The March of the Dead
Country Joe McDonald
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The cruel war was over, oh, the triumph was so sweet We watched the troops returning through our tears There was triumph, triumph, triumph down the scarlet glittering street scarce could hear the music for the cheers And you scarce could see the house-tops for the flags that flew between The bells were pealing madly to the sky And everyone was shouting for the soldiers of the Queen And the glory of an age was passing by And then there came a shadow, swift and sudden, dark and drear The bells were silent, not an echo stirred The flags were drooping sullenly, the men forgot to cheer We waited, and we never spoke a word The sky grew darker, darker, 'til from out the gloomy rack There came a voice that checked the heart with dread Tear down, tear down your bunting now, and hang up sable black They're coming, it's the Army of the Dead They're coming, it's the Army of the Dead They were coming, they were coming, gaunt and ghastly, sad and slow They were coming, all the crimson wrecks of pride With faces seared, and cheeks red smeared, and haunting eyes of woe And clotted holes the khaki couldn't hide Oh, the clammy brow of anguish, the livid, foam-flecked lips The reeling ranks of ruin swept along The limb that trailed, the hand that failed, the bloody finger tips Oh, the dreary rhythm of their song They left us on the veldt-side, but we felt we couldn't stop On this, our England's crowning festal day We're the men of Magersfontein, we're the men of Spion Kop Colenso, we're the men who had to pay We're the men who paid the blood-price Shall the grave be all our gain? You owe us, long and heavy is the score Then cheer us for our glory now, and cheer us for our pain And cheer us as you've never cheered before And cheer us as you've never cheered before The folks were white and stricken, each tongue seemed weighed with lead Each heart was clutched in hollow hand of ice And every eye was staring at the horror of the dead The pity of the men who paid the price They were come, were come to mock us, in the first flush of our peace Through writhing lips their teeth were all agleam They were coming in their thousands, oh, would they never cease I closed my eyes and then it was a dream I closed my eyes and then it was a dream There was triumph, triumph, triumph down the scarlet gleaming street The town was mad a man was like a boy A thousand flags were flaming where the sky and city meet A thousand bells were thundering the joy There was music, mirth and sunshine, but some eyes shone with regret And while we stun with cheers our homing braves Oh God, in Thy great mercy, let us nevermore forget The graves they left behind, the bitter graves The graves they left behind, the bitter graves
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Written by: Joe Mcdonald, Robert Service
Lyrics © ALKATRAZ CORNER MUSIC CO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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"The March of the Dead Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/6487270/Country+Joe+McDonald/The+March+of+the+Dead>.
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