***Birmingham Six - by Shane MacGowan
from the album "If I Should Fall From Grace With God"

Birmingham Six - as performed by the Pogues

           D
There were six men in Birmingham
   G                 D
In Guildford there's four
D
That were picked up and tortured
    G             A
And framed by the law
        D
And the filth got promotion
                        G
But they're still doing time
          D
For being Irish in the wrong place
    G            A
And at the wrong time

   D                        G          D
In Ireland they'll put you away in the Maze
D                               G            A
In England they'll keep you for several long days
    D                                       G
God help you if ever you're caught on these shores
    D                             G                 A
The coppers need someone and they walk through that door

          D
You'll be counting years
      G
First five then ten
A7               D
Growing old in a lonely hell
D                      G
Round the yard and the stinking cell
     A                D
From wall to wall and back again

A curse on the judges, the coppers and screws
Who tortured the innocent wrongly accused
For the price of promotion
And justice to sell
May the judged be the judges
When they rot down in hell

You'll be counting years
First five then ten
Growing old in a lonely hell
Round the yard and the lousy cell
From wall to wall and back again

Break: [C,D] [C,D] [C,D] [C,A]

May the whores of the empire lie awake in their beds
And sweat as they count out their sins in their heads
While over in Ireland eight more men lie dead
Kicked down and shot in the back of the head

You'll be counting years
First five then ten
Growing old in a freezing hell
Round the yard and the lousy cell
From wall to wall and back again

Counting years
First five then ten
Growing old in a lonely hell
Round the yard and the lousy cell
From wall to wall and back again