The Colours lyrics and chords

The Men They Couldn't Hang
This song is from the album ''Waiting For Bonaparte 1987 and the song was banned by the B.B.C because of just one line ''You've Come Here To Watch Me Hang'' , The band were similar to The Pogues in that they played folk/rock music. In fact one of the founder members of the group was Shanne Bradley who was also a founder member of The Nips with Shane MacGowan. Chords are by Marc Fahrbach. This is a song well worth learning lads and lassies, go on give it a lash.

I am a (D)member of the (G)council
Of the (A)naval mutin(D)y
And no traitor to my (G)conscience
Having (D)done my (A)sworn du(D)ty

These are my (D)last words before the (G)scaffold
And I (A)charge you all to (D)hear
How a wretched British (G)sailor
Became a (D)citizen (A)muti(D)neer

Pressed into (D)service to carry (G)powder
I was (A)loyal to the crack of the (D)whip
If I starved on the streets of (G)Bristol,
I starved (D)worse on a (A)British (D)ship

Chorus
Red is the (D)colour of the new republic
Blue is the (G)colour of the sea
White is the (D)colour of my innocence
Not surrender to (A)your mer(D)cy

D-D-G-G-D-D
 
I was (D)woken from my (G)misery
By the (A)words of Thomas (D)Paine
On my barren soil they (G)fell like
The (D)sweetest (A)drops of (D)rain

Chorus
D-D-G-G-D-D
 
So in the (D)spring of the year we took the fleet
Every sail and cannon and compass sheet
And we (G)flew a Jacobin flag to give us (A)heart
While (D)Pitt stood (Bm)helpless we were (G)waiting for (A)Bona(D)parte - D

Chorus
D-D-G-G-D-D
 
All you (D)soldiers, all you (G)sailors,
All you (A)labourers of the (D)land
All you beggars, all you (G)builders,
You’ve come (D)here to (A)watch me (D)hang

And to the (D)masters we are the (G)rabble,
We are the (A)'swinish multi(D)tude'
But we can re-arrange the (G)colours
Of the (D)red and the (A)white and the (D)blue

Chorus 2x
D-D-G-G-D-D
Instrumental verse 2x