Oh it must seem 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 favourite 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 realise   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 stilll 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