There Were Roses

[D]my song for you this evening
It's [G]not to m[A]ake you [D]sad
nor for adding to the s[A]orrows
of this t[G]roubled northern land
[D]but lately I been thinking
and it j[G]ust won't le[A]ave my m[D]ind
to tell you of two [A]friends one time
who were b[G]oth good friends of mine
[D]alan bell from benagh
he lived j[G]ust acros[A]s the fi[D]elds
a great man for the [A]music
and the d[G]ancing and the reels
[D]o'malley came from south armagh
to c[G]ourt young a[A]lice f[D]air
and we'd often meet on the r[A]yan road
and l[G]aughter filled the air

there were [G]ros[D]es, [G]ro[D]ses, there were [G]ro[D]ses
and the [D]tears of the [A]people ran [G]together     [D]

[D]alan he was protestant
and s[G]ean was c[A]atholic [D]born
it never made a [A]difference
for the [G]friendship it was strong
[D]and sometimes in the evening
when we he[G]ard the s[A]ound of the d[D]rums
we said it won't [A]divide us
we will a[G]lways be the ones
[D]for the ground our fathers ploughed in
well the [G]soil is j[A]ust the [D]same
and the places where we [A]say our prayers
have j[G]ust got different names
[D]we talked about the friends who died
and h[G]oped there'd [A]be no [D]more
it was little then that we [A]realised
the t[G]ragedy in store

there were [G]ros[D]es, [G]ro[D]ses, there were [G]ro[D]ses
and the [D]tears of the [A]people ran [G]together     [D]

[D]it was on the sunday morning
when the [G]awful n[A]ews came [D]round
another killing [A]has been done
just [G]outside newry town
[D]we knew that alan danced up there
we k[G]new he l[A]iked the b[D]and
when we heard that [A]he was dead
we just c[G]ould not understand
[D]we gathered at the graveside
on that c[G]old and [A]rainy [D]day
and the minister he c[A]losed his eyes
and he p[G]rayed for no revenge
[D]and all the ones who knew him
from a[G]long the [A]ryan [D]road

bowed their heads
and [A]said a prayer
for the [G]resting of his soul

there were [G]ros[D]es, [G]ro[D]ses, there were [G]ro[D]ses
and the [D]tears of the [A]people ran [G]together     [D]

[D]well fear it filled the countryside
there was [G]fear in [A]every [D]home
when the car of death came [A]prowling
round the l[G]onely ryan road
[D]a catholic will be killed tonight
to [G]even [A]up the [D]score
o christ it's young [A]o'malley
that they've [G]taken from the door
[D]"alan was my friend" he cried
he [G]begged them [A]with his [D]fear
but centuries of [A]hatred
have [G]ears that cannot hear
[D]an eye for an eye
was a[G]ll that f[A]illed their [D]minds
and another eye for a[A]nother eye
till e[G]veryone is blind

there were [G]ros[D]es, [G]ro[D]ses, there were [G]ro[D]ses
and the [D]tears of the [A]people ran [G]together     [D]

[D]so my song for you this evening
it's [G]not to [A]make you [D]sad
nor for adding to the [A]sorrows
of this [G]troubled northern land
[D]but lately I been thinking
and it [G]just won't [A]leave my [D]mind
to tell you of two [A]friends one time
who were [G]both good friends of mine

[D]I don't know where the moral is
or [G]where this [A]song should [D]end
but I wonder just how [A]many wars
are [G]fought between good friends
[D]and those that give the orders
are [G]not the [A]ones to [D]die
it's bell and [A]o'malley
and the l[G]ikes of you and i

there were [G]ros[D]es, [G]ro[D]ses, there were [G]ro[D]ses
and the [D]tears of the [A]people ran [G]together     [D]

there were [G]ros[D]es, [G]ro[D]ses, there were [G]ro[D]ses