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about

All the words and the melody came to me in a dream. I awoke and the lyrics came tumbling out, it was like someone was else was writing them. There is a final verse but I considered it too graphic to use. I think it's inspired by my great uncle who was killed in the Great War in 1915 but your guess is as good as mine.

lyrics

Caught a glimpse of my future,
I didn't care for what I saw:
A hundred thousand foot soldiers
Were marching off to war.

So I lowered my defences
And tried to make my point of view
About how this sacrifice
Was designated by the few.

But no one seemed to listen
And no one seemed to care.
As we marched to our doom
There was singing in the air.

And I remembered a day before the war.

As we entered a valley
There was fear on every face
And all of life's injustices
Seemed gathered in this place.

And I saw Him on the parapet
And I think He knew my name.
He said: "Son these things happen
In the hope we start again."

And all the hopes we had as children
Seemed now hollow and in vain
As shivering and cold
We marched on through the rain.

And the last thing I remembered was that day before the war.

credits

from A Day Before the War (acoustic version), released June 28, 2014
℗ Ian Rooke 2014 at The Bunker
© Ian Rooke 2011

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Ian Rooke Birmingham, UK

“Ian Rooke writes lyrics with bite, tunes with hooks, songs that make their point and make it well.” Folk Words Magazine 2014.

Singer songwriter from Birmingham. Has appeared at a number of folk festivals including Perthshire Amber, Harborough and Isle of Arran. Reached semi finals of UK Songwriters Competition 2012. ... more

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