After hearing this song on BBC Radio Ulster, sung by Kathryn Duncan (I think) I decided
to learn it on guitar. The version of the song I downloaded was The Sands Family - There
Were Roses, a live recording from 1988. This work below is tabbed to be played with that
track. I have seen one other version of this song tabbed on christianguitar.org and it
uses "Bm" for parts of the song, however when I was tabbing out the live version I have,
I found that "Bm" didn't work.

Thanks to D.Baderman, who tabbed out the Christianguitar.org version, as he gave me a
base to work from for my own tab for the live version.

It's pretty accurate, however I think that the end of each verse when it ends with G,
should have another note played. What that note is however I'm not sure. Please send
any corrections to eekeekeek@hotmail.co.uk.

Visit Tommy Sands website: http://www.tommysands.com/

Standard tuning (or in my case, slightly flat of standard), with a capo on the second fret.




Dmy (xx0232@1)song for you this evening
     G (320003@1)     A (x02220@1)     DIt's (xx0232@1)not to make you sad
                       Anor (x02220@1)for adding to the sorrows
         G (320003@1)              
of this troubled northern land
Dbut (xx0232@1)lately I been thinking
        G (320003@1)         A (x02220@1)     Dand (xx0232@1)it just won't leave my mind
                   Ato (x02220@1)tell you of two friends one time
          G (320003@1)      
who were both good friends of mine
Dalan (xx0232@1)bell from benagh
          G (320003@1)      A (x02220@1)     Dhe (xx0232@1)lived just across the fields
                    Aa (x02220@1)great man for the music
         G (320003@1)     
and the dancing and the reels
Do'malley (xx0232@1)came from south armagh
    G (320003@1)         A (x02220@1)   Dto (xx0232@1)court young alice fair
                            Aand (x02220@1)we'd often meet on the ryan road
     G (320003@1)                  
and laughter filled the air



           G (320003@1)D (xx0232@1) G (320003@1)name="chord_xx0232@1">D               G (320003@1)name="chord_xx0232@1">D
there were roses, roses, there were roses
        D (xx0232@1)          A (x02220@1)        G (320003@1)          Dand (xx0232@1)the tears of the people ran together



Dalan (xx0232@1)he was protestant
     G (320003@1)      A (x02220@1)     Dand (xx0232@1)sean was catholic born
                Ait (x02220@1)never made a difference
        Gfor (320003@1)the friendship it was strong
Dand (xx0232@1)sometimes in the evening
          G (320003@1)      A (x02220@1)          Dwhen (xx0232@1)we heard the sound of the drums
                 Awe (x02220@1)said it won't divide us
         Gwe (320003@1)will always be the ones
Dfor (xx0232@1)the ground our fathers ploughed in
         G (320003@1)      A (x02220@1)     Dwell (xx0232@1)the soil is just the same
                        Aand (x02220@1)the places where we say our prayers
      Ghave (320003@1)just got different names
Dwe (xx0232@1)talked about the friends who died
     G (320003@1)          A (x02220@1)   Dand (xx0232@1)hoped there'd be no more
                           Ait (x02220@1)was little then that we realised
     G (320003@1)             
the tragedy in store



           G (320003@1)D (xx0232@1) G (320003@1)name="chord_xx0232@1">D               G (320003@1)name="chord_xx0232@1">D
there were roses, roses, there were roses
        D (xx0232@1)          A (x02220@1)        G (320003@1)          Dand (xx0232@1)the tears of the people ran together




Dit (xx0232@1)was on the sunday morning
         G (320003@1)    A (x02220@1)      Dwhen (xx0232@1)the awful news came round
                Aanother (x02220@1)killing has been done
     Gjust (320003@1)outside newry town
Dwe (xx0232@1)knew that alan danced up there
    G (320003@1)     A (x02220@1)       Dwe (xx0232@1)knew he liked the band
                   Awhen (x02220@1)we heard that he was dead
         Gwe (320003@1)just could not understand
Dwe (xx0232@1)gathered at the graveside
         G (320003@1)     A (x02220@1)   Don (xx0232@1)that cold and rainy day
                     Aand (x02220@1)the minister he closed his eyes
        Gand (320003@1)he prayed for no revenge
Dand (xx0232@1)all the ones who knew him
      G (320003@1)      A (x02220@1)  Dfrom (xx0232@1)along the ryan road

bowed their heads
    Aand (x02220@1)said a prayer
        Gfor (320003@1)the resting of his soul



           G (320003@1)D (xx0232@1) G (320003@1)name="chord_xx0232@1">D               G (320003@1)name="chord_xx0232@1">D
there were roses, roses, there were roses
        D (xx0232@1)          A (x02220@1)        G (320003@1)          Dand (xx0232@1)the tears of the people ran together



Dwell (xx0232@1)fear it filled the countryside
          G (320003@1)     A (x02220@1)   Dthere (xx0232@1)was fear in every home
                           Awhen (x02220@1)the car of death came prowling
           Ground (320003@1)the lonely ryan road
Da (xx0232@1)catholic will be killed tonight
   G (320003@1)  A (x02220@1)    Dto (xx0232@1)even up the score
                    Ao (x02220@1)christ it's young o'malley
             Gthat (320003@1)they've taken from the door
D"alan (xx0232@1)was my friend" he cried
   G (320003@1)         A (x02220@1)      Dhe (xx0232@1)begged them with his fear
                 Abut (x02220@1)centuries of hatred
     Ghave (320003@1)ears that cannot hear
Dan (xx0232@1)eye for an eye
     G (320003@1)      A (x02220@1)         Dwas (xx0232@1)all that filled their minds
                     Aand (x02220@1)another eye for another eye
      Gtill (320003@1)everyone is blind


           G (320003@1)D (xx0232@1) G (320003@1)name="chord_xx0232@1">D               G (320003@1)name="chord_xx0232@1">D
there were roses, roses, there were roses
        D (xx0232@1)          A (x02220@1)        G (320003@1)          Dand (xx0232@1)the tears of the people ran together


Dso (xx0232@1)my song for you this evening
     G (320003@1)    A (x02220@1)      Dit's (xx0232@1)not to make you sad
                      Anor (x02220@1)for adding to the sorrows
        Gof (320003@1)this troubled northern land
Dbut (xx0232@1)lately I been thinking
       G (320003@1)        A (x02220@1)      Dand (xx0232@1)it just won't leave my mind
                   Ato (x02220@1)tell you of two friends one time
         Gwho (320003@1)were both good friends of mine

DI (xx0232@1)don't know where the moral is
   G (320003@1)        A (x02220@1)         Dor (xx0232@1)where this song should end
                      Abut (x02220@1)I wonder just how many wars
    Gare (320003@1)fought between good friends
Dand (xx0232@1)those that give the orders
    G (320003@1)     A (x02220@1)     Dare (xx0232@1)not the ones to die
              Ait's (x02220@1)bell and o'malley
         Gand (320003@1)the likes of you and i




           G (320003@1)D (xx0232@1) G (320003@1)name="chord_xx0232@1">D               G (320003@1)name="chord_xx0232@1">D
there were roses, roses, there were roses
        D (xx0232@1)          A (x02220@1)        G (320003@1)          Dand (xx0232@1)the tears of the people ran together

           G (320003@1)D (xx0232@1) G (320003@1)name="chord_xx0232@1">D               G (320003@1)name="chord_xx0232@1">D
there were roses, roses, there were roses