The Minstrel Boy --- Thomas Moore (1779-1852)
The [D]minstrel boy to the [A]war has [D]gone,
In the [G]ranks of [D]death you will [A]find [D]him.
His [D]father’s sword he hath [A]girded [D]on,
And his [G]wild harp [D]slung be-[A]hind [D]him.
[G] “Land of Song!” cried the [A]warrior [D]bard,
“Though [G]all the world be-[A]tray [D]thee,
One [G]sword at least thy [A]right shall [D]guard,
One [G]faithful [D]harp shall [A]praise [D]thee!”.
The [D]minstrel fell but the [A]foeman’s [D]steel
Could [G]not bring [D]that soul [A]un-[D]der.
The [D]harp he loved never [A]spoke a-[D]gain,
For he [G]tore it’s [D]cords a-[A]sun-[D]der.
And [G]said: “No chains shall [A]sully [D]thee,
Thou [G]soul of love and [A]braver-[D]y.
Thy [G]songs were made for the [A]pure and [D]free.
They shall [G]never [D]sound in [A]slave-[D]ry.”
US Civil War verse.
The [D]minstrel boy will re-[A]turn, we [D]pray.
When we [G]hear the [D]news we will [A]cheer [D]it.
The [D]minstrel boy will re-[A]turn one [D]day,
Torn per-[G]haps in [D]body, not in [A]spir-[D]it.
Then [G]may he play on his [A]harp in [D]peace,
In a [G]world such as Heav’n has in-[A]tend-[D]ed.
For [G]all the bitterness of [A]man must [D]cease,
And [G]ev’ry [D]battle must be [A]end-[D]ed.