The H-Block Song
View chords used in this chart
Afinação: E A D G B ECapotraste: Sem capotraste
[Verse]
G C
I am a proud young Irishman.
D G
In Ulster's hills my life began;
Em Am
A happy boy through green fields ran;
D
I kept God's and man's laws.
G C
But when my age was barely ten
D G
My country's wrongs were told again.
Em Am
By tens of thousands marching men
D G
And my heart stirred to the cause.
[Chorus]
G C G
So I'll wear no convict's uniform
G D
Nor meekly serve my time
G C G
That Britain might brand lreland 's fight
G D G
Eight hundred years of crime.
[Verse]
G C
I learned of centuries of strife,
D G
Of cruel laws, injustice rife;
Em Am
I saw now in my own young life
D
The fruits of foreign sway:
G C
Protestors threatened, tortured, maimed,
D G
Divisions nurtured, passions flamed,
Em Am
Outrage provoked, right's cause defamed;
D G
That is the conqueror's way.
[Chorus]
G C G
So I'll wear no convict's uniform
G D
Nor meekly serve my time
G C G
That Britain might brand lreland 's fight
G D G
Eight hundred years of crime.
[Verse]
G C
Descended from proud Connacht clan,
D G
Concannon served cruel Britain' s plan;
Em Am
Man' s inhumanity to man
D
Had spawned a trusty slave.
G C
No strangers are these bolts and locks,
D G
No new design these dark H-Blocks,
Em Am
Black Cromwell lives while Mason stalks;
D G
The bully taunts the brave.
[Chorus]
G C G
So I'll wear no convict's uniform
G D
Nor meekly serve my time
G C G
That Britain might brand lreland 's fight
G D G
Eight hundred years of crime.
[Verse]
G C
Does Britain need a thousand years
D G
Of protest, riot, death and tears,
Em Am
Or will this past decade of fears
D
Of eighty decades spell
G C
An end to Ireland' s agony,
D G
New hope for human dignity;
Em Am
And will the last obscenity
D G
Be this grim H-Block cell?
[Chorus]
G C G
So I'll wear no convict's uniform
G D
Nor meekly serve my time
G C G
That Britain might brand lreland 's fight
G D G
Eight hundred years of crime.
How to play The H-Block Song
Use the controls above to change the key and text size. Follow the highlighted chords while listening, then practice each section slowly before playing at the original tempo.
What is the starting chord?
The first identified chord is E. You can transpose without leaving the page.
Can I play it on guitar or keyboard?
Yes. The chord progression works on acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keyboard. Adapt the voicings to your instrument and level.