Passiondale (The Unknown Soldier)

I wrote this song last year following a visit to Ypres. The area is still littered with the detritus of the 1st World War. Walking across the fields of battle, you can still look down and see shell and bullet fragments. The atmosphere encourages one to remain silent. In a battle which lasted four months, there were 900,000 casualties. An ariel photograph taken immiediately after the battle identified 10,000 shell craters in a 1 square mile area. The tomb of the unknown soldier beneath the Arch de Triumph in Paris, has the body of one of those killed in this battle. To this day, they don't know for which side he fought... and it doesn't matter.



[FONT=Comic Sans MS, cursive]One day I dreamed of glory, I heard my countrys call[/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS, cursive]I signed upon the dotted line, we’d make the Kaiser fall[/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS, cursive]They said that I’d be home in time to hear the Christmas bells[/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS, cursive]Now three years on, all I can hear ’s the sound of jerry shells[/FONT]


[FONT=Comic Sans MS, cursive]I fought my way through miles of wire with my mate Tommy Brown[/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS, cursive]I saw his head explode in red as a bullet took him down[/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS, cursive]I saw Pete Jenkins break in fear though for courage he’d no lack[/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS, cursive]Our officer coming close behind, he shot him in the back[/FONT]


[FONT=Comic Sans MS, cursive]Ch I am the unknown soldier, I died at passiondale[/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS, cursive]My soul it flies to paradise, while my body lies in hell[/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS, cursive]I am the unknown soldier & unknown I’ll remain[/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS, cursive]For good or ill we took that hill, then we gave it back again x2[/FONT]


[FONT=Comic Sans MS, cursive]The land was shelled to pieces, nowhere could it drain[/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS, cursive]The muck was mud & death & blood washed down with constant rain[/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS, cursive]The duckboards slick & greasy spanned it’s depths unknown[/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS, cursive]And if you slip to miss the lead, then chances are you’ll drown[/FONT]


[FONT=Comic Sans MS, cursive]Now as the sun sinks slowly down, a single bird takes wing[/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS, cursive]The body on the craters edge can’t hear the song she sings[/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS, cursive]And I am there among the dead, of me they’ll find no trace[/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS, cursive]And I will never feel again my mothers sweet embrace[/FONT]


[FONT=Comic Sans MS, cursive]Ch[/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS, cursive]LEAD[/FONT]


[FONT=Comic Sans MS, cursive]Oh mother dear, please do not cry, for your son do not grieve[/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS, cursive]I fought the fight for what was right, if generals we believe[/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS, cursive]9000 times 100 men now join with me in song[/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS, cursive]All those who died at Passiondale, join those upon the Somme[/FONT]


[FONT=Comic Sans MS, cursive]Ch x2[/FONT]

You can get it at;
http://www.myspace.com/martinjohnhk
Martin

Its a strange start... the level is too low but if you give it about thirty seconds, it should come on. I will go back and check it though.
Martin

Yep! I checked it, and it plays.
Martin

I agree entirely. I've had 'older' people who fought in the 2nd WW in tears with that song as they remember similar things. As a song, its a bit too long but...
Martin