Mercy, mercy, why didn't we hear it?   Mercy, mercy, why did we read it   Buried on the last page of our morning papers?      The plan was drafted, drafted in secret   Gunboats met the red tide   Driven to the rum trade for the army that they created   But the bullets were bought by us, it was dollars that paid them      Please forgive us, we don't know what was done   Please forgive us, we don't know what was done in our name      There'll be more trials like this in mercenary hey days   When they're so apt to wrap themselves up in the stripes and stars   And find that they are able to call themselves heroes   And to justify murder by their fighters for freedom      Please forgive us, we don't know what was done   Please forgive us, we didn't know   Could you ever forgive us? I don't know how you could      I know this is no consolation      Please forgive us, we don't know what was done   Please forgive us, we didn't know   Could you ever believe that we didn't know?   Please forgive us, we didn't know   I wouldn't blame you if you never could      Please forgive us, we didn't know   I wouldn't blame you if you never could   Please forgive us   And you never will