The mighty Celtic tiger lies bleeding in the snow
Who felled the fearsome animal? the children want to know
’Twas no one’s aim to kill the beast nor still her thunderous roar
They only meant to chain her up the way she was before
They captured her with treachery, hypocrisy, and greed
Along with her all Ireland must suffer, cry, and bleed
To European bankers the hungry beast was sold
A tiger can be hypnotized with shining chains of gold
You can blame it on the English, you can blame it on the Yanks
Blame it on the Germans who have got hold of the banks
It didn’t take no armies and it didn’t take no tanks
Want to know who shot the tiger? Look among you in the ranks
You can borrow it in dollars, borrow it in quid
You’ll pay it back in sorrow, and so will all your kids
Borrow it in yuan or yen or even Scottish pounds
They’re only taking euros when the tax bill’s handed down
Vacant flats like gaping skulls along the Irish Sea
Broken windows, empty shops, and idle factories
A generation bartered for a momentary boom
Made to pay the trappers who have sealed the tiger’s doom
You can blame it on the English, you can blame it on the Yanks
Blame it on the Germans who have got hold of the banks
But it didn’t take no armies and it didn’t take no tanks
Want to know who shot the tiger? Look among you in the ranks
Lyrics, music, and illustration © MMXI Corner Oak Music—For You (BMI), a branch of The Corner Oak. All rights reserved.
May not be reproduced in any form, including reuploading to the Web, without permission.
