them poor natives to their marrow
Oh, come out, ye Black and Tans Come out and fight me like a man Show your wife how you won medals down in Flanders Tell them how the I.R.A. Made you run like hell way From the green and lovely lanes in Killeshandra
The day is coming fast And the time is here at last, When each shoneen will be cast aside before us And if there be a need Sure my kids will sing "Godspeed!" With a verse or two of Stephen Behan's chorus
Oh, come out, ye Black and Tans Come out and fight me like a man Show your wife how you won medals down in Flanders Tell her how the I.R.A. Made you run like hell way From the green and lovely lanes in Killeshandra