[Intro] [David Hamilton] I want to share with you tonight, my testimony [Verse 1] [Jun Tzu] I was born in the winter of 1956 In Cooks Turn, way out in the sticks We moved to Belfast when I was six We moved to Rathcoole; The Biggest housing estate in Northern Ireland, And that's true At that time it was mixed, there was Catholics too - This Was before all the troubles began We used to Live around about four doors down From Bobby Sans We used to play football together On the front, with mucky faces and boggy hands But this was before all the troubles began We used to Run around the estate, just some troublesome lads But, on one day coming home from school everything changed I see a gang of lads I knew from school and they were shouting my name So, I walked over and said "What's up Craic Kids" They said "Listen Davy You're a protestant and we're all Catholics So we're gonna be just, and throw you into the river" I said "Why!?" They said "You said you're a prod" I said "No I never!" They said "Yes you did, you're going into the river" They beat me up and then they threw me in That day I learned two lessons One: learn to swim Two: don't play with Catholics they're bad news And that's how it was From that day forward in Rathcoole 1972, we were only kids But we had hardened minds, back then I thought the, smartest thing to do was join the tartan gangs We would set upon them At first we would smash their windees (Windows) Later we would petrol bomb them We would burn them, out of their homes Some people would say We live the wrong life I spent my eighteenth birthday As a political prisoner locked up in long house I got released but the same week I was planting bombs and robbing banks While at the same time trying to live a modest life But I got arrested again and broke the officers nose to say thanks Ya wee get back in jail We have military status and we called ranks We have bomb making cla**es in the morning And prison and weapon training in the afternoons With some live bullets not blanks Thanks to the trouble in the streets there are more tanks And in my mind I wanted to do more Because if I'm doing this I'm doing it raw I want to join the most feared terror group of them all I put the word out around the jail The paki wants to be a lobster volunteer And two weeks later when I got released There was a knock at my door Saying is it true you wanted to join I said yes I do They said think it over Because once you do you don't leave I said no, I believe This, is a cause worth fighting for A cause worth living and a cause worth dying for [Interlude] [David Hamilton] And I says Why not? I'm a loyalist I have all these tattoos on my arm No surrender for God and Ulster Remember 1690 and everything And I thought Now I believe in this This is a good cause And I thought well if you're going to be a terrorist You may as well be a good terrorist And I thought The most feared group in Northern Ireland In the paramilitary scene is the UVF They're very militant, very secretive And you can't just join this group You must be invited by them to be a member A week later I went with these men And they took me to a bar In Belfast They took me upstairs into a room There were three men standing behind a table And they had an Ulster flag over the table And there was something else sitting on the table And I'm sure this will surprise you Because you know what it was? One of these, a bible And the guy in the middle said to me "Do you believe in the Protestant cause?" And I said "I do" He said "Are you prepared to die for the Protestant cause?" I said "I am" He said "Are you prepared to k** for the Protestant cause?" And I said "You know..." [Verse 3] [Jun Tzu] I carried on with my mission And moved up in position Done everything you could envision My whole life revolved around the organisation Became an area commander Turned streets into military stations I got arrested along with the rest of my team Because a snitch turned super gra** And gave the police information We got sentenced to court So I told my team to dress in uniform for the occasion We got lined up on the docks like thunder birds They called my name and then the list of offences They sentenced me to 48 years in the underworld He said I'd serve at least 12 at the minimum I turned my back in the judge Like I wasn't even listening I saw my mother stood at the back of the court with tears Running down her face She looked at me and said "You're a hopeless case You're never gonna change" I said go home and get my head piece Ma Before they took away the chains I thought I'd never see the light of day again But meanwhile My mum didn't go home She went to tell my relatives what happened And there was a wee women sat on her own She said "Mrs Hamilton - I think that God could change your son" She said "Thank you but there's nothing can be done" Before stating to cry she said "What is to be done with my son I never wanted this" The wee women said "don't you be worrying love I'm putting him on my wanted list" She said "I believe God's grace creates changes I don't believe in hopeless cases She said I don't believe In hopeless cases" Listen, about a week went by and I was sat in my cell Thinking about life, and how I'm trapped In hell I saw a piece of paper lay on my bed I picked it up and it read: "Jesus Christ is coming back soon" I laughed and said "Aye right! To a cinema near you!" I ripped it up and threw it straight in the bin Made myself a cup of tea without taking it in But the next thing that happened, was very strange I heard a voice in my head saying "David, it's time to change, become a Christian" Well I thought that I was slipping or tripping cause I was mid sipping And burnt my lip on my tea I said "I know what's happening here, these fellas are playing a trick on me They've slipped trips in my tea" So I poured it out and looked down the sink I couldn't see no tab, and I started to think: What if the voice that I heard was right? What if all these years, it was god that spurred my life Cause I've been shot three times and survived Stabbed in the head with an axe and survived I've been blown up in a bomb, there's been many attempts on my life The fact I'm even alive is a reason to believe in the divine And I realised I was deceived in the mind So I got down on my knees and I started to cry Asked the Lord for forgiveness I said "Lord let me be your witness Please rid me of the bigotry and leave me sinless Let me spread your word and go about your heavenly business Please change my life, let me live this" And from that minute on I felt freedom in my soul even though I was in prison [Interlude] [David Hamilton] I do, I think the Lord Jesus Christ Most of all what he has done is he has given me a story And I believe it tells people there's no such thing as a hopeless case If that was true... If that were really true then you're looking upon: A hopeless case And I think think God gave me an opportunity just to share And you know I said today: Some of the best brains...in England Are trying to find the solution to bring the north and the South And the Protestant and the catholic together And yet today we can stand before people and say "We know a solution... That works" That's because Jesus Christ is Lord And we reconcile not only with God But with their fellow man Because God changed the heart It's not a United Kingdom, or a United Ireland But it's God's Kingdom That's what it comes down to God's Kingdom