There are no poppies for the children
Or for their mothers left to cry
They’re only for the ones who kill them
When the bombs and bullets fly
There are no cenotaphs for old men
Who were simply standing by
Their story’s never told
When the bands go marching by
That’s why we don’t comply
With your war cries
If a soldier is a hero
What do we call the child
With a life blown apart
And a memory defiled?
What do we call the mother
Once considerate and mild
Deranged out on the street
Vengeance running wild
That’s why we don’t comply
With your war cries
We remember all the dead
From the last World War
In defence of a true just cause
But no one ever said
We will for evermore
Consent to every war
There was a demo for Iraq
Two million people came
We said if you attacked
It would not be in our name
But you went in all the same
Like you really couldn’t care
And left a million people dead
On the lies of Bush and Blair
That’s why we don’t comply
With your war cries
You raise the call to arms
You place them all in harm’s way
Ready to invade another nation
And if the brave ones you train
Are traumatised and maimed
They’ll be forced to fight again
For compensation
We keep two minutes silence
We remember all the dead
But we can’t forget the violence
And the words never said
About the murder of civilians
And all the casualties of war
And all the poppies in their billions
That should be falling to the floor
And that’s why
That’s why
We don’t comply
With your war cries
Bring them home
Bring them home
Bring them all back home
Or for their mothers left to cry
They’re only for the ones who kill them
When the bombs and bullets fly
There are no cenotaphs for old men
Who were simply standing by
Their story’s never told
When the bands go marching by
That’s why we don’t comply
With your war cries
If a soldier is a hero
What do we call the child
With a life blown apart
And a memory defiled?
What do we call the mother
Once considerate and mild
Deranged out on the street
Vengeance running wild
That’s why we don’t comply
With your war cries
We remember all the dead
From the last World War
In defence of a true just cause
But no one ever said
We will for evermore
Consent to every war
There was a demo for Iraq
Two million people came
We said if you attacked
It would not be in our name
But you went in all the same
Like you really couldn’t care
And left a million people dead
On the lies of Bush and Blair
That’s why we don’t comply
With your war cries
You raise the call to arms
You place them all in harm’s way
Ready to invade another nation
And if the brave ones you train
Are traumatised and maimed
They’ll be forced to fight again
For compensation
We keep two minutes silence
We remember all the dead
But we can’t forget the violence
And the words never said
About the murder of civilians
And all the casualties of war
And all the poppies in their billions
That should be falling to the floor
And that’s why
That’s why
We don’t comply
With your war cries
Bring them home
Bring them home
Bring them all back home
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Album This Little Game (2015)
That's Why by Steve Ashley is a reflection on Remembrance Day, red poppies and the innocent victims of war.