^FI was eighteen years ^Dmold when I ^Fwent down to ^FDublin With a ^Ffistfull of ^Ammoney and a ^Dmcartload of ^Gdreams. "Tak^Fe your time,"^Dm; said my fath^Fer, "sto^Fp rushing like Hell, And r^Femember all's ^Amnot what it s^G7eems to b^Fe.

For there's ^Gfellas who'd ^Amcut you for the ^Fcoat on your ^Fback, Or that ^Fwatch that you ^Amgot from your ^Gmother. So take ^Fcare, my young ^Dmbucko, and ^Fmind yourself ^Fwell. And would you ^Fgive this wee ^G7note to my ^Fbrother."

At the ^Gtime, Uncle Benjy was a ^Fpoliceman in ^FBrooklyn, And my ^Gfather, the youngest, looked ^Fafter the ^Gfarm. Til a ^Fphone call from ^DmAmerica said &^Fquot;Send the^F lad over." And my ^Fold fella ^Amsaid, "Sure, t'woul^Gdn't do^F any harm.

For I've ^Fspent my life ^Gworking this ^Fdirty old ground For a ^Ffew pints of po^Grter and the s^Fmell of a pound. And sure, ma^Fybe there's ^Dmsomething you'll ^Flearn or you'll ^Fsee, And you can ^Fbring it back ^Amhome, make it ^G7easier on m^Fe."

^FSo, I landed at ^DmKennedy, and a ^Fbig yellow ^Ftaxi Carried ^Fme and my ^Ambags through the ^Dmstreets and the ^Grain. Well, my ^Fpoor heart was ^Dmthumping a^Fround with ^Fexcitement, And I ^Fhardly even ^Amheard what the d^G7river was s^Faying.

We came ^Gin the Shore ^AmParkway through the ^Fflatlands in ^FBrooklyn, To my ^Funcle's a^Ampartment on East ^G53rd. I was ^Ffeeling so ^Dmhappy, I was ^Fhumming a ^Fsong, And I ^Fsang "You'r^G7e as free ^Fas a bird."

Well, to ^Gshorten the story, whatI ^Ffound out that ^Fday ^GWas that Benjy got shot do^Fwn in an^F uptown foray. And ^Fwhile I was ^Dmflying my ^Fway to New^F York, Poor ^FBenjy was ^Amlying in a ^Gcold city ^Fmorgue.

Well, I ^Fcalled up my old fella, ^Gtold him the ^Fnews. I could ^Ftell he could hardly ^Fstand up in his ^Gshoes. And he ^Fwept as he ^Dmtold me go a^Fhead with the ^Fplan, And ^Fnot to f^Amorget, be a ^Gproud Irish ^Fman.

^FSo, I went up to ^DmNellie's b^Feside Fordham ^FRoad, And I ^Fstarted to ^Amlearn about l^Dmifting my ^Gload. But the^F heaviest ^Dmthing that I ^Fcarried that ^Fyear Was the ^Fbittersweet ^Amthoughts of my ^G7hometown so ^Fdear.

I went ^Ghome that ^AmDecember cause my ^Fold fella ^Fdied. I had to ^Fborrow the ^Ammoney from a ^Dmfella on the si^Gde. And ^Fall the bright ^Dmflowers and b^Frass couldn't ^Fhide The ^Fpoor, wasted ^G7face of my ^Ffather.

I sold ^Goff the old far yard for ^Fwhat it was ^Fworth, And i^Gnto my bag stuck a ^Fhandful of ^Gearth. Then I ^Fboarded a ^Dmtrain and I ^Fcaught me a ^Fplane, And I ^Ffound myself ^Amback in the ^GU.S. ^Fagain.

It's been ^Ftwenty-two years since I ^Fset foot in ^GDublin. My ^Fkids know to ^Guse the ^Fcorrect knife and ^Ffork. But I'll ^Fnever ^Dmforget the green ^Fgrass and the ^Frivers, As I ^Fkeep law and ^Amorder in the ^Dmstreets of New ^FYork

^FNa,na,na na,na,^Dmna, na,na,n^Fa,na,na,n^Fa,na, Na,^Fna, na,na,^Amna, na,na,^Dmna,na,na,n^Fa.