Marchin' down O'Connell street With a Starry Plough on high Here comes the Citizen's Army With their fists raised to the sky And leadin' them was a mighty man With a mad rage in his eye "My name is James Connolly I didn't come here to die"
But to fight for the rights of the workin' man The small farmer too To protect the proletariat From the bosses and their screws
So hold onto your rifles, boys Don't give up the dream A Republic for the workin' class Economic... liberty!
Then Jem cries out, "Oh, citizens This system is a curse An English boss is a monster An Irish one is worse They'll never lock us out again And here's the reason why My name is James Connolly I didn't come here to die"
But to fight for the rights of the workin' man The small farmer too To protect the proletariat From the bosses and their screws
So hold onto your rifles, boys Don't give up the dream A Republic for the workin' class Economic... liberty!
Now over in the GPO With the bullets whizzin' by There's Pearse and Sean McDermott They're tellin' each other goodbye Up steps our citizen leaders As he roars out to the sky "My name is James Connelly I didn't come here to die"
But to fight for the rights of the workin' man The small farmer too To protect the proletariat From the bosses and their screws
So hold onto your rifles, boys Don't give up the dream A Republic for the workin' class Economic... liberty!
We fought them to a standstill While the flames lit up the sky Till a bullet pierced our leader And we gave up on the fight They shot him in Kilmainham Gaol But they'll never stop his cry "My name is James Connolly I didn't come here to die"
But to fight for the rights of the workin' man The small farmer too To protect the proletariat From the bosses and their screws
So hold onto your rifles, boys Don't give up the dream A Republic for the workin' class Economic... liberty, hey!
So hold onto your rifles, boys Don't give up the dream A Republic for the workin' class Economic liberty!