Start the fire,hand me the spuds get your your skates on its late!
Were is the wood the fire is dying,look at the state of your face!
Clear off that spot next to the chair ,
sit down here i'll make a start on your hair.
Get me your sister shes not looking well.
Are her hands cold,Im numb, I cant tell
Put that bowl under that leak
Your father will be home later this week
Come here my darlings keep warm next to me
This war will be over soon you will see.
They cant keep us like this forever now can they?
We'll have to wait out for now before you can play
Dont think about what happened to paddy next door
We'll get through this even though we are poor
He didnt pay tax to those dogs who came by
and as a price had to pay up and then horrifically die
Your father will come back with the pay in his hand,
they'll not bring us down you must understand
Now lie next to me and Ill sing you to sleep
and dream upon the promise I keep.
I promise to keep you all safe from harms way
and dad will be home with that unfair pay
I promise we'll live in a warm house soon
playing outside till we see the moon.
As soon as we can we'll bid fairwell to our home
Head for America we'll not be alone.
Then my hungry scared little dears,
we'll wait there a couple of years.
We'll go home to our cottage where the grass is so green
to build once again in dear old Skibereen.