Wolfe Tones - Joe Mcdonnell lyrics

O me name is Joe McDonnell from Belfast town I came That city I will Never see again For in the town of Belfast I spent many happy days I love that town in oh so many ways For it's there I spent my childhood and found For me a wife I then set out to make For her a life But all my young ambitions met with bitterness and hate I soon found myself inside a prison gate And you dare to call me a terrorist While you looked down your gun When I think of all the deeds that you had done You had plundered many nations divided many lands You had terrorised their peoples you ruled with an iron hand. And you brought this reign of terror to my land Through those many months internment In the Maidstone and the Maze I thought about my land throughout those days Why my country was divided, why I was now in jail Imprisoned without crime or without trial And though I love my country I am not a bitter man I've seen cruelty and injustice at first hand So then one fateful morning I shook bold freedom's hand For right or wrong I'd try to free my land And you dare to call me a terrorist While you looked down your gun When I think of all the deeds that you had done You had plundered many nations divided many lands You had terrorised their peoples you ruled with an iron hand. And you brought this reign of terror to my land Then one cold October morning trapped in a lion's den I found myself in prison once again I was committed to the H-blocks for fourteen years or more On the Blanket the conditions they were poor Then a hunger strike we did commence for the dignity of man But it seemed to me that no one gave a damn But now, I'm a saddened man I've watched my comrades die If only people cared or wondered why And you dare to call me a terrorist While you looked down your gun When I think of all the deeds that you had done You had plundered many nations divided many lands You had terrorised their peoples you ruled with an iron hand. And you brought this reign of terror to my land May God shine on you Bobby Sands For the courage you have shown May your glory and your fame be widely known And Francis Hughes and Ray McCreesh who died unselfishly And Patsy O Hara and the next in line is me And those who lie behind me may you're courage be the same And I pray to God my life is not in vain Ah but sad and bitter was the year of 1981 For everything I've lost and nothing's won.