I was born and raised in Baltinglass, in the Wicklow Hills where I was born,
John O'Brien is my name,
I left my home in Ireland and I sailed across the sea,
After gambling a great fortune left to me,
I sailed aboard an English ship bound for the River Plate,
But we were shipwrecked on the seas.

There was only two survivors, one salty tar and me,
We crossed uncharted islands for to gain our liberty,
Against many hidden dangers, till a settlement we did see,
Though ruined and shipwrecked was our fate,
Against the laws of nature, we survived this great ordeal,
Against the laws of God and man.

I continued on my journey, then, on an English ship for the Argentine,
Everything, I lost at sea,
I fell in love with a Quaker girl, she fell in love with me,
But her father did not approve of me,
He conspired with the captain to get me off that ship,
And place me on a Portuguese.

When I arrived in Buenos Aires, heartbroken without dissent,
I heard of San Martín and to them I went,
And from that very moment, I commenced a wild career,
With God and justice on my side,
I fought a thousand battles that won me great acclaim;
John O'Brien is my name.

I am a soldier and nothing more,
I fight for freedom and nothing less,
I love to gamble; the pretty girls,
I gave my sword for freedom and for liberty.

I fought long and hard for freedom's cause against the force of liberty,
Since the year of 1812,
I fought many decisive battles and many long campaigns,
And freed the land of Uruguay,
In the army of the Andes with O'Higgins and Martín,
We fought for Chile and Peru.

At the Battle of Chacabuco, the story, it was told,
We defeated General Maroto and captured all his gold,
Then at Santiago, Chile we did win,
Then the freedom of Peru,
For twelve long years I battled, survived those many wars,
John O'Brien was my name,
John O'Brien is my name.