I WAS EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD
WHEN I WENT DOWN TO DUBLIN
WITH A FISTFUL OF MONEY
AND A CARTLOAD OF DREAMS
TAKE YOUR TIME
SAID ME FATHER
STOP RUSHING LIKE HELL
AND REMEMBER ALL IS NOT
WHAT IT SEEMS TO BE
FOR THERE'S
FELLAS WOULD CUT YER
FOR THE COAT ON YOUR BACK
OR THE WATCH THAT YER GOT
FROM YOUR MOTHER
SO, TAKE CARE
ME YOUNG BUCK-O
AND MIND YOURSELF WELL
AND WILL YER GIVE THIS
WEE NOTE TO ME BROTHER
AT THE TIME, UNCLE BENJY
WAS A POLICEMAN IN BROOKLYN
AND ME FATHER, THE YOUNGEST
LOOKED AFTER THE FARM
WHEN A PHONECALL
FROM AMERICA
SAID, SEND THE LAD OVER
AND THE OLD FELLA SAID
SURE, IT WOULDN'T
DO ANY HARM
FOR I'VE SPENT MY LIFE WORKIN'
THIS DIRTY OLD GROUND
FOR A FEW PINTS OF PORTER
AND THE SMELL OF A POUND
AND SURE
MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING
YOU'LL LEARN AND YOU'LL SEE
AND YOU CAN
BRING IT BACK HOME
MAKE IT EASY ON ME...
SO, I LANDED AT KENNEDY
AND A BIG YELLOW TAXI
CARRIED ME AND ME BAGS
THROUGH THE STREETS
AND THE RAIN
WELL, ME POOR HEART
WAS THUMPIN'
AROUND WITH EXCITEMENT
AND I HARDLY EVEN HEARD
WHAT THE DRIVER WAS SAYING
WE CAME IN
THE SHORE PARKWAY
TO THE FLATLANDS IN BROOKLYN
TO MY UNCLE'S APARTMENT
ON THE EAST FIFTY-THIRD
I WAS FEELIN' SO HAPPY
I WAS HUMMIN' A SONG
AND I SANG
YOU'RE AS FREE AS A BIRD
WELL, TO SHORTEN THE STORY
WHAT I FOUND OUT THAT DAY
WAS THAT BENJY
GOT SHOT DOWN
IN AN UPTOWN FORAY
AND WHILE I WAS FLYIN'
MY WAY TO NEW YORK
POOR BENJY WAS LYING
IN A COLD CITY MORGUE
WELL, I PHONED UP
THE OLD FELLA
TOLD HIM THE NEWS
I COULD TELL
HE COULD HARDLY
STAND UP IN HIS SHOES
AND HE WEPT, AS HE TOLD ME
GO AHEAD WITH THE PLAN
AND NOT TO FORGET
BE A PROUD IRISHMAN
SO, I WENT UP TO NELLIE'S
BESIDE FORDHAM ROAD
AND I STARTED TO LEARN
ABOUT LIFTING THE LOAD
BUT THE HEAVIEST THING
THAT I CARRIED THAT YEAR
WAS THE BITTERSWEET
THOUGHTS OF MY
HOMETOWN SO DEAR
I WENT HOME THAT DECEMBER
'CAUSE THE OLD FELLA DIED
HAD TO BORROW THE MONEY
FROM PHIL ON THE SIDE
AND ALL THE BRIGHT FLOWERS
AND BRASS COULDN'T HIDE
THE POOR WASTED FACE
OF ME FATHER
I SOLD UP THE OLD FARMYARD
FOR WHAT IT WAS WORTH
AND INTO MY BAG
STUCK A HANDFUL OF EARTH
THEN I BOARDED A TRAIN
AND I CAUGHT ME A PLANE
AND I FOUND MYSELF BACK
IN THE U.S. AGAIN
IT'S BEEN TWENTY TWO YEARS
SINCE I'VE SET FOOT IN DUBLIN
ME KIDS KNOW TO USE
THE CORRECT KNIFE AND FORK
BUT I'LL NEVER FORGET
THE GREEN GRASS
AND THE RIVERS
AS I KEEP LAW AND ORDER
IN THE STREETS OF NEW YORK
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