Once upon a time there was Irish Ways and Irish Laws Villages of Irish blood Waking to the morning Then the Vikings came around (4) Turned us up and turned us down Started building boats and towns They tried to change our living They tried to change our living Cromwell and his soldiers came (1) Started centuries of shame But they would not make us turn (2) We are a river flowing We're a river flowing Again, again the soldiers came Burnt our houses stole our grain Shot the farmers in the fields Working for a living Working for a living 800 years we have been down (3) The secrets of the water sound Has kept the spirit of a man Above the pain descending Above the pain descending Today the struggle carries on I wonder will I live so long To see the gates being opened up (4) To a people and their freedom A people and their freedom