After These Wars

Вступление

IAN ANDERSON – After These Wars

from “Homo Erraticus” (2014)

Capo 2

[Intro] (flute arranged for guitar)

[Verse 1]

After battle, with wounds to lick

And beaus and belles all reuniting

Rationing, austerity:

It did us good after the fighting

Now, time to bid some fond farewells

And walk away from em-pires crumbling

Post-war baby-boom to fuel

With post-Victorian half-dressed fumbling

I see a screen, grey cathode tube

In walnut cabinet, pride of place

In holy family living room

Clipped-tone announcer, powdered face

And now to mould public opinion

Sanctify the good and great

Lordly over his dominion

Brash television seals our fate

[Chorus 1]

After these wars, when gentler winds were blowing

Af-ter these wars, when stocking tops were showing

When the Co-op gave us daily bread and penicillin raised the dead

And combine harvesters kept us fed, after these wars

[Verse 2]

We thanked the Yank and thanked the Lord

For sparing us from dark invasion

Now to liberate, rebuild

And balance Europe's new equation

Spooky spies in from the cold

With lies and secrets to be sold

To bigger brothers, bigger bombs

Le Carré thrillers to be told

We take our place amongst those others

Who would punch above their weight

Divest ourselves of glowing mantle

Mantle of old Britain Great

Bit part cast in Hollywood

Ripe old thespian, to-lerated

World-weary ham upon the stage

Evergreen but o- ver-rated

[Chorus 2]

After these wars, when gentler winds were blowing

Af-ter these wars, when stocking tops were showing

When the Co-op gave us daily bread and penicillin raised the dead

And combine harvesters kept us fed, after these wars

[Instrumental]

[Outro] (flute arranged for guitar)