There Were Roses Chords by Tommy Sands

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_ [Am] _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ [F] _
_ _ _ [C] _ _ _ [F] _ [C] _
_ _ My song for you this evening, [F] it's not to make [C] you sad,
Not for adding to the [G] sorrows [F] of this troubled [C] northern land.
But lately I've been thinking, and it just won't leave my mind,
To tell you of two [G] friends, one time they were both good friends of [C] mine. _
Allan Bell from Bainer, he lived just across [C] the fields,
A great man for [G] the music, and the dancing, and the reels.
O'Malley came from South Armagh to [G] court young Alice [C] Fair,
And we'd often meet [G] on the Ryan Road, and the laughter filled [C] the air.
_ _ [F] There were _ [Em] roses, _ [F] _ _ _ [Em] roses, there [F] were _ [C] roses, _ _ _
And the tears [G] of the people [F] ran together.
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[F] _ _ _ _ _ [F] _ _ [C] _
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[F] _ _ _ _ _ [C] Though Allan he was Protestant, and [G] John was [C] Catholic born,
It never [G] made a difference, for the friendship [C] it was strong.
And sometimes in the evening, when [F] we heard the sound of drums,
We said it won't [G] divide us, we will always be [C] the one.
For the ground our fathers ploughed in, the soil it is the same,
And the places where [G] we say our prayers, have just got different [C] names.
We talked about the friends who died, and [G] we hoped there'd be [C] no more,
It's little [G] when we realised the tragedy [C] in store.
_ _ [F] There were _ [Em] roses, _ [F] _ _ [Em] roses, [C] there [F] were _ [C] roses, _ _
_ And the tears of [G] the people [F] ran together.
_ _ _ _ _ [C] _ _
_ _ [C] _ _ _ _ [F] _ _
_ _ _ [F] _ _ _ [C] _ _
_ _ _ [F] _ _ [C] It was on a Sunday morning, when [G] the awful [C] news came round,
_ Another [G] killing has been done, just outside Newry [C] Town.
We knew that Allan danced up there, we [G] knew he liked the [C] band,
_ But when we heard [G] that he was dead, we [F] just could not [C] understand. _
We gathered at the graveside, on that cold and rainy day,
And the minister, [G] he closed his eyes, and he prayed for [C] no revenge.
And all the ones who knew him, from [G] along the [C] Ryan Road,
They bowed their [G] heads and they said a prayer, [F] for the resting [C] of his soul.
_ _ [F] There were _ [Em] roses, _ _ [F] _ _ [Em] roses, [F] there were _ [C] roses, _ _ _
And the tears [G] of the people [F] ran together.
_ _ _ [C] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [F] _ _ [C] _
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[F] _ _ _ _ While [C] fear had filled the countryside, there was [G] fear in every [C] home.
When the car of death [G] came prowling round the lonely [C] Ryan Road,
A Catholic would be killed tonight, to even not score.
Oh [G] Christ, it's young O'Malley, that they've taken from [C] the door. _
Allan was my friend, he cried, he begged [G] them with [C] his fear,
But centuries of [G] hatred, of [D] ears that cannot [C] hear.
An eye for an eye, was [G] all that filled their [C] mind,
And another eye for another eye, till everyone [C] is blind.
_ _ There [F] were _ [Em] roses, _ [F] _ _ roses, [C]
[F] there were _ [C] roses, _ _
And the tears of [G] the people [F] ran together.
_ _ _ _ [C] _ _ [F] So _ [C] _ _ _ [F] _ _ _ [C] _
_ [F] _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ _
[F] _ _ [F] _ _ my [C] song for you this evening, it's not to [G] make you sad,
Nor for adding to the sorrows of this troubled [C] northern land.
But [G] lately I've been thinking, [F] and it just won't leave [C] my mind,
To tell you of [G] two friends one time, who were both good friends of [C] mine. _
I don't know where the moral is, or [D] where this song [C] should end,
But I wonder just how many [G] wars are [G] fought between [C] good friends,
And those that give the orders, [F] are [C] not the ones to die.
It's Mel, [G] and O'Malley, and the likes of [C] you and I.
_ [F] There were _ [C] roses, _ [F] _ _ [C] roses, [F] there were [C] roses, _ _ _
And the tears [G] of the people [F] ran together.
_ _ _ [C] _ _ _ _
[F] There were _ [Em] roses, _ [F] _
_ [Em] roses, [F] there were roses.
[C] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
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