Reading through the other day, I saw how I had posted some material more than once. I guess that's okay, though. Lots of readers don't read from the beginning anyway.
This one's probably been posted before too Edgar.
The Gunner's Dream (Waters) - Pink Floyd
Floating down through the clouds
Memories come rushing up to meet me now.
In the space between the heavens
and in the corner of some foreign field
I had a dream.
I had a dream.
Good-bye Max.
Good-bye Ma.
After the service when you're walking slowly to the car
And the silver in her hair shines in the cold November air
You hear the tolling bell
And touch the silk in your lapel
And as the tear drops rise to meet the comfort of the band
You take her frail hand
And hold on to the dream.
A place to stay
"Oi! A real one ..."
Enough to eat
Somewhere old heroes shuffle safely down the street
Where you can speak out loud
About your doubts and fears
And what's more no-one ever disappears
You never hear their standard issue kicking in your door.
You can relax on both sides of the tracks
And maniacs don't blow holes in bandsmen by remote control
And everyone has recourse to the law
And no-one kills the children anymore.
And no one kills the children anymore.
Night after night
Going round and round my brain
His dream is driving me insane.
In the corner of some foreign field
The gunner sleeps tonight.
What's done is done.
We cannot just write off his final scene.
Take heed of his dream.
Take heed.
Always room for the Pink, no matter what.
But not this one probably
The Ballad Of Bill Hubbard (Roger Waters from Amused to Death) 4:19
(instrumental)
(switch channels)
[Alf Razzell:]
"Two things that have haunted me most are the days when I had to collect the paybooks; and when I left Bill Hubbard in no-man's-land."
"I was picked up and taken into their trench. And I'd no sooner taken two or three steps down the trench when I heard a call,
'Hello Razz, I'm glad to see you. This is my second night here,' and he said
'I'm feeling bad,' and it was Bill Hubbard, one of the men we'd trained in England, one of the original battalion. I had a look at his wound, rolled him over; I could see it was probably a fatal wound. You could imagine what pain he was in, he was dripping with sweat; and after I'd gone about three shellholes, traversed that, had it been...had there been a path or a road I could have done better.
He pummeled me, 'Put me down, put me down, I'd rather die, I'd rather die, put me down.' I was hoping he would faint. He said 'I can't go any further, let me die.' I said 'If I leave you here Bill you won't be found, let's have another go.' He said 'All right then.' And the same thing happened; he couldn't stand it any more, and I had to leave him there, in no-man's-land."
(switch channels)
(girl) "I don't mind about the war, that's one of the things I _like_ to watch, if it's a war going on, 'cause then I know if our side's winning, if our side's losing..."
(switch channels)
(switch channels)
[Alf Razzell:]
"Years later, I saw Bill Hubbard's name on the memorial to the missing at Aras[?]. And I...when I saw his name I was absolutely transfixed; it was as though he was now a human being instead of some sort of nightmarish memory of how I had to leave him, all those years ago. And I felt relieved, and ever since then I've felt happier about it, because always before, whenever I thought of him, I said to myself, 'Was there something else that I could have done?'
[background: "I'd rather die, I'd rather die..."]
And that always sort of worried me. And having seen him, and his name in the register - as you know in the memorials there's a little safe, there's a register in there with every name - and seeing his name and his name on the memorial; it sort of lightened my...heart, if you like."
(woman) "When was it that you saw his name on the memorial?"
"Ah, when I was eighty-seven, that would be a year, ninete...eighty-four, nineteen eighty-four."
'm sure i've posted the text of this song here before
here's the Furies version of an eric bogle tune
The Green Fields Of France
one more from pink floyd
Southampton Dock
They disembarked in 45
And no-one spoke and no-one smiled
There were to many spaces in the line.
Gathered at the cenotaph
All agreed with the hand on heart
To sheath the sacrificial Knifes.
But now
She stands upon Southampton dock
With her handkerchief
And her summer frock clings
To her wet body in the rain.
In quiet desperation knuckles
White upon the slippery reins
She bravely waves the boys Goodbye again.
And still the dark stain spreads between
His shoulder blades.
A mute reminder of the poppy fields and graves.
And when the fight was over
We spent what they had made.
But in the bottom of our hearts
We felt the final cut.
the pogues version of a great song about terrible things
And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda
Lots of comedy is rage in disguise:
Tom Lehrer
Best way to express rage, I believe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeKHtrvN5mI
No matter how I struggle and strive
I'll never get out of this world alive
edgarblythe wrote:
Best way to express rage, I believe.
i like your philosophy, edgar and Tai Chi
this thread made me think of The Levellers and their song Riverflow
They celebrate 20 years together this year.
The Riverflow
Oh I met you in 82
over a crate of beer and not a few
I cracked a can and so did you
we're going to change the world
The ghetto kings of downside town
the estates and parks of our hallowed ground
Doing anything that we found
and on the river flowed
You'd take a drink from Rev. Jimmy Jones
You'd cross the street
on the path the gunman roams
Thrown aside and left to waste
that was you - you knew your place
Wander round, get off your face
and on the river flowed
Ohhh
And on and on the river flow
and we are the undertow
On and on the river flow
and we are the undertow
Yeahhhh
I don't know how you made it through
all the smoke and brew you do
It sure has left its mark on you
but you're still with us today
Life goes on and round we go
and words can kill these things I know
Often they cut me deeply so
but on the river flows
You'd set the table for barber Sweeney Todd
You'd clip the wings of any rising god
But man can't live on hope alone
it can be cut, all that's grown
Broke your spirit but not your bones
and on the river flows
Ohhh
And on and on the river flow
we are the undertow
On and on the river flows
and we are the undertow
Yeahhhh....
You're working now
you're forced to the race
I know it left a bitter taste
But the rising tide had covered your face
Nothing you could do
But I still remember the day you said
That the river flowing through my head
Would take me far or leave me dead
And all you said was true
Yeahhhh
And on and on and on and on
And on and on and on and on
And on and on and on and on
And on the riverflow
Yeahhhh
.
good recorded version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyXN8G--MPM
my favorite
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEtVWCiWOVs&feature=related
and one more - the shortened 'Glastonbury' version (rage on)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJnUMMjrMQY&feature=related
(take your pick)
