Shake the hand that shook the world
Shoe-shine boy to champion, he’d fought and beaten many foes
His calling card was a kick to the groin, and a broken bottle to the bridge of the nose
He aimed to kill when he took to the ring, this Boston strong boy loved to fight
On more than one occasion, a bout was stopped to save an opponents life
Shake the hand that shook the world
For Blood and Whiskey with a bare knuckled fist
Everybody’s running out, bodies hit the ground,
You’d better take cover — it’s a pipebomb on Lansdowne street
There’s no room for dancing on your precious floors,
‘Cause you’ve got to save space for the jocks and whores
You say that our shows are for violent thugs,
But we’re not the ones on designer drugs
It’s not a bunch of little kids we’re out to harm and maim, so maim
So make sure the night you hurl the pipe there’s no baseball game
Look for flyers, check the Phoenix, are there any decent shows,
If Keith Bennett isn’t working then the bomb is good to go
I’m living with a perfect stranger, is there anybody home?
I’m living with a perfect stranger, but I find myself alone
Well I’m still working to make life better, though I’ve fallen from God’s grace
I’m standing still in a shattered mirror, staring at somebody else’s face
Just when things are back on track, I sabotage myself
These are all certain telltale signs of my decaying mental health
Nobody’s Home!!!
Who’s gonna save us from this lonely picket line,
10 years of service but I’m still not worth your time
And I’ve seen men give their lives, and heard the stories that they tell
Of how they labored for this company which sold it’s soul to hell
Times may be changing but I’ll never leave behind the hopes
And thoughts I have of better days for families such as mine
Because if history repeats itself and time will surely tell
What goes around will come around and you’ll know our pain too well
Who’s gonna save us from this lonely picket line,
10 years of service but I’m still not worth your time
And I’ve seen men give their lives, and heard the stories that they tell
Of how they labored for this company which sold it’s soul to hell
Through thick and thin,
She stood by you
She held the key to my broken heart
I look back and wonder,
Sit and ponder
How I could have ever neglected you
For the blood soaked soil on the old ball field,
I gambled on a hand I wasn’t ready to lose
But if the tables were turned and I faced the troubles,
Tough times and struggles I put you through
I’d of been there as you were through hardship and horror
My life and my love are pledged to you
Remember the nights she waited and wondered,
fused to a myth that it had taken it’s toll.
But this Godless man has mended his way,
Never again will she be alone
I remember it well,
Still I always knew that she was destined to be my bride
This woman had pride,
She was full of life.
I could see the passion in her eyes.
She thought she found a man,
But she fell for the devil
An evil monster in disguise.
Now I’ll honor and obey,
Forever stay.
True to you, my Irish rose
Chorus: Because they’ll do it again, they’ve done it before,
The Devils Brigade
Headed down a dead end road with the Devils Brigade
You’re being led astray
The crew will not rest until your life’s in the piss
Stop and think of you’re future, the chances you’ll miss
Looking back on a resume of corruption and crime
Cause you wasted your youth, taken down in your prime
Dying to belong though it’s tearing you apart
A bullet to the head and a knife to the heart
Are the tools of the trade in this cold life of crime
A smart, decent kid who has now lost his mind
So may this round be on the corpse of a dead man,
With a toast that tells of a love you never shared
So as we dance on the grave of the misbehaved
Raise your glass!
And sing the praise of a fallen soul
Many bow their heads for this man they know so well,
With solemn thoughts they’ll drink and drug for a resurrection
(Facing death we fear no danger)
While Mothers shed their tears through a vail of desperation
These fiends of a vicious breed raise holy hell
How many times can fate be changed,
The dice be rolled is there no path of least resistance,
For the bold (It’s never sought and rarely taken)
From the bookmaker’s clerk on the rowdy racing circuit
Known as Tom Sharkey’s brawling bar
To the tenders at the pubs and illegal sporting clubs
In this town I call my home
You see, I come from a family who more or less traditionally
Sends its boys off to serve uncle Sam
«Obey your orders and protect your country»
Said this father to his disheartened son
I’ve traveled over seas, seen forks in the road
From Raven to the pubs near Cunard Pier
But the things weren’t the same, as the place where I became,
A man in this town I call my home.
We work hard now lets enjoy the fruits of what we’ve done,
Tomorrow may never come
The kids on the street will have their say now — Because!
We’ve had enough of these negative comparisons
It’s a new breed of kids
Brought together by a movement and a sense of tradition
The strong will survive
And together our backs can never be broken
‘Cause now our scene’s alive with a new generation of American kids.
It was in the month of April,
When the boys they sailed away
And they made a sight so glorious,
As they marched along Broadway
They marched right down Broadway, me boys,
Until they reached the shore
And from there they went to Washington,
And straight unto the war
Chorus:
So we gave them a hearty cheer, me boys,
It was greeted with a smile
Singing here’s to the boys who feared no noise,
We’re the Fighting Sixty Ninth
And when the war is said and done,
May heaven spare our lives
For its only then we can return,
To our loved ones and our wives
We’ll take them in our arms, me boys,
For a long night and a day
And we’ll hope that war will come no more,
To sweet America
So farewell unto you dear New York,
Will I ever see you once more
For it fills my heart with sorrow,
To leave your sylvan shore
But the country now it is calling us,
And we must hasten fore
So here’s to the stars and stripes, me boys,
And to Ireland’s lovely shore
And here’s to Murphy and Devine,
Of honor and renown
Who did escort our heroes,
Unto the battle ground
And said unto our colonel,
We must fight hand to hand
Until we plant the stars and stripes,
Way down in Dixieland
Intelligent,
Respectable,
But made of modest means With an independent spirit, so full of hopes and dreams
Opportunity denied them in a doomed and starving land
Came these openhearted kindly spirits of a truly threatened man
Chorus:
Down and out, I scream and I shout.
For this man from whom I need my advice
If the price is your life son, you’d better think twice as you march to the front like a soldier
So you’d think I’d aspire for greatness, hell-Bent to make a name on my own
Genetically programmed for the Wheel of Misfortune, I’m an heir to an unwanted throne
Chorus:
Now they’ve all got their theories,
opinions and such about this man who is down on his luck
Well the offers are plenty,
my options are many, still I opt to face my problems alone.
Singing Hail, Hail, the Gangs All Here.
Leave your worries at the door boy, they’re not going anywhere
Hail, hail the gang’s all here
When the going gets tough, I know my friends will still be there
Well you’re walking down the road and the wind is in your face
You’re down and out and the unemployment line’s a mile long
The money in your pocket may not get you through the day
But cheer up son I know a place where mugs like us belong
Pick your heart up off the ground though I’m sure it weights a ton
You’re no better or no worse than any mothers son
Though you’re up against all odds and you’re backed against the wall
You recall the cheer, «The Gang’s All Here» and shout!