I was born in the Dublin streets
Where the loyal drums do beat
And the loving English feet walked all over us
Where each and every night
When me dad would come home tight
He'd call the neighbors out with this chorus

"Come out you black and tans, come out and fight me like a man
Show your wife how you won medals down in Flanders
Show her how the IRA made you run like hell away
From the green and lovely lanes of Killeshandra"

Come tell us how you slew them old Arabs two by two
Like the Zulus they had knives and bows and arrows
How bravely you faced one with your 16-pounder gun
And you frightened all the natives to the marrow

"Come out you black and tans, come out and fight me like a man
Show your wife how you won medals down in Flanders
Show her how the IRA made you run like hell away
From the green and lovely lanes of Killeshandra"

Come let us hear you tell how you slew the great Parnell
And showed him what was well and persecuted
Where are the stares and jeers that you proudly let us hear
When our heroes of '16 were executed?

"Come out you black and tans, come out and fight me like a man
Show your wife how you won medals down in Flanders
Show her how the IRA made you run like hell away
From the green and lovely lanes of Killeshandra"

Come out you British huns, come out and fight without your guns
Show your wife how you won medals up in Derry
You murdered five young men and you'd do the same again
So get out of here and take your bloody army

"Come out you black and tans, come out and fight me like a man
Show your wife how you won medals down in Flanders
Show her how the IRA made you run like hell away
From the green and lovely lanes of Killeshandra"

"Come out you black and tans, fight me like a man
Show your wife how you won medals down in Flanders
Show her how the IRA made you run like hell away
From the green and lovely lanes of Killeshandra
From the green and lovely lanes of Killeshandra"