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Black Donnelly’s Massacre Lyrics by Stompin’ Tom Connors

On Tragedy Trail

1969

[Chorus]
The Black Donnelly's ride
Their killers by their side
Down the Roman Line
Till the end of time
[Verse]
Back in eighteen hundred and forty-some
From Lucan, Ontario, a man did come
A man who pushed his weight around
And his wife Johannah could slap the devil down
The seven sons who fought as well
They opened up wide the gates of hell
And they fired up the land from miles around
The Black Donnelly's from Lucan town
With every glance that a Donnelly gave
Came the sound of shovels digging your grave
And many a club there come a crashin’ down
Upon the heads of the men around Lucan town
Down the old Roman Line, the further you went
The folks got tougher, and meaner bent
And then the Black Donnelly's for their abode
They lived a way down at the end of the road
[Chorus]
The Black Donnelly's ride
Their killers by their side
Down the Roman Line
Till the end of time
[Verse]
Now old Jim Donnelly killed a man one day
And everybody thought that old Jim had run away
But Jim was home, and quite concealed
In Johannah’s old rest where he still ploughed the field
But he served his time, so the story goes
He then came back again to cheat his foes
The seven sons, he robbed and burned
Till the whole town knew that Jim had returned
Now they started up a coach line from Lucan down
With daily trips on into London town
And to destroy their competitors route
They cut the tongues of all his horses out
Then eighteen men with their clubs and their arms
They marched on over to the Donnelly barn
But a Donnelly boy could fight like ten
And they sure put a lickin’ on those eighteen men
[Chorus]
The Black Donnelly's ride
Their killers by their side
Down the Roman Line
Till the end of time
[Verse]
They poisoned cattle now by the score
They burned down buildings more and more
They horsewhipped men to make them say
That they wouldn't appear in court next day
And every sheriff that the town could find
They met the Black Donnelly's and then resigned
For thirty three years with their clubs in hand
The Black Donnelly's ruled the land
Then there came one man into Lucan town
He was hired to cut all the Donnelly's down
A fearless man of a mighty frame
And James Carroll was that man's name
They made him the sheriff and they followed through
And formed his secret vigilante crew
And the old Swamp Schoolhouse in winter time
They planned their fatal night of crime
[Chorus]
The Black Donnelly's ride
Their killers by their side
Down the Roman Line
Till the end of time
[Verse]
In 1880 on that February night
As old granny had foretold it was a terrible sight
Old Jim and Johannah, and Tom their son
And Bridget were slaughtered, they axed every one
And the thirty drunks left with the house all aflame
Hell bent for more Black Donnelly game
And from out of the fire and into the cold
Ran that young Connor boy, just eleven years old
Now the gunshots rang and they ripped into John
And another Black Donnelly brother was gone
And so the grim reaper had collected his pay
And the other three Donnelly's then wandered away
Now the vigilantes, they got away free
From the law, but they all died mysteriously
So one word of caution to all who would hate
At the end of your road, the Black Donnelly's wait
[Chorus]
The Black Donnelly's ride
Their killers by their side
Down the Roman Line
Till the end of time
Credits
Stompin’ Tom Connors

Stompin’ Tom Connors

About “Black Donnelly’s Massacre” by Stompin’ Tom Connors

Read the complete lyrics to "Black Donnelly’s Massacre" by Stompin’ Tom Connors from the album "On Tragedy Trail" in 1969. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Country.

"Black Donnelly’s Massacre" is performed by Stompin’ Tom Connors. from the album "On Tragedy Trail" in 1969 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Black Donnelly’s Massacre", explore more songs by Stompin’ Tom Connors using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Black Donnelly’s Massacre" is credited to Stompin’ Tom Connors. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Black Donnelly’s Massacre" appears on "On Tragedy Trail" in 1969.

Visit the Stompin’ Tom Connors artist page at /artist/stompin-tom-connors for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.