War Song: So Tell Your Children

Me clothes are wet
The trenches stink
Me boots are worn half to limp!
The weather’s bad
The dugout’s flood
And No Man’s Land is full of blood!
The mud is worse than I’ve ever seen
We lost last Friday a boy of sixteen
We cannot advance and we will not retreat
So we’ll wait here
Until next year
When we’ll more or less
Still be here…
We sweat!
We drink!
We curse!
We survive here!
Don’t stop
To think
Who’s next!
To save a friend we’ll risk our necks!
Out in No Man’s Land!
Who will come for us then?
Will they wait 'til dark?
Will they leave us for dead?
So far apart, there is more to say
Than words could achieve
I love her more
I miss her more
Than she would believe
So far apart, there is more to say
Than words could achieve
I love him more
I miss him more
Than he would believe
Last night, a Tom from Maryport
Untimely had his life cut short!
We found his corpse without a face
But his evening rum won’t go to waste!
The guns were pounding all through the night!
I cannot sleep 'cause the rats will bite!
Even the bravest men shake with fright
But we’ll hold fast, we’ll be steadfast
'Til the war has passed us all by!
We swear!
We sing!
We kill
And we die here!
Don’t like
To think
Ahead!
Don’t care to contemplate the dead!
Though I’m proud of you
John, don’t take any risks
Scared and trembling, I
Read the casualty lists
What shall I tell him, May?
You can say ol' Harry’s doing well down the pits
He is, he likes it there… they won’t call him up, that’s one worry less
Dad says he likes to hear about how we’re all doin'; just ordinary things,
he said, didn’t he?
That’s true. It all seems so petty when you know what he’s doing!
They gas us out, and we have to run
We gas them back so they don’t stay long!
They lay some wire before an attack
We open fire so they can’t get back!
You’ve heard about Isaac losing his leg?
They say without Jackson’s help he’d be dead!
We can’t shift the Hun and the Hun can’t shift us
So we’ll stand firm 'til the tide turns
And the final German is dead!
Dear Emily
Remember me
To both my children
Dear Emily, I hope there’ll never be
Another time like this one
Oh! Isaac!
Now then!
You’ll have some tea--Harry'll be home, he’ll want to see you!
I have a home of me own to go to, but I promised a man I’d see you before I saw
anybody. It was a man I couldn’t break a promise to. It was Jackson Pennington,
Emily. Was him that saved me life. Bravest man you could hope to meet
Oh
Aye. They said he didn’t want to write a letter; I suppose he thought letters
might lead to trouble. But he wanted to be remembered to you; that was the word
I see
I’ve since heard… he’s dead
Oh. You know, I made a fool of myself over him once. I don’t think John’s ever
known how much I care for him since
Well last time I saw John, he was bearing up well!
How is he? How does he look? What’s it really like out there?
Like… like… nothin' on Earth, missus! Nothin'!
We crawl!
We climb!
We cry!
We’re expendable!
Don’t care
To count
The cost!
Ten men or more last night were lost
Out in No Man’s Land!
Who will come for us then?
Will they wait 'til dark?
Will they leave us for dead?
So tell your children all one day
Of our sacrifice!
Tell them we died young
Our work undone
Tell them pride has its price…
I signed up
No! You’re just seventeen!
They took me for eighteen and a half
I could go and tell them your real age!
You couldn’t! You wouldn’t do that, mother
You shouldn’t go
I can’t not
Live while you can, wait the extra year!
It’ll be over by then!
So it’s just the killing you want?
No, but I can’t not! That’s all
I’ll miss you
I’ll send all me wages straight back
What would you say to your son
If you were me?
Would you allow him his own choice?
Would he be free?
Would you shake your head
After all you’d said?
Knowing he’d go over?
Over?
Out there, in the burnt air
Where they’re caught down to the black rock!
Some of the other men think it’s all wrong
I’ve heard officers say it’s gone on too long
They said it would end by the end of the year
They must be short of volunteers!
They said we’d have won by the end of the year!
But no one has gained but the profiteers!
I can’t see the sense when so many must die!
But we’re not all right
They’re not all wrong
Both say «God's on our side!»
Some blind, some maimed, some mad
Do survive this!
Young lads, their dreams
All gone!
One fate, one grave, one prayer well sung!
Say you’re proud of us, and we won’t ask for gifts!
And our epitaphs on the casualty list!
So tell your children all one day
Of this sacrifice!
Tell them all are young
Their lives unsung
Were suckered with lies!
So tell your children all one day
Of our sacrifice!
Tell them we died young
Our lives unsung!
Tell them pride has its price!
They told me Harry was the most willing lad they ever had. The Captain himself
told me that when I went over. He’d been out after a sniper. It was a brave
thing to do. Poor lad. Least they said it was quick. They gave me some letters
from yee he was carrying on him. I’ll bring them back to you, now that it’s all
over