'Twas
[G] on Good Friday morning,
All [C] in the month
of [G] May,
A [Dm] German Ship was
[G] signalling,
Be[C]yond out [G] in
the Bay,
We had [Dm] twenty thousand
[G] rifles
All [C] ready for to
[G] land,
But no answering signal
did come
From
the [C] lonely Banna [G] Strand.
"No signal answers from
the shore",
Sir Roger sadly said,
"No comrades here to
meet me,
Alas, they must be dead,
But I must do my duty
And at once I mean to
land",
So in a small boat rowed
ashore
On
the lovely Banna Strand.
Now the R.I.C. were
hunting
For Sir Roger high and
low,
They found him in McKenna's
fort;
Said they: "You are
our foe",
Said he: "I'm Roger
Casement,
I came to my native
land,
I mean to free my countrymen
On
the lonely Banna Strand.
They took Sir Roger
prisoner,
And sailed for London town,
And in the Tower they
laid him,
A traitor to the Crown;
Said he "I am no traitor",
But his trial he had
to stand,
For bringing German
rifles
To
the lonely Banna Strand.
'Twas
in an English prison
That they led him to
his death,
"I'm dying for my country"
He said with his last
breath,
They buried him in British
soil
Far from his native
land,
And the wild waves sing
his requiem
On
the lonely Banna Strand.
They took Sir Roger
home again
In the year of '65,
And with his comrades
of '16
In peace and tranquil
lies,
His last fond wish,
it is fulfilled
For to lie in his native
land,
And the waves will roll
in peace again
On
the lonely Banna Strand.