LyricMeaning

There Were Roses
Kathy Mattea

A song for you this evening, and it's not to make you sad,

Or for adding to the sorrow of a troubled Northern land.

But lately I've been thinking, and it just won't leave my mind.

I'll tell you now of two good friends. They were both good friends of

Mine.

Isaac Scott from Derry, he lived just across the fields.

A great man for the music and the dancing and the reels.

Macdonald came from South Armagh to court young Agnes fair.

It was then we'd meet on Ryan Road, and laughter filled the air.

Now, Isaac, he was Protestant and Sean was Catholic born.

But it never made a difference, for their friendship it was strong.

And sometimes in the evening when we heard the sound of drums,

We said War won't divide us, we will always be as one.

For the land our fathers plow in, the soil it is the same.

And the places where we say our prayers have just got different

Names.

We talked about our friends who'd died, we hoped there'd be no more.

It was little then we realized the tragedy in store.

There were roses, roses, there were roses.

And the tears of the people ran together.

It was on a Sunday morning when the awful news came around.

There'd been another killing outside of Caplan town.

We knew that Isaac danced up there, we knew he liked the band.

We heard that he was dead, and we just could not understand.

We gathered at his graveside on a cold and rainy day.

The minister just closed his eyes, and for no revenge he prayed.

And those of us who knew him from along the Ryan Road,

Just bowed our heads and said a prayer for the resting of his soul.

There were roses, roses, there were roses.

And the tears of the people ran together.

Now fear it filled the countryside, and fear filled every home.

And late one night, a car came prowling round the Ryan Road.

A Catholic would be killed tonight to even up the score.

Oh Christ, it's young Macdonald that they've taken from the door.

Isaac was my friend! he cried, he begged them with his fear.

But centuries of hatred have ears that cannot hear.

An eye for an eye was all that filled their minds.

And another eye for another eye, til everyone is blind.

There were roses, roses, there were roses.

And the tears of the people ran together.

Now I don't know where the moral is, or how this song should end.

But I wonder just how many wars are fought between good friends.

And the men who give the orders, well, they're not the ones who die.

It's Scott and Macdonald and the likes of you and I.

There were roses, roses, there were roses.

And the tears of the people ran together.


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Lyrics by Kathy Mattea

  (Love Is) My Last Word   18 Wheels & A Dozen Roses (1988)   33, 45, 78 (record Time)   455 Rocket   A Far Cry   A Few Good Things Remain   A Few Good Things Remain (1991)   Agate Hill   All Roads To The River   Amarillo   Angels We Have Heard on High   Another Man   As Long As I Have A Heart   Asking Us to Dance   At My Window [Duet][*]   Baby King   Back Up Grinnin' Again   Back Up Grinnin' Again   Battle Hymn Of Love   Beautiful Fool   BFD   Black Lung   Black Waters   Blue Diamond Mines   Brightest And Best   Burnin' Old Memories   Burnin' Old Memories   Callin' My Name   Callin' My Name   Calling Me Home   Christ Child's Lullaby   Christ Child's Lullabye   Christ Child's Lullabye   Christmas Collage   Coal Tattoo   Come From The Heart   Come From The Heart (1989)   Coming Of The Roads   Dark as a Dungeon   Down On The Corner   Eighteen Wheels And A Dozen Roses   Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses [DVD]   Emmanuel   Evenin'   Evenin'   Every Love   Forgive And Forget   From A Distance   Further and Further Away   God Ain't No Stained Glass Window   Goin' Gone   Goin' Gone   Gone, Gonna Rise Again   Grand Canyon   Green Rolling Hills   Harley   Hello, My Name Is Coal   Here's Hopin'   Here's Hopin'   Hills Of Alabam'   Hills Of Alabam'   Hurt Some   I Have Always Loved You   I Wear Your Love   I'll Take Care Of You   I'm Alright   I'm On Your Side   I'll Take Care Of You   I'm Alright   I'm On Your Side   If That's What You Call Love   If That's What You Call Love   Innocent Years (Reprise)   Last Night I Dreamed of Loving You   Late In The Day   Leaving West Virginia   Life As We Knew It   Life As We Knew It (1989)   Like A Hurricane   Listen To The Radio   Lonely At The Bottom   Lonesome Standard Time   Lonesome Standard Time (1992)   Love At The Five And Dime   Love At The Five And Dime (1986)   Love Chooses You   Love Travels   Mary, Did You Know   Mary, Did You Know?   Maybe She's Human   Maybe She's Human   Mr. Smith Had An Oldsmobile   Nobody's Gonna Rain On Our Parade   Nobody's Gonna Rain On Our Parade   Nothing But A Child   Now Is The Cool Of The Day   O Come All Ye Faithful   Patiently Waiting   Quarter Moon   Red-Winged Blackbird   Requiem for a Mountain   Right Out Of Nowhere   Rock Me on the Water   Rocket   Sally in the Garden   Seeds   Sending Me Angels   She Came From Fort Worth   Sing, Mary, Sing   Slow Boat   Smoking   Song For The Life   Standing Knee Deep in a River   Standing Knee Deep In A River (Dying Of Thirst)   Straw Against The Chill   Summer Of My Dreams   That's Easy For You To Say   That's The Deal   That's Easy For You To Say   That's The Deal   The Battle Hymn of Love   The Bridge   The Cape   The Christmas Song   The End Of The Line   The Innocent Years   The L&N Don't Stop Here Anymore   The Maple's Lament   The Southern Soldier Boy   The Star   The Streets Of Your Town   The Wood Thrush's Song   There's A New Kid In Town   There's A New Kid In Town   Till I Turn To You   Time Passes By   Train Of Memories   Trouble With Angels   True North   Trust Me   Untasted Honey   Unto Us A Child Is Born   Untold Stories   Walk The Way The Wind Blows   Walk The Way The Wind Blows (1986)   Walking Away A Winner   West Virginia Mine Disaster   West Virginia, My Home   What A Wonderful Beginning   What Could Have Been   Where Have You Been   Where Have You Been?   Where've You Been   Where've You Been (1990)   Whole Lotta Holes   Willow In The Wind   You Plant Your Fields   You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive   You're The Power   You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive   You're The Power

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