Song, Chant, Poetry, Stories and Satire for the Pagan Community

This entry made: 11/04/1997

Title: Be Pagan Once Again!
Lyrics by: Isaac Bonewits
Tune: A Nation Once Again! (Irish Traditional)
Date: 1972, 119996
Source: http://www.qed.net/Bonewits/IB_Songs.HTML
Recorded on: "Be Pagan Once Again!"- available here
Subject: Pagan Pride

Key of C

When childhild's fire was in my blood, / I dreamed of ancient dreemen,
Against the Church who boldly stood / as Pagans and as Heathen.
And then I prayed I yet might see / the Druids in the glen,
And Ireland long the churches' toy, / be Pagan once again!
Be Pagan once again, / be Pagan once again,
And Ireland long the churches' toy, / be Pagan once again!

2:
The Old Gods only sleep you know, / although betrayed and slandered.
They guarded us from every woe / and blessed each crop and fine herd.
Then Patrick, he drove the snakes away / and brought the churches in.
'Twas a bloody poor bargain, I would say -- / let's be Pagan once again!
Be Pagan once again, / be Pagan once again,
'Twas a bloody poor bargain, I would say -- / let's be Pagan once again!

3:
And ever since that wretched day, / when first Ireland went Christian,
We've suffered woe in every way, / with our freedom made the worst "sin".
They set us at each other's throats, / to murder kith and kin.
Too long we've been their starving goats -- / let's be Pagan once again!
Be Pagan once again, / be Pagan once again,
Too long we've been their starving goats -- / let's be Pagan once again!

4:
Both Catholic and Protestant / led us round by our noses,
Distracting from the deadly scent / of England's bleedin' roses!
Kick every preacher 'cross the sea, / burn out their golden dens.
It's the only way we'll ever be free -- / let's be Pagan once again!
Be Pagan once again, / be Pagan once again,
It's the only way we'll ever be free -- / let's be Pagan once again!

Erin go Bride!

[This was one of the first Pagan songs I ever wrote and has long been 
a favorite of audiences. I was delighted to hear a few years ago that 
pirate radio stations in the Irish Sea had taken to broadcasting it on
March 17th! The last line is a bilingual pun.]

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