There Were Roses Lyrics - Cara Dillon

My song for you this evening 

Is not to make you sad 

Nor for adding to the sorrows 

Of this troubled northern land 

But lately, I've been thinking 

And it just won't leave my mind 

I'll tell you about two friends one time 

Who were both good friends of mine 

Isaac, he was Protestant 

And Sean was Catholic born 

But it never made a difference 

For the friendship, it was strong 

And sometimes in the evening 

When they heard the sound of drums 

They said, they won't divide us 

We will always be as one 

There were roses, roses 

There were roses 

And the tears of a people ran 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 a people ran 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 was blind 

Now I don't know where the moral is 

Or where the song should end 

But I wonder just how many wars 

Are fought between good friends 

And those who give 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 a people ran together