Skibbereen Songtext

O, Father dear, I often heard you speak of Erin's Isle Her lofty scene, her valleys green, her mountains rude and wild You say it is a pleasant place wherein a prince might dwell Why have you then forsaken her, the reason to me tell? My son, I loved our native land with energy and pride Until a blight fell on the land and sheep and cattle died The rents and taxes were to pay, I could not them redeem And that's the cruel reason why I left Old Skibbereen It's well I do remember on a bleak November day The landlord and his agent came to drive us all away He set my house on fire with his demon yellow spleen And that's another reason why I left Old Skibbereen Your mother, too, God rest her soul, lay on the snowy ground She fainted in her anguish at the desolation round She never rose, but went her way from life to death's long dream And found a quiet grave, my boy, in lovely Skibbereen It's well I do remember the year of forty-eight When we arose with Erin's boys to fight against our fate I was hunted through the mountains as a traitor to the Queen And that's another reason why I left Old Skibbereen Oh father dear, the day will come when vengeance loud will call And we'll arise with Erin's boys and rally one and all I'll be the man to lead the van, beneath our flag of green And loud and high we'll raise the cry, Revenge for Skibbereen!