There's a question I must ask you, there's an answer I must hear,
There is something that I really have to know,
Though it hurts me now to ask it, for you and I are friends:
Where were you in the war ?
Were you flying overhead in the searchlights' probing glare ?
Were you pilot, or the man behind the guns ?
Was it you who pushed the button when the bombdoors opened wide ?
Where were you in the war ?
Were you Admiral of the fleet, or a stoker in a hold ?
A great General, or a soldier in the mud ?
Were you working in the factory building guns, and tanks and bombs ?
Where were you in the war ?
I can see you looking at me with a question in your eyes,
Was it me who left you homeless and alone ?
Was it me who killed your father, bombed your city, killed your friends ?
Where was I in the war ?
We're the ones who fight the battles which the men of war decree,
We're the ones who kill, and we're the ones who die,
We're the ones who pull the triggers that send young men to their graves,
We're the ones who suffer, you and I.
We must fill our minds with reason when the war dogs start their howl,
Though they call us traitors, cowards and the like,
Then our sons will never have to ask each other:
"Where were you in ther war ?"
There is something that I really have to know,
Though it hurts me now to ask it, for you and I are friends:
Where were you in the war ?
Were you flying overhead in the searchlights' probing glare ?
Were you pilot, or the man behind the guns ?
Was it you who pushed the button when the bombdoors opened wide ?
Where were you in the war ?
Were you Admiral of the fleet, or a stoker in a hold ?
A great General, or a soldier in the mud ?
Were you working in the factory building guns, and tanks and bombs ?
Where were you in the war ?
I can see you looking at me with a question in your eyes,
Was it me who left you homeless and alone ?
Was it me who killed your father, bombed your city, killed your friends ?
Where was I in the war ?
We're the ones who fight the battles which the men of war decree,
We're the ones who kill, and we're the ones who die,
We're the ones who pull the triggers that send young men to their graves,
We're the ones who suffer, you and I.
We must fill our minds with reason when the war dogs start their howl,
Though they call us traitors, cowards and the like,
Then our sons will never have to ask each other:
"Where were you in ther war ?"
Contributed by Alessandro - 2010/4/21 - 12:57
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Album “Outside The City”
“For Hein Kröher. I got the idea for this song after a long conversation with him about the second world war.” (da Colin Wilkie’s Songbook)