Lyr Add: The Quiet People (Anne Lister)

Subject: Lyr Add: The Quiet People (Anne Lister)
From: Mrrzy
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 12:52 PM

THE QUIET PEOPLE
Anne Lister (Tabster), on Waiting for the Hero

And the evening shadows swoop and fall and lengthen
And we hear the sound of a church bell ringing
And we pass a statue, a black angel flying
And beneath it written names and dates of dying.

Oh your father hated mine and my father killed yours
In the time-honoured fashion of all our time-out-dated wars
For politicians never know and commanders soon forget
That a country is more than the men in its government.

And the history books make sure that traditions last and last
So that we never can forget any injury done in the past
And the quiet people believe that wars can never end
Without knowing that if we linked hands we could make the world a friend.

So now I'll sing no anthems for death or glory
And I'll stand beneath no flag, shout no cheers for victory
But I vow that I will live my life in harmony
And teach my children's children to love my father's enemy.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Quiet People (Anne Lister)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 05:55 PM

Here are Anne's notes, from Waiting for the Hero. Nice piece of work for a 17-year-old, I'd say. I especially like these lines:

For politicians never know and commanders soon forget
That a country is more than the men in its government.

Oh, so here are the notes:

I originally recorded this with Mary McLaughlin in 1986. I wrote it when I was seventeen. I still find I want to sing it every time our politicians get a bit stupidly war-mongering and patriotic.
The war memorial with the black angel was, I think, in Cologne, Germany.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Quiet People (Anne Lister)
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 02:22 AM

A fine song, and nicely recorded by The Fagans.