Dunnes Stores

Close your eyes and come with me back to 1984 We'll take a walk down Henry Street to Dunnes department store The supermarket is 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 was to shape For the label clearly stated "Produce of the Cape" ’I can't check out your oranges missus 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 a system that denies black people's rightsâ?� 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 'cause she wouldn't touch the fruits Dunnes Stores, Dunnes Stores, Dunnes Stores In St. Bernard better value beats them all Her friends were all behind her and the union gave support They called a strike and their 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 that just typical of Apartheid’s cruel law It's not just in South Africa, the rich trampling the poor He wouldn't have a boycott, he couldn't give a Tinker's curse It doesn't matter how he fills the shelves so long as he lines his purse The messages came rolling from all around the world For such concern and sacrifice, and for courage brave and bold When fourteen months were over ten women and a man Had helped to raise black consciousness all around the land Clery's in O'Connell Street wouldn't sell South African shoes Bestman sent all their clothes back, Roche's stores their booze Until all South Africa goods were taken off the shelves in Dunnes Mary Manning was down in Henry Street, sticking to her guns (Chorus) Dunnes stores in St. Bernard better value beats them all.