xAfter hearing this song on BBC Radio Ulster, sung by Kathryn Duncan (I think) I decided to learn it on guitar. The version of the song I downloaded was The Sands Family - There Were Roses, a live recording from 1988. This work below is tabbed to be played with that track. I have seen one other version of this song tabbed on christianguitar.org and it uses "Bm" for parts of the song, however when I was tabbing out the live version I have, I found that "Bm" didn't work. Thanks to D.Baderman, who tabbed out the Christianguitar.org version, as he gave me a base to work from for my own tab for the live version. It's pretty accurate, however I think that the end of each verse when it ends with G, should have another note played. What that note is however I'm not sure. Please send any corrections to [email protected]. Visit Tommy Sands website: http://www.tommysands.com/ Standard tuning (or in my case, slightly flat of standard), with a capo on the second fret. D my song for you this evening G A D It's not to make you sad A nor for adding to the sorrows G D of this troubled northern land D but lately I been thinking G A D and it just won't leave my mind A to tell you of two friends one time G D who were both good friends of mine D alan bell from benagh G A D he lived just across the fields A a great man for the music G D and the dancing and the reels D o'malley came from south armagh G A D to court young alice fair A and we'd often meet on the ryan road G D and laughter filled the air G D G D G D there were roses, roses, there were roses D A G D and the tears of the people ran together D alan he was protestant G A D and sean was catholic born A it never made a difference G D for the friendship it was strong D and sometimes in the evening G A D when we heard the sound of the drums A we said it won't divide us G D we will always be the ones D for the ground our fathers ploughed in G A D well the soil is just the same A and the places where we say our prayers G D have just got different names D we talked about the friends who died G A D and hoped there'd be no more A it was little then that we realised G D the tragedy in store G D G D G D there were roses, roses, there were roses D A G D and the tears of the people ran together D it was on the sunday morning G A D when the awful news came round A another killing has been done G D just outside newry town D we knew that alan danced up there G A D we knew he liked the band A when we heard that he was dead G D we just could not understand D we gathered at the graveside G A D on that cold and rainy day A and the minister he closed his eyes G D and he prayed for no revenge D and all the ones who knew him G A D from along the ryan road bowed their heads A and said a prayer G D for the resting of his soul G D G D G D there were roses, roses, there were roses D A G D and the tears of the people ran together D well fear it filled the countryside G A D there was fear in every home A when the car of death came prowling G D round the lonely ryan road D a catholic will be killed tonight G A D to even up the score A o christ it's young o'malley G D that they've taken from the door D "alan was my friend" he cried G A D he begged them with his fear A but centuries of hatred G D have ears that cannot hear D an eye for an eye G A D was all that filled their minds A and another eye for another eye G D till everyone is blind G D G D G D there were roses, roses, there were roses D A G D and the tears of the people ran together D so my song for you this evening G A D it's not to make you sad A nor for adding to the sorrows G D of this troubled northern land D but lately I been thinking G A D and it just won't leave my mind A to tell you of two friends one time G D who were both good friends of mine D I don't know where the moral is G A D or where this song should end A but I wonder just how many wars G D are fought between good friends D and those that give the orders G A D are not the ones to die A it's bell and o'malley G D and the likes of you and I G D G D G D there were roses, roses, there were roses D A G D and the tears of the people ran together G D G D G D there were roses, roses, there were roses
