Hi
I've just come across this thread, I hope this may be of some interest.

I had not heard about Tommy Sands changing the names of the victims in the song and I bet over the years, many singers have interpreted the song in their own way whilst keeping true to the sentiment.

I took these words from a live concert recording of Tommy Sands and I must say his diction was very clear and easy to understand. It is certainly a very powerful song and meant a lot to Sands while singing it. This performance must be well befor the release of the record.


                           There Were Roses........

Chorus:

There were roses, roses and there were roses
and the tears of the people ran together.

My song for you this evening, it's not to make you sad
Nor for adding to the sorrows of this troubled Northern land,
But lately I've been thinking and it just won't leave my mind
To tell you of two friends one time who were both good friends of mine.

Isaac Scott from Feanna, he lived just across the field,
A great man for the music and the dancing and the reels.
McDonald came from South Armagh, to court young Agnes fair
And we'd often meet on the Ryan Road and the laughter filled the air.

Though Isaac he was a Protestant and Sean was Catholic born,
It never made a difference, for our friendship it was strong.
And sometimes in the evening when we heard the sound of drums,
We said "It won't divide us; we will always be as one."

For the ground our fathers ploughed in, the soil it was the same,
And the places where we say our prayers have just got different names.
We thought about the friends who died and we hoped there'd be no more.
It's little then we realised the tragedy in store.

It was on the Sunday morning when the awful news came round,
Another killing had been done, just outside Camlough Town.
We knew that Isaac danced up there, we knew he liked the band,
But when we heard that he was dead, we just could not understand.

We gathered at the graveside on that cold and rainy day,
And the Minister he closed his eyes and he prayed for no revenge,
And all the ones who knew him, from along the Ryan Road,
They bowed their heads and said a prayer for the resting of his soul.

Well, fear it filled the countryside, there was fear in every home,
When the car of death came prowling down the lonely Ryan Road.
A Catholic would be killed to-night to even up the score,
Oh! Christ, it's young McDonald that they've taken from the door.

"Isaac was my friend," he cried. He begged them through his fear,
But centuries of hatred are fears that cannot heal.
An eye for an eye was all that filled their mind
And another eye for another eye, 'till everyone is blind.

Repeat Verse One

I don't know where the moral is, or where the song should end,
But I wonder just how many wars are fought between good friends.
And those that give the orders, they are not the ones to die -
It's Scott and McDonald and the likes of you and I.




Written by Tommy Sands.