Saxon Shiling Songtext
von The Dubliners

Hark! a martial sound is heard
The march of soldiers fifing
Drumming eyes are starting
Hearts are stirred for bold recruits
The brave are coming
Ribbons flaunting, feathers gay
The sound and sight are surely thrilling
Dazzled village youths today
Will crowd to take the Saxon Shilling
These whose spirits will not bow
In peace to parish tyrants longer
Ye who wear the villain brow
And ye who pine in hopeless hunger
Fools without the brave man′s faith
All slaves and starvelings who
Are willing to sell themselves
To shame and death accept
The fatal Saxon Shilling
Go to find but crime and toil
The doom to which such guilt is hurried


Go to leave on Indian soil
Your bones to bleach a corset and buried
Go to crush the just and brave
Whose wrongs with wrath the world are filling
Go to slay each mother's slave
Or spurn the bloodstained Saxon Shilling
Irish hearts, why should you bleed
To swell the tide of British glory
Aiding despots in their need
Whose chains are green, so oft are gory
None save those who wish to see
The noblest killed, the meanest killing
And the true hearts severed from the free
Will take again the Saxon Shilling
Irish youths, reserve your strength
Until an hour of glorious duty
When freedom′s smile shall cheer at length
The land of bravery and beauty
Bribes and threats so heed no more
Let naught but justice make you willing
To leave your own dear island shore
For those to send the Saxon Shilling