James Connelly Lyrics

[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!

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