Marchin' down O'Connell Street with the Starry Plough [1] on high
There goes the Citizen Army with their fists raised in the sky
Leading them is a mighty man with a mad rage in his eye
"My name is James Connolly - I didn't come here to die
But to fight for the rights of the working man and the small farmer too
To protect the proletariat from the bosses and their screws
So hold on to your rifles, boys, don't give up your dream
Of a Republic for the working class, economic liberty."
Then Jem yelled out "Oh Citizens, this system is a curse
An English boss is a monster, An Irish one even worse
They'll never lock us out again and here is the reason why:
My name is James Connolly - I didn't come here to die ..."
And now we're in the GPO with the bullets whizzin' by
With Pearse and Sean McDermott biddin' each other goodbye
Up steps our citizen leader and he roars out to the sky
"My name is James Connolly - I didn't come here to die ...
Oh Lillie, I don't want to die, we've got so much to live for
And I know we're all goin' out to get slaughtered, but I just can't take any more
Just the sight of one more child screamin' from hunger in a Dublin slum
Or his mother slavin' 14 hour days for the scum
Who exploit her and take her youth and throw it on a factory floor
Oh Lillie, I just can't take any more
They've locked us out, banned our unions, they even treat their animals better than us
No! It's far better to die like a man than to live forever like some slave on your knees, Lillie
But don't let them wrap any green flag around me
And, for god's sake, don't let them bury me in some field full of harps and shamrocks
And whatever you do, don't let them make a martyr out of me
No! Rather rise the Starry Plough on high and sing a song of freedom
Here's to you, Lillie, the rights of man and international revolution."
We fought them to a standstill while the flames lit up the sky
'Til a bullet pierced our leader and we gave up the fight
They shot him in Kilmainham Jail but they'll never stop his cry
"My name is James Connolly, I didn't come here to die."
There goes the Citizen Army with their fists raised in the sky
Leading them is a mighty man with a mad rage in his eye
"My name is James Connolly - I didn't come here to die
But to fight for the rights of the working man and the small farmer too
To protect the proletariat from the bosses and their screws
So hold on to your rifles, boys, don't give up your dream
Of a Republic for the working class, economic liberty."
Then Jem yelled out "Oh Citizens, this system is a curse
An English boss is a monster, An Irish one even worse
They'll never lock us out again and here is the reason why:
My name is James Connolly - I didn't come here to die ..."
And now we're in the GPO with the bullets whizzin' by
With Pearse and Sean McDermott biddin' each other goodbye
Up steps our citizen leader and he roars out to the sky
"My name is James Connolly - I didn't come here to die ...
Oh Lillie, I don't want to die, we've got so much to live for
And I know we're all goin' out to get slaughtered, but I just can't take any more
Just the sight of one more child screamin' from hunger in a Dublin slum
Or his mother slavin' 14 hour days for the scum
Who exploit her and take her youth and throw it on a factory floor
Oh Lillie, I just can't take any more
They've locked us out, banned our unions, they even treat their animals better than us
No! It's far better to die like a man than to live forever like some slave on your knees, Lillie
But don't let them wrap any green flag around me
And, for god's sake, don't let them bury me in some field full of harps and shamrocks
And whatever you do, don't let them make a martyr out of me
No! Rather rise the Starry Plough on high and sing a song of freedom
Here's to you, Lillie, the rights of man and international revolution."
We fought them to a standstill while the flames lit up the sky
'Til a bullet pierced our leader and we gave up the fight
They shot him in Kilmainham Jail but they'll never stop his cry
"My name is James Connolly, I didn't come here to die."
[1] Starry Plough Flag
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