SHANKILL TO THE SOMME


At the age of sixteen years, he left his home in tears,
His mother watched, as he walked out the door,
As his family bade farewell, his neighbours wished him well,
From the road his dad and brother took before.

And as the ship set sail for France, he gave Belfast one more glance,
As the ship began to move away from shore,
He could see there on the land, the proud YCV flute band,
And could hear them play "The Sash My Father Wore."

From the Shankill Road they went,
Their young lives, to be spent,
On the first day of July, so long Ago,
All the deeds that they have done,
And the glories they had won,
We remember as long as the bright red poppy's grow.

When they charged from Thiepval wood,
They were in a fighting mood,
As they forced their way, across the fields of fire,
As they stormed that great redoubt,
You could hear those Ulster shout,
As they lay dyin midst the shells and twisted wire

From the Shankill Road they went,
their young lives to be spent,
On the first day of July, so long Ago,
All the deeds that they had done,
And the glory they had won,
We remember as long as the bright red poppy's grow.

From the Shankill Road they went,
Their young lives, to be spent,
On the first day of July, so long Ago,
All the deeds that they have done,
And the glories they had won,
We remember as long as the bright red poppy's grow.

On the 9th day of July, you could hear a mothers cry
Her eyes were red and filled with loving tears,
Oh God my son has died, he was fighting side by side,
With the boys and men of the Ulster volunteers,
Those boys and men of the Ulster volunteers.

==
source http://orangesongbook.blogspot.com/2011/05/shankill-to-somme.html

There are a few recordings on youtube, including this one sung by Alex Allen (deceased 2015)