D5 my song for you this evening G5 A5 D5 It's not to make you sad A5 nor for adding to the sorrows G5 of this troubled northern land D5 but lately I been thinking G5 A5 D5 and it just won't leave my mind A5 to tell you of two friends one time G5 who were both good friends of mine D5 alan bell from benagh G5 A5 D5 he lived just across the fields A5 a great man for the music G5 and the dancing and the reels D5 o'malley came from south armagh G5 A5 D5 to court young alice fair A5 and we'd often meet on the ryan road G5 and laughter filled the air G5 D5 G5 D5 G5 D5 there were roses, roses, there were roses D5 A5 G5 D5 and the tears of the people ran together D5 alan he was protestant G5 A5 D5 and sean was catholic born A5 it never made a difference G5 for the friendship it was strong D5 and sometimes in the evening G5 A5 D5 when we heard the sound of the drums A5 we said it won't divide us G5 we will always be the ones D5 for the ground our fathers ploughed in G5 A5 D5 well the soil is just the same A5 and the places where we say our prayers G5 have just got different names D5 we talked about the friends who died G5 A5 D5 and hoped there'd be no more A5 it was little then that we realised G5 the tragedy in store G5 D5 G5 D5 G5 D5 there were roses, roses, there were roses D5 A5 G5 D5 and the tears of the people ran together D5 it was on the sunday morning G5 A5 D5 when the awful news came round A5 another killing has been done G5 just outside newry town D5 we knew that alan danced up there G5 A5 D5 we knew he liked the band A5 when we heard that he was dead G5 we just could not understand D5 we gathered at the graveside G5 A5 D5 on that cold and rainy day A5 and the minister he closed his eyes G5 and he prayed for no revenge D5 and all the ones who knew him G5 A5 D5 from along the ryan road bowed their heads A5 and said a prayer G5 for the resting of his soul G5 D5 G5 D5 G5 D5 there were roses, roses, there were roses D5 A5 G5 D5 and the tears of the people ran together D5 well fear it filled the countryside G5 A5 D5 there was fear in every home A5 when the car of death came prowling G5 round the lonely ryan road D5 a catholic will be killed tonight G5 A5 D5 to even up the score A5 o christ it's young o'malley G5 that they've taken from the door D5 "alan was my friend" he cried G5 A5 D5 he begged them with his fear A5 but centuries of hatred G5 have ears that cannot hear D5 an eye for an eye G5 A5 D5 was all that filled their minds A5 and another eye for another eye G5 till everyone is blind G5 D5 G5 D5 G5 D5 there were roses, roses, there were roses D5 A5 G5 D5 and the tears of the people ran together D5 so my song for you this evening G5 A5 D5 it's not to make you sad A5 nor for adding to the sorrows G5 of this troubled northern land D5 but lately I been thinking G5 A5 D5 and it just won't leave my mind A5 to tell you of two friends one time G5 who were both good friends of mine D5 I don't know where the moral is G5 A5 D5 or where this song should end A5 but I wonder just how many wars G5 are fought between good friends D5 and those that give the orders G5 A5 D5 are not the ones to die A5 it's bell and o'malley G5 and the likes of you and i G5 D5 G5 D5 G5 D5 there were roses, roses, there were roses D5 A5 G5 D5 and the tears of the people ran together G5 D5 G5 D5 G5 D5 there were roses, roses, there were roses
