Irish traditional song lyrics — collected by Beer Belly Band.
The sun was hot, the air heavy, and the marching men came by
You stood at door, you watched them pass, you asked no reason why
The sound of steel of their jackboot heel came pound through your head
Your reason’s past, they’ve came at last, with the blessings of the dead
Chorus:
Hey Sandy, hey Sandy why are you the one
All the years of growing up are wasted now and gone
Did you see them turn did you feel the burn of the bullets as they flew
Hey Sandy, hey Sandy just what did you do
At the college square, they were standing there, with the flag and with the gun
And the whispered words as the ones young stirred, saying, ‘Why are you the one?’
And the air was still with lonely thrill of now the hour is near
And the smell of sweat was better yet, than the awful smell of fear
Chorus
The awful shout, as you all ran out, saying, why are these things done?’
And you stood and stared, yet no one cared for another campus bum
Your songs are dead and your instead are to the funeral pyre
And the words of youth, like love and truth, are just ashes on the fire
Chorus
Did you throw no stone, at the men alone, with their bayonets fixed for hire?
Did you think that they would kill no one, did you scream as they opened fire
And the square ran red, with your blood stains spread, and the darkness round you grew
Did you feel the pain, did you call the name of the man you never knew
Chorus