Oh it must be so romantic  When the fighting's over there  And they're passing round the shamrock  And you're all filled up with tears  "For the love of dear old Ireland"  That you've never even seen  You throw in twenty dollars  And sing "Wearing of the Green    [Chorus:]  Each dollar a bullet  Each victim someone's son  And Americans kill Irishmen  As surely  As if they fired the gun    Now you've never stood on Belfast's streets  And heard the bombs explode  Or hid beneath the blankets  When there's riots down the road  No you've never had your best friend die  Or lost a favorite son  But you'll stand there and tell us  Just what we're doing wrong    Each false word a bullet  Each victim someone's son  And Englishmen kill Irishmen  As surely  As if they fired the gun    From the minute that you're born you're told  To hate the other side  "They're not like us, they're not the same  We know because we're right"  But can't you see we're all the same  There is no right and wrong  Why can't we stop and realize  Just what we're doing wrong  We've hated too much too long    Each old lie a bullet  Each victim someone's son  And Irishmen kill Irishmen  As surely  As if they fired the gun    How can you convince yourself  That what you do is right?  When people are dying there  Night after night  Don't you ever wonder  Why it still goes on?  The hopes and fears and all the tears  Are buried in your ground  Buried in your ground    Each rumour a bullet  Each victim someone's son  And careless talk kills Irishmen  As surely  As if words fired the gun    Well it's lasted for so long now  And so many have died  It's such a part of my own life  Yet it leaves me mystified  How a people so intelligent  Friendly, kind and brave  Can throw themselves so willingly  Into an open grave    Each new day a bullet  Each victim someone's son  And ignorance kills Irishmen  As surely  As if we fired the gun