I was born in County Kildare, just southwest of Dublin

The third child and second son of Elizabeth and William

The year was 1842, just before the hunger

My dad broke stones and worked the rails to keep us from going under

Gone, gone, gone are the days of old

Go on, go on, into the fold

I grew up on tales of the failed and bloody Irish rebellions

So when I was old enough I joined up with the Fenians

And when the British Army arrested me and charged me with treason

I went away to Americay to escape my death in prison

Gone, gone, gone are the days of old

Go on, go on, into the fold

I refused to sing "God Save the Queen" when I was just a boy

By birth an Irish rebel, by name, John Devoy

Ahoooo, John Devoy, Oooooo

From the slums of New York City, I started the Clan na Gael

All those years that we fought and bled, this time we couldn't fail

So from Boston town to Frisco Bay, I crisscrossed this country

Raising funds to buy more guns to fight the foreign enemy

From these shores I will fight to my grave

John Devoy is my name and Ireland we'll save

One day we'll rise together, Erin go Bragh, Ireland forever

Gone, gone, gone are the days of old

Go on, go on, into the fold

I refused to sing "God Save the Queen" when I was just a boy

By birth an Irish rebel, by name, John Devoy

Ahoooo, John Devoy, Oooooo

Gone are the days we rest, go on into the west, go on, go on

Gone are the days we rest, go on into the west, go on, go on

Go on, go on, go on, go on

Go on, go on, go on, go on

I was born in County Kildare, just southwest of Dublin

The third child and second son of Elizabeth and William

The year was 1842, just before the hunger