Celtic Thunder - THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES lyrics

I WAS BORN IN LONDON ENGLAND IN NINETEEN HUNDRED AND FIVE MY FATHER WAS A GERMAN, WITH AN IRISH GAL HIS BRIDE HE WORKED AS A WAITER AND SHE WORKED AS HIS WIFE AND THEY STRUGGLED HARD TO MAKE THOSE TIMES THE BEST YEARS OF THEIR LIVES. BUT WITH WORLD WORLD ONE THE GERMAN HUN LOCKED FORCES WITH THE CROWN. AND THE BRITISH LOCKED THEIR GERMANS UP WHEREVER THEY WERE FOUND. THEY TOOK MY GERMAN FATHER FROM HIS CHILDREN AND HIS WIFE, AND THEY LOCKED HIM UP ON THE ISLE OF MAN FOR THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES AND MY MAMA TOOK HER EIGHT KIDS BACK TO HER HOME IN THE COUNTY CLAIRE YOU'RE NOT BRITISH SON NOR GERMAN NOW YOUR IRISH, SHE DECLARED. SHE TAUGHT US TO LOVE IRELAND AND TO HATE THE BLACKENED TIN MINES, AND THE EIGHT OF US TURNED PADDY IN THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES. I LANDED IN AMERICA IN NINETEEN TWENTY THREE AND I GOT A JOB AND I WORKED REAL HARD TO UNITE MY FAMILY AND ONE BE ONE I BROUGHT THEM HERE TO SHARE IN AMERICA'S PRIZE OF A BRAND NEW DAY THE USA WERE THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES. THEN I MET A GIRL FROM GALWAY AND SHE QUICKLY WON MY HEART WE WERE MARRIED IN THE BRONX IN JUNE AND TOGETHER MADE A START WE SURVIVIED THE GREAT DEPRESSION THOUGH WE OFTEN WE LIVED IN DIVES AND WE HAD THREE SONS AND DAUGHTERS IN THE BEST YEARS OF LIVES. BUT MY LOVE IS GONE NOW AND I AM OLD AND THE CHILDREN ALL GROWN UP AND NO MATTER WHAT THE DOCTORS SAY THE DRINK I CANNOT GIVE UP FOR A MAN'S ALONE WHEN THERE IS NO MORE HOME WITH HIS KIDS AN DARLING WIFE AND I KNOW THEY ARE ALL BEHIND ME NOW, THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIFE.