Fish - The Gathering lyrics

The newspaper headlines were big and bold Our country was going to war To fight for the freedom of nationhood To defend us from invading hordes The general pointed with steely glare Delivered the rallying call We signed off our lives with the stroke of a pen Joined our pals in the line We took the King's shilling with pride From the towns and the cities we came From the fields and the countryside, the mines and the factories Volunteers on the square Labourers and unemployed, clerks and delivery boys Skirling pipes charge the air Raising the cheering crowd, casting out any doubts Victory will soon be a**ured We know God's on our side at the heart of the gathering Farewell to our homes and our families Farewell to the lives we once knew Farewell to our youth and our innocence We marched off with the band to the promise of a brave new world And I'll write you a letter each pa**ing day And I'll cherish your every reply I'll tie them with ribbons and Flanders lace Hold them close to my heart in a sweet embrace Tell the children that I shall return Laden with medals and dripping with garlands We'll sit by the banks of the Tyne And I'll regale you with stories of honour and glory We'll make up for all the lost time Jig to the fiddles and weave the White Willow In the evening like ferns we'll entwine Our bodies surrender, we give to the gathering I'll long for my home and my family I will long for my life I once knew I'll long for my youth and my innocence I'll long for a brave new world In the holds of the ships out of training camps From the railheads to trudge open roads Shouldered rifles on heavy souls Our fears will add to our load Farewell to our homes and our families Farewell to the lives we once knew Farewell to our youth and our innocence We marched off with the band, pals in battalions, to the promise of a brave new world Joining the gathering, pals in battalions, to fight for a brave new world Pals in battalions, we took the King's shilling, and paid for a brave new world