Saint Patrick Battalion-David Rovics

[ti:Saint Patrick Battalion] [ar:David Rovics] [al:Behind The Baricade: The Best Of David Rovics] [by:] [offset:0] [00:00.34]Saint Patrick Battalion - David Rovics [00:01.60] [00:27.58]My name is john Riley [00:28.87] [00:29.96]I'll have your ear only a while [00:31.74] [00:33.25]I left my dear home in Ireland [00:35.39] [00:36.35]It was death starvation or exile [00:38.09] [00:40.92]And when I got to America [00:42.11] [00:43.33]It was my duty to go [00:45.19] [00:47.16]Enter the army and slog across Texas [00:49.95]To join in the war against Mexico [00:52.15] [00:55.30]It was there in the pueblos and hillsides [00:57.60] [00:58.87]That I saw the mistake I had made [01:00.94] [01:02.77]Part of a conquering army [01:04.47] [01:05.52]With the morals of a bayonet blade [01:07.55] [01:08.95]So in the midst of these poor dying Catholics [01:10.90] [01:12.11]Screaming children the burning stench of it all [01:14.65] [01:15.89]Myself and two hundred Irishmen [01:18.25] [01:19.44]Decided to rise to the call [01:21.57] [01:22.32]From Dublin city to San Diego [01:25.05] [01:26.76]We witnessed freedom denied [01:28.54] [01:29.65]So we formed the saint Patrick battalion [01:31.93] [01:32.87]And we fought on the Mexican side [01:35.37] [01:36.84]So we formed the saint Patrick battalion [01:38.91] [01:39.65]And we fought on the Mexican side [01:42.07] [01:45.37]We marched 'neath the green flag of saint Patrick [01:48.11] [01:48.81]Emblazoned with Erin go Bragg [01:50.60] [01:52.61]Bright with the harp and the shamrock [01:54.48] [01:55.27]And libertad para Mexicali [01:56.80] [01:59.08]Just fifty years after wolf tone [02:00.89] [02:02.30]Five thousand miles away [02:03.75] [02:05.10]The yanks called us a legion of strangers [02:07.43] [02:08.61]And they can talk as they may [02:11.28]From Dublin city to San Diego [02:14.54] [02:16.16]We witnessed freedom denied [02:18.10] [02:19.01]So we formed the saint Patrick battalion [02:21.36] [02:22.16]And we fought on the Mexican side [02:24.41] [02:25.91]So we formed the saint Patrick battalion [02:28.13] [02:28.74]And we fought on the Mexican side [02:31.00] [02:34.48]We fought them in matamoros [02:36.60] [02:37.57]Where their volunteers were raping the nuns [02:39.60] [02:41.06]In monterey and cerro gordo [02:42.98] [02:44.11]We fought on as Ireland's sons [02:45.89] [02:47.53]We were the red headed fighters for freedom [02:49.40] [02:50.78]Amidst these brown skinned women and men [02:52.98] [02:53.83]Side by side we fought against Tyranny [02:56.98] [02:57.88]And I daresay we'd do it again [02:59.81] [03:01.07]From Dublin city to San Diego [03:03.73] [03:05.50]We witnessed freedom denied [03:07.66] [03:08.55]So we formed the saint Patrick battalion [03:10.92] [03:11.72]And we fought on the Mexican side [03:14.39] [03:15.43]So we formed the saint Patrick battalion [03:18.58]And we fought on the Mexican side [03:21.07] [04:09.80]We fought them in five major battles [04:12.07] [04:13.21]Churobusco was the last [04:14.88] [04:16.25]Overwhelmed by the cannons from Boston [04:18.62] [04:19.70]We fell after each mortar blast [04:21.75] [04:23.56]Most of us died on that hillside [04:25.29] [04:26.35]In the service of the Mexican state [04:28.16] [04:29.69]So far from our occupied homeland [04:32.21] [04:33.16]We were heroes and victims of fate [04:35.25] [04:36.45]From Dublin city to San Diego [04:39.19] [04:40.87]We witnessed freedom denied [04:42.88] [04:43.82]So we formed the saint Patrick battalion [04:46.14] [04:47.06]And we fought on the Mexican side [04:49.64] [04:50.48]From Dublin city to San Diego [04:53.06] [04:54.91]We witnessed freedom denied [04:56.89] [04:57.77]So we formed the saint Patrick battalion [04:59.98] [05:00.92]And we fought on the Mexican side [05:03.63] [05:05.09]So we formed the saint Patrick battalion [05:07.50] [05:08.08]And we fought on the Mexican side