^GI was eighteen years ^Amold when I ^Gwent down to ^CDublin With a ^Gfistfull of ^Emmoney and a ^Amcartload of ^Ddreams. "Tak^Ge your time,"^Am; said my fath^Ger, "sto^Cp rushing like Hell, And r^Gemember all's ^Emnot what it s^D7eems to b^Ge.

For there's ^Dfellas who'd ^Emcut you for the ^Ccoat on your ^Gback, Or that ^Cwatch that you ^Emgot from your ^Dmother. So take ^Gcare, my young ^Ambucko, and ^Gmind yourself ^Cwell. And would you ^Ggive this wee ^D7note to my ^Gbrother."

At the ^Dtime, Uncle Benjy was a ^Cpoliceman in ^GBrooklyn, And my ^Dfather, the youngest, looked ^Cafter the ^Dfarm. Til a ^Gphone call from ^AmAmerica said &^Gquot;Send the^C lad over." And my ^Gold fella ^Emsaid, "Sure, t'woul^Ddn't do^G any harm.

For I've ^Cspent my life ^Dworking this ^Gdirty old ground For a ^Cfew pints of po^Drter and the s^Gmell of a pound. And sure, ma^Gybe there's ^Amsomething you'll ^Glearn or you'll ^Csee, And you can ^Gbring it back ^Emhome, make it ^D7easier on m^Ge."

^GSo, I landed at ^AmKennedy, and a ^Gbig yellow ^Ctaxi Carried ^Gme and my ^Embags through the ^Amstreets and the ^Drain. Well, my ^Gpoor heart was ^Amthumping a^Ground with ^Cexcitement, And I ^Ghardly even ^Emheard what the d^D7river was s^Gaying.

We came ^Din the Shore ^EmParkway through the ^Cflatlands in ^GBrooklyn, To my ^Cuncle's a^Empartment on East ^D53rd. I was ^Gfeeling so ^Amhappy, I was ^Ghumming a ^Csong, And I ^Gsang "You'r^D7e as free ^Gas a bird."

Well, to ^Dshorten the story, whatI ^Cfound out that ^Gday ^DWas that Benjy got shot do^Cwn in an^G uptown foray. And ^Gwhile I was ^Amflying my ^Gway to New^C York, Poor ^GBenjy was ^Emlying in a ^Dcold city ^Gmorgue.

Well, I ^Ccalled up my old fella, ^Dtold him the ^Gnews. I could ^Ctell he could hardly ^Gstand up in his ^Dshoes. And he ^Gwept as he ^Amtold me go a^Ghead with the ^Cplan, And ^Gnot to f^Emorget, be a ^Dproud Irish ^Gman.

^GSo, I went up to ^AmNellie's b^Geside Fordham ^CRoad, And I ^Gstarted to ^Emlearn about l^Amifting my ^Dload. But the^G heaviest ^Amthing that I ^Gcarried that ^Cyear Was the ^Gbittersweet ^Emthoughts of my ^D7hometown so ^Gdear.

I went ^Dhome that ^EmDecember cause my ^Cold fella ^Gdied. I had to ^Cborrow the ^Emmoney from a ^Amfella on the si^Dde. And ^Gall the bright ^Amflowers and b^Grass couldn't ^Chide The ^Gpoor, wasted ^D7face of my ^Gfather.

I sold ^Doff the old far yard for ^Cwhat it was ^Gworth, And i^Dnto my bag stuck a ^Chandful of ^Dearth. Then I ^Gboarded a ^Amtrain and I ^Gcaught me a ^Cplane, And I ^Gfound myself ^Emback in the ^DU.S. ^Gagain.

It's been ^Ctwenty-two years since I ^Gset foot in ^DDublin. My ^Ckids know to ^Duse the ^Ccorrect knife and ^Gfork. But I'll ^Gnever ^Amforget the green ^Ggrass and the ^Crivers, As I ^Gkeep law and ^Emorder in the ^Amstreets of New ^GYork

^GNa,na,na na,na,^Amna, na,na,n^Ga,na,na,n^Ca,na, Na,^Gna, na,na,^Emna, na,na,^Amna,na,na,n^Ga.