once upon a time a dublin girl ran free down the cobblestones round pubs and homes as rich as she could be swimming in the irish sea climbing up bray head her lips were warmed with pots of tea chips and buttered bread fed love from mam and da they raised her up they made her fly they gave her roots and wings as time moves on and years go by she ll miss those simple things she s the girl i used to be the playgrounds all came down and we mourned our factories times were tough but i had enough i had my family life kicked in with all its might but my strong heart wouldn t break i got kicked around and broken down i took all that i could take but you raise me up you made me fly you gave me roots and wings as time moves on and years go by i miss those simple things and the girl i used to be now i m grown with a child of my own and i hope to god on high that these are the days she thinks upon as the best days of her life and i ll raise her up i ll make her fly i ll give her roots and wings as time moves on and years go by she ll miss those simple things and the girl she used to be she s the girl i used to be