Summer was green,
the city was bright,
but rumours of war
blew in the wind
We hid in our homes
as deep darkness spread
and all our roses
bloomed red
All our roses
bloomed red
The planes arrived,
swarming like bees
Three nights of raids
on the green
The petals of red
were dusted with ash
and all our roses
turned black
All our roses
turned black
They'd still bloom
the air would still be sweet
if there was no war
and if we kept our peace
What did we gain
when all was said and done
'cause everything was lost
and nothing was won ..
Lord, could you send us
one drop of mercy
down with the chaff
in the wind ?
The peace that we seek
is out of our grasp
and all our roses
have turned black
All our roses
have turned black
We're lost in the dark
with no light leading back
and all our roses
have turned black
All our roses
have turned black ..
the city was bright,
but rumours of war
blew in the wind
We hid in our homes
as deep darkness spread
and all our roses
bloomed red
All our roses
bloomed red
The planes arrived,
swarming like bees
Three nights of raids
on the green
The petals of red
were dusted with ash
and all our roses
turned black
All our roses
turned black
They'd still bloom
the air would still be sweet
if there was no war
and if we kept our peace
What did we gain
when all was said and done
'cause everything was lost
and nothing was won ..
Lord, could you send us
one drop of mercy
down with the chaff
in the wind ?
The peace that we seek
is out of our grasp
and all our roses
have turned black
All our roses
have turned black
We're lost in the dark
with no light leading back
and all our roses
have turned black
All our roses
have turned black ..
inviata da giorgio - 4/10/2020 - 10:15
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Lyrics & music by Doris Folkens
“My mother was a young child living in Hamburg during WW2. The city of Hamburg was virtually destroyed during three consecutive nights of air raids in July 1943.
My mom has a vivid memory ingrained in her mind - the roses in her yard were blooming red when her family entered their basement bunker. When they exited after the raids, the roses were literally black from ash.
This song was written to remind us of the devastating and widespread consequences of war, even for generations down the line. In the end, everyone suffers loss. Nobody wins a war”.
• Vocals and guitar: Doris Folkens
• Mandolin and Mandocello: Andrew Collins
• Engineered, Produced, Mixed and Mastered by Andrew Collins, Sytesounds, Toronto.