James Connolly

[Verse 1]

Marchin' down O'Connell street

With a Starry Plough on high

Here comes the Citizen's Army

With their fists raised to the sky

And leadin' them was a mighty man

With a mad rage in his eye

"My name is James Connolly

I didn't come here to die"

[Pre-Chorus]

But to fight for the rights of the workin' man

The small farmer too

To protect the proletariat

From the bosses and their screws

[Chorus]

So hold onto your rifles, boys

Don't give up the dream

A Republic for the workin' class

Economic... liberty!

[Verse 2]

Then Jem cries out, "Oh, citizens

This system is a curse

An English boss is a monster

An Irish one is worse

They'll never lock us out again

And here's the reason why

My name is James Connolly

I didn't come here to die"

[Pre-Chorus]

But to fight for the rights of the workin' man

The small farmer too

To protect the proletariat

From the bosses and their screws

[Chorus]

So hold onto your rifles, boys

Don't give up the dream

A Republic for the workin' class

Economic... liberty!

[Verse 3]

Now over in the GPO

With the bullets whizzin' by

There's Pearse and Sean McDermott

They're tellin' each other goodbye

Up steps our citizen leaders

As he roars out to the sky:

"My name is James Connelly

I didn't come here to die"

[Pre-Chorus]

But to fight for the rights of the workin' man

The small farmer too

To protect the proletariat

From the bosses and their screws

[Chorus]

So hold onto your rifles, boys

Don't give up the dream

A Republic for the workin' class

Economic... liberty!

[Verse 4]

We fought them to a standstill

While the flames lit up the sky

Till a bullet pierced our leader

And we gave up on the fight

They shot him in Kilmainham Gaol

But they'll never stop his cry

"My name is James Connolly

I didn't come here to die"

[Pre-Chorus]

But to fight for the rights of the workin' man

The small farmer too

To protect the proletariat

From the bosses and their screws

[Chorus]

So hold onto your rifles, boys

Don't give up the dream

A Republic for the workin' class

Economic... liberty, hey!

[Instrumental Break]

[Chorus]

So hold onto your rifles, boys

Don't give up the dream

A Republic for the workin' class

Economic liberty!