O valiant hearts who to your glory came
through dust of conflict and through battle flame
tranquil you lie, your knightly virtue proved
your memory hallowed in the land you loved
Tommy went across the sea
gallant soldiers to the front
Singing out “here are we”
to bear battle’s brunt
In Picadilly, Leicester Square
join up the women say
Take the shilling, sign there
and say goodbye to Dolly Gray
Given a uniform and a gun
it’s off to bayonet drill
Six inches of cold steel
and now we’re taught to kill
Listen to the man
what does he say?
Friends are coloured khaki
and your enemies are grey
Pals battalion, soldiers now
boys go marching by
Pack up our kitbags
we’re out to do or die
Rapid fire! comes the shout
How long can we hold out?
Hiding from the whizz-bangs
Across the fields more foes in grey
Fall back to fight another day
Running from the whizz-bangs
Listen to the man
what does he say?
Friends are coloured khaki
and your enemies are grey
Pals battalion, soldiers now
boys go marching by
Pack up our kitbags
we’re out to do or die
Starshell bright lights the sky
prelude to dawn’s early light
The time has come to stand to
hold your gun ready to fight
Starshell bright lights the sky
prelude to dawn’s early light
The time has come to stand to
hold your gun ready to fight
They say it'll be over soon
home by Christmas day
Lying here in a muddy trench
is that really what they say?
A moment’s peace at the front
football kicked in no mans land
But silent night is destroyed by shell
no fraternising orders stand
through dust of conflict and through battle flame
tranquil you lie, your knightly virtue proved
your memory hallowed in the land you loved
Tommy went across the sea
gallant soldiers to the front
Singing out “here are we”
to bear battle’s brunt
In Picadilly, Leicester Square
join up the women say
Take the shilling, sign there
and say goodbye to Dolly Gray
Given a uniform and a gun
it’s off to bayonet drill
Six inches of cold steel
and now we’re taught to kill
Listen to the man
what does he say?
Friends are coloured khaki
and your enemies are grey
Pals battalion, soldiers now
boys go marching by
Pack up our kitbags
we’re out to do or die
Rapid fire! comes the shout
How long can we hold out?
Hiding from the whizz-bangs
Across the fields more foes in grey
Fall back to fight another day
Running from the whizz-bangs
Listen to the man
what does he say?
Friends are coloured khaki
and your enemies are grey
Pals battalion, soldiers now
boys go marching by
Pack up our kitbags
we’re out to do or die
Starshell bright lights the sky
prelude to dawn’s early light
The time has come to stand to
hold your gun ready to fight
Starshell bright lights the sky
prelude to dawn’s early light
The time has come to stand to
hold your gun ready to fight
They say it'll be over soon
home by Christmas day
Lying here in a muddy trench
is that really what they say?
A moment’s peace at the front
football kicked in no mans land
But silent night is destroyed by shell
no fraternising orders stand
Contributed by Dq82 - 2021/11/25 - 12:56
Language: English
2018
The Great War
2014 was the centenary of the “war to end all wars” and I had the idea to compose some music around the subject. Rather than just release one song or EP in 2014, I decided it would be an interesting concept to release one song a year, from 2014 to 2018 that, combined, would form one (longer) piece of music.
In 2018 Bad Elephant approached me with the idea of releasing the project as a full album and this opportunity has allowed me to re-record and reinterpret the songs I had written since 2014 and also include some additional ones, the end result being The Great War album.
The Great War
2014 was the centenary of the “war to end all wars” and I had the idea to compose some music around the subject. Rather than just release one song or EP in 2014, I decided it would be an interesting concept to release one song a year, from 2014 to 2018 that, combined, would form one (longer) piece of music.
In 2018 Bad Elephant approached me with the idea of releasing the project as a full album and this opportunity has allowed me to re-record and reinterpret the songs I had written since 2014 and also include some additional ones, the end result being The Great War album.
LISTEN TO THE MAN
Tommy went across the sea
gallant soldiers to the front
Singing out “here are we”
to bear battle’s brunt
In Picadilly, Leicester Square
join up the women say
Take the shilling, sign there
and say goodbye to Dolly Gray
Given a uniform and a gun
it’s off to bayonet drill
Six inches of cold steel
and now we’re taught to kill
Listen to the man
what does he say?
Friends are coloured khaki
and your enemies are grey
Pals battalion, soldiers now
boys go marching by
Pack up our kitbags
we’re out to do or die
Listen to the man
what does he say?
Friends are coloured khaki
and your enemies are grey
Pals battalion, soldiers now
boys go marching by
Pack up our kitbags
we’re out to do or die
Listen to the man
what does he say?
Friends are coloured khaki
your enemies are grey
Starshell bright lights the sky
prelude to dawn’s early light
The time has come to stand to
hold your gun ready to fight
Starshell bright lights the sky
prelude to dawn’s early light
The time has come to stand to
hold your gun ready to fight
They say it'll be over soon
home by Christmas day
Lying here in a muddy trench
is that really what they say?
A moment’s peace at the front
football kicked in no mans land
But silent night is destroyed by shell
no fraternising orders stand
Tommy went across the sea
gallant soldiers to the front
Singing out “here are we”
to bear battle’s brunt
In Picadilly, Leicester Square
join up the women say
Take the shilling, sign there
and say goodbye to Dolly Gray
Given a uniform and a gun
it’s off to bayonet drill
Six inches of cold steel
and now we’re taught to kill
Listen to the man
what does he say?
Friends are coloured khaki
and your enemies are grey
Pals battalion, soldiers now
boys go marching by
Pack up our kitbags
we’re out to do or die
Listen to the man
what does he say?
Friends are coloured khaki
and your enemies are grey
Pals battalion, soldiers now
boys go marching by
Pack up our kitbags
we’re out to do or die
Listen to the man
what does he say?
Friends are coloured khaki
your enemies are grey
Starshell bright lights the sky
prelude to dawn’s early light
The time has come to stand to
hold your gun ready to fight
Starshell bright lights the sky
prelude to dawn’s early light
The time has come to stand to
hold your gun ready to fight
They say it'll be over soon
home by Christmas day
Lying here in a muddy trench
is that really what they say?
A moment’s peace at the front
football kicked in no mans land
But silent night is destroyed by shell
no fraternising orders stand
Contributed by Dq82 - 2021/11/25 - 13:12
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