After hearing this song on BBC Radio Ulster, sung by Kathryn Duncan (I think) I decided to learn it on guitar. The version of the song I downloaded was The Sands Family - There Were Roses, a live recording from 1988. This work below is tabbed to be played with that track. I have seen one other version of this song tabbed on christianguitar.org and it uses "Bm" for parts of the song, however when I was tabbing out the live version I have, I found that "Bm" didn't work. Thanks to D.Baderman, who tabbed out the Christianguitar.org version, as he gave me a base to work from for my own tab for the live version. It's pretty accurate, however I think that the end of each verse when it ends with G, should have another note played. What that note is however I'm not sure. Please send any corrections to eekeekeek@hotmail.co.uk. Visit Tommy Sands website: http://www.tommysands.com/ Standard tuning (or in my case, slightly flat of standard), with a capo on the second fret.

^Dmy song for you this evening It's ^Gnot to m^Aake you ^Dsad nor for adding to the s^Aorrows of this t^Groubled northern land ^Dbut lately I been thinking and it j^Gust won't le^Aave my m^Dind to tell you of two ^Afriends one time who were b^Goth good friends of mine ^Dalan bell from benagh he lived j^Gust acros^As the fi^Delds a great man for the ^Amusic and the d^Gancing and the reels ^Do'malley came from south armagh to c^Gourt young a^Alice f^Dair and we'd often meet on the r^Ayan road and l^Gaughter filled the air

there were ^Gros^Des, ^Gro^Dses, there were ^Gro^Dses and the ^Dtears of the ^Apeople ran ^Gtogether ^D

^Dalan he was protestant and s^Gean was c^Aatholic ^Dborn it never made a ^Adifference for the ^Gfriendship it was strong ^Dand sometimes in the evening when we he^Gard the s^Aound of the d^Drums we said it won't ^Adivide us we will a^Glways be the ones ^Dfor the ground our fathers ploughed in well the ^Gsoil is j^Aust the ^Dsame and the places where we ^Asay our prayers have j^Gust got different names ^Dwe talked about the friends who died and h^Goped there'd ^Abe no ^Dmore it was little then that we ^Arealised the t^Gragedy in store

there were ^Gros^Des, ^Gro^Dses, there were ^Gro^Dses and the ^Dtears of the ^Apeople ran ^Gtogether ^D

^Dit was on the sunday morning when the ^Gawful n^Aews came ^Dround another killing ^Ahas been done just ^Goutside newry town ^Dwe knew that alan danced up there we k^Gnew he l^Aiked the b^Dand when we heard that ^Ahe was dead we just c^Gould not understand ^Dwe gathered at the graveside on that c^Gold and ^Arainy ^Dday and the minister he c^Alosed his eyes and he p^Grayed for no revenge ^Dand all the ones who knew him from a^Glong the ^Aryan ^Droad

bowed their heads

and ^Asaid a prayer for the ^Gresting of his soul

there were ^Gros^Des, ^Gro^Dses, there were ^Gro^Dses and the ^Dtears of the ^Apeople ran ^Gtogether ^D

^Dwell fear it filled the countryside there was ^Gfear in ^Aevery ^Dhome when the car of death came ^Aprowling round the l^Gonely ryan road ^Da catholic will be killed tonight to ^Geven ^Aup the ^Dscore o christ it's young ^Ao'malley that they've ^Gtaken from the door ^D"alan was my friend" he cried he ^Gbegged them ^Awith his ^Dfear but centuries of ^Ahatred have ^Gears that cannot hear ^Dan eye for an eye was a^Gll that f^Ailled their ^Dminds and another eye for a^Another eye till e^Gveryone is blind

there were ^Gros^Des, ^Gro^Dses, there were ^Gro^Dses and the ^Dtears of the ^Apeople ran ^Gtogether ^D

^Dso my song for you this evening it's ^Gnot to ^Amake you ^Dsad nor for adding to the ^Asorrows of this ^Gtroubled northern land ^Dbut lately I been thinking and it ^Gjust won't ^Aleave my ^Dmind to tell you of two ^Afriends one time who were ^Gboth good friends of mine

^DI don't know where the moral is or ^Gwhere this ^Asong should ^Dend but I wonder just how ^Amany wars are ^Gfought between good friends ^Dand those that give the orders are ^Gnot the ^Aones to ^Ddie it's bell and ^Ao'malley and the l^Gikes of you and i

there were ^Gros^Des, ^Gro^Dses, there were ^Gro^Dses and the ^Dtears of the ^Apeople ran ^Gtogether ^D

there were ^Gros^Des, ^Gro^Dses, there were ^Gro^Dses

Tommy Sands - There were roses