Pick Up Your Rifle (Mark Westphal) In 1916, in the year of our Lord Fighting came to Ireland like it never had before For freedom comes to those who fight for its day So I picked up my rifle and joined the IRA A free and united Ireland was our only desire And the best of the British Army couldn't put out that fire But a deal with the devil was soon put forth Freedom for the South and nothing for the North Well this didn't seem really right with me For Ireland is one from sea to sea And the IRA said our job's not done So off to the North I went with my gun We fought in the fields, we fought in the streets And the English knew we couldn't be beat We fought with rifles, we fought with rocks And sent many a soldier home in a box The fight has been long and many have fell And we weep for the rebels who starved alone in a cell For the price of our freedom is paid with blood of those IRA men who have died in the mud Is life so sweet or is peace so dear? That the weight of chains are easy to bear For freedom comes to those who fight for its day So pick up your rifle and join the IRA Copyright Mark Westphal c1996 MW oct97
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