Armoured cars and tanks and guns Came to take away our sons But every man must stand behind The men behind the wire Armoured cars and tanks and guns Came to take away our sons But every man must stand behind The men behind the wire Through the little streets of Belfast In the dark of early morn British soldiers came marauding Wrecking little homes with scorn Heedless of the crying children Dragging fathers from their beds Beating sons while helpless mothers Watched the blood poor from their heads Armoured cars and tanks and guns Came to take away our sons But every man must stand behind The men behind the wire Not for them a judge and jury Nor indeed a trial at all But being Irish means you're guilty So we're guilty one and all Round the world the truth will echo Cromwell's men are here again England's name again is sullied In the eyes of honest men. Armoured cars and tanks and guns Came to take away our sons But every man must stand behind The men behind the wire Proud we march behind our banner Firm we stand behind our men We will have them free to help us Build a nation once again On the people step together Proudly firmly on their way Never fear never falter Till the boys are home to stay Armoured cars and tanks and guns Came to take away our sons But every man must stand behind The men behind the wire Armoured cars and tanks and guns Came to take away our sons But every man must stand behind The men behind the wire But every man must stand behind The men behind the wire