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
BARDIS MUSIC, USA ATTN: PETER BARDON