Christy Moore - Dunnes Stores lyrics

Close your eyes and come with me back to 1984 We'll take a walk down Henry Street to Dunnes Department store The supermarket's busy and the registers make a din' The groceries go rolling out and the cash comes rolling In Mary Manning is at the checkout and she's trying to Keep warm When a customer comes up to her with a basket on her Arm The contents of the basket Mary's future is to shape But the label clearly stated "Produce Of The Cape" I can't check out your oranges Mrs, now won't you bring Them back For they come from South Africa, where White oppresses Black I'd have it on my conscience and I couldn't sleep at Night If I helped support the system that denies Black People's rights Our union says "Don't Handle Them. It's the least that We can do We Fought oppression here for centuries, we'll help Them fight it too" The managers descended in an avalanche of suits And Mary was suspended cos she wouldn't touch the Fruits Chorus: Dunnes Stores Dunnes Stores Dunnes Stores with St Bernard Better Value Beats Them All Well, her friends are all behind her and the union gave Support And they called a strike and the pickets brought all Dunnes' Stores to a halt No one was going to tell the Boss what he bought or Sold These women are only workers, they must do as they are Told Isn't it just typical of a partite screwball law? It's not just in South Africa, the Rich Temple and the Poor He wouldn't have a boycott, he couldn't give a tinker's Curse Doesn't matter how he fills the shelves as long as he Lines his Purse Chorus The messages came rollin' in from all around the world For such concern and sacrifice and for courage brave And bold When 14 months were over, 10 women and a man Had helped to raise the consiousness all around the Land Cleary's in O'Connell street wouldn't sell South African shoes Best Man sent all their clothes back, Roches Stores Sent back their booze Until all South African goods were taken off the Shelves in Dunnes And Mary Manning was down in Henry Street sticking to Her guns Chorus