AIR -- 'Viva La Compagnie'
G (D7 G)
What Gladstone says to the working men
D7 G
Is: "Ireland Blocks the Way"
G (C)
You must give him your votes he says; and then
"Ireland Blocks the Way"
G C
'Tis Ireland first, and Ireland last,
D7 G
And [Ireland], Ireland every day
Em Am
And the working man must shift as he can
D7 G
For "Ireland Blocks the Way"
He's in favor of this, in favor of that
But "Ireland Blocks the Way"
And nought he will do, he tells us flat
For "Ireland Blocks the Way"
Toiling millions may suffer wrong
While "Ireland Blocks the Way"
They must wait, he says, be it never so long
For "Ireland Blocks the Way"
We are fools if we wait at his request
While "Ireland Blocks the Way"
The "Union" leaders have served us best
And they've nothing to block the way
CHORUS
No "Ireland this, no "Ireland that," no [Ireland], Ireland every day
But they do what they can, for each honest man
With nothing to block their way
They have served us well in their six years' spell
No Ireland blocked their way
For Ireland's self they have governed so well
No longer it blocks the way
Then Gladstone's train may plead in vain
While "Ireland Blocks the Way"
We know our friends, their way is plain
They've nothing to block their way
CHORUS
They do not prate of Ireland's wrongs
They sweep them all away
But they do what they can, for each honest man
With nothing to block their way
["Printed and published by the "Liverpool Corn Trade News" Printing and Publishing Co., Ltd., 4, Brunswick Street." William Ewart Gladstone
(1809-1898) was a British Liberal Party statesman and Prime Minister (1868–1874, 1880–1885, 1886 and 1892–1894). He introduced home rule for Ireland twice at the cost of delaying other domestic reform agenda, presumably ones wanted by the labouring classes who penned this parody]
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