A Soldier's Song

I went away to fight a war that small nations might be free
Got a soldiers guns and uniform to fight the enemy
I was trained to shoot my fellow man before he got to me
And I danced with death in the mud and wept
And prayed my home to see

So come over to me darling girl come here me Molly dear
You are as welcome as the flowers in May you're welcome here to me
No more I'll fire the musket shot or hear the cannon roar
I've done my time, now you'll be mine
I'm yours for ever more

While in the trenches there I thought who starts these bloody wars
And thought of these great Irishmen who died on these strange shores
Then a bomb did burst to the air it thrust some shrapnel fire and blood
I escaped it then shot back at them and lay back in the mud

So come over to me darling girl come here me Molly dear
You are as welcome as the flowers in May you're welcome here to me
No more I'll fire the musket shot or hear the cannon roar
I've done my time, now you'll be mine
I'm yours for ever more

While I was off in foreign lands, fighting other peoples' wars
Some gallant men were fighting here to free their native shore
You shot our leaders of sixteen saw our city sacked and burned
Then you sent us in the Black and Tans to greet our home return

So come over to me darling girl come here me Molly dear
You are as welcome as the flowers in May you're welcome here to me
No more I'll fire the musket shot or hear the cannon roar
I've done my time, now you'll be mine
I'm yours for ever more

I don't need your heroes welcome
I don't want your bugle call
No brass band no pipes and drums, no medal badge or star
But give me what you promised me when first I went to war
That's freedom for old Ireland and I'll go to fight no more

So come over to me darling girl come here me Molly dear
You are as welcome as the flowers in May you're welcome here to me
No more I'll fire the musket shot or hear the cannon roar
I've done my time, now you'll be mine
I'm yours for ever more