The Hero's Return (Belfast song)
(Eric Bogle)

My youngest son came home today
His friends marched with him all the way
The flutes and drums beat out the time
As in his box of polished pine
Like dead meat on a butcher's tray
My youngest son came home today

My youngest son was a fine young man
With a wife a daughter and two sons
A man he would have lived and died
Till by a bullet sanctified
Now he's a saint or so they say
They brought their Saint home today

Above the bombed and battered streets
The lowering sky looks down and weeps
On children's blood in gutters spilled
In dreams of Freedom unfulfilled
As part of Freedom's price to pay
My youngest son came home today

My youngest son came home today
His friends marched with him all the way
The flutes and drums beat out the time
As in his box of polished pine
Like dead meat on a butcher's tray
My youngest son came home today

And this time... he's home to stay

Sung by Eric Bogle on 'Bogle live in person' - recorded live in Germany, February 1977, Folkclub Munster - Autogram & Folk Records, Nottuln, Germany - ALLP-211

BACKGROUND. This song was of course written about thye war in Ireland, or perhaps I should say the troubles in Ulster. After being accused of favouring a) the Catholics and b) the Protestants, depending on whose side the accuser was on, I changed the song a little. And now I hope it is completely neutral, because I cannot take sides in the Ulster tragedy, except perhaps the side of the peace and reason which is as yet not prevailing. The song therefore could perhaps apply to any urban guerr illa situation prevalent in many countries throughout the world today. Eric Bogle.
Eric wrote this song in October 1974.

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(Thanks to Wolfgang who sent me these lyrics on paper - Ezio).