Lyrics They Are The 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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