Irish Ways and Irish Laws --- Trad. (Christy Moore)

 

[A] Once upon a time there [G]was,
Irish ways and Irish [A]laws.
[C]Villages of Irish [A]blood,
[C]Waking in the [G]morning.
[A]Waking in the [C]morning. 

[A]Then the Vikings came a-[G]round,
Turned us up and turned us [A]down,
[C]Started building boats and [A]towns.
They [C]tried to change our [G]living.
They [A]tried to change our [C]living. 

[A]Cromwell and his soldiers [G]came.
Started centuries of [A]shame.
[C]But they could not make us [A]turn.
[C]We are a river [G]flowing.
[A]We are a river [C]flowing. 

[A]Again, again the soldiers [G]came.
Burnt our houses, stole our [A]grain.
[C]Shot the farmers in their [A]fields,
[C]Working for a [G]living.
[A]Working for a [C]living. 

[A]Eight hundred years we have been [G]down.
The secret of the water [A]sound,
Has [C]kept the spirit of the [A]man,
A-[C]bove the pain de-[G]scending.
A-[A]bove the pain de-[C]scending. 

To-[A]day the struggle carries [G]on.
I wonder will I live so [A]long,
To [C]see the gates be opened [A]up,
To a [C]people and their [G]freedom.
A [A]people and their [C]freedom. 

[A] Once upon a time there [G]was,
Irish ways and Irish [A]laws.
[C]Villages of Irish [A]blood,
[C]Waking in the [G]morning.
[A]Waking in the [C]morning.

 

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