With heavy heart and steady hand I'm puttin' pen to paper father dear I trust these words'll find you And pray that you can read 'em through your tears It's said a man that's born to sing Can scare away his woes And banish all his anger and his pain But the screamin' in my head Killed the singin' in my soul And I fear I'll never recall the tune again I've trouble with the sleepin' My shadows weight impossible to bear I hear my Sister weepin' And callin' to me from that other where The names of them I loved Are carved into my skin The greatest crew a fighter ever had They call us gypsy bastards And say it like it's sin That all our wars are merry And all our songs are sad Tell 'em I went out dancin', tell 'em I went to war Tell 'em whatever you want to all the same It's said a man dies first when he's parted wi' his soul And second when folk forget to speak his name Derry born and barely raised I'd hardly bear to see the place again 'Til in merrie bloody England I found myself a brother to the end It's proper that you're grievin' Yer poorer for me leavin' The best and fairest any given day Let Matty, Marco, Luke and John Bless the slab I'm lyin' on Kiss me arse and send me on me way Tell 'em I went out dancin', tell 'em I went to war Tell 'em whatever you want to all the same It's said a man dies first when he's parted wi' his soul And second when folk forget to speak his name A half a dozen monkeys The Devil sent to snap me o'er his knee I slapped their filthy tongues back in their skulls And did it laughin' wickedly Smash the right and fuck the left I'll curse 'em with my dyin' breath As bent as each t'other I would say The only drum I march to is me Irish bloody heart Kickin' out against its brittle cage Tell 'em I went out dancin', tell 'em I went to war Tell 'em whatever you want to all the same It's said a man dies first when he's parted wi' his soul And second when folk forget to speak his name Tell 'em I went down swingin', tell 'em I went to war Tell 'em whatever you want to all the same It's said a man dies first when he's parted wi' his soul And second when folk forget to speak his name To speak my name To speak my name To speak my name To speak my name