In nineteen hundred and sixteen The forces of the Crown To capture the orange, white and green Bombarded Dublin town In twenty-one Brittania's sons were forced to wear their pain when The black and tans Like lightning ran From the rifles of the IRA They burned their way through Munster And laid Lienster on the rack In Caugnaught and in Ulster March those men in brown and black They shot down wives and children in their own barbaric way then The black and tans Like lightning ran From the rifles of the IRA ♪ They hanged young Kevin Barry high A lad of 18 years Cork cities flames lit up the sky But the brave men knew no fear The cork brigades with hand grenades in ambush waiting lay then The black and tans Like lightning ran From the rifles of the IRA The tans were taken out and shot by a brave and fearless few Sean Treacey, Denny Lacey and Tom Barry's gallant crew We're not free yet, and won't forget until our dying day when The black and tans Like lightning ran From the rifles of the IRA And the black and tans Like lightning ran From the rifles of the IRA