Soldier

In a station in the city a British soldier stood
 Talking to the people there if the people would
 Some just stared in hatred, and others turned in pain
 And the lonely British soldier wished he was back home again
 Come join the British Army! said the posters in his town
 See the world and have your fun, come serve before the Crown
 The jobs were hard to come by and he could not face the dole
 So he took his country's shilling and enlisted on the roll
 For there was no fear of fighting, the Empire long was lost
 Just ten years in the army getting paid for being bossed
 Then leave a man experienced a man who's made the grade
 A medal and a pension, some mem'ries and a trade
 Then came the call to Ireland as the call had came before
 Another bloody chapter in an endless civil war
 The priests they stood on both sides the priests they stood behind
 Another fight in Jesus's name the blind against the blind
 The soldier stood between them, between the whistling stones
 And then the broken bottles that led to broken bones
 The petrol bombs that burnt his hands the nails that pierced his skin
 And now wished that he'd stayed at home surrounded by his kin
 The station filled with people the soldier soon was bored
 But better in the station than where the people warred
 The room filled up with mothers with daughters and with sons
 Who stared with itchy fingers at the soldier and his gun
 A yell of fear a screech of brakes the shattering of glass
 The window of the station broke to let the package pass
 A scream came from the mothers as they ran towards the door
 Dragging children crying from the bomb upon the floor
 The soldier stood and could not move his gun he could not use
 He knew the bomb had seconds and not minutes on the fuse
 He could not run to pick it up and throw it in the street
 There were far too many people there, too many running feet
 Take cover! yelled the soldier, Take cover for your lives
 And the Irishmen threw down their young and stood before their wives
 They turned towards the soldier, their eyes alive with fear
 For God's sake save our children or they'll end their short lives here
 The soldier moved towards the bomb his stomach like a stone
 Why was this his battle God why was he alone
 He lay down on the package and he murmured one farewell
 To those at home in England to those he loved so well
 He saw the sights of summer felt the wind upon his brow
 The young girls in the city parks how precious were they now
 The soaring of the swallow the beauty of the swan
 The music of the turning world so soon would it be gone
 A muffled soft explosion and the room began to quake
 The soldier blown across the floor his blood a crimson lake
 They never heard him cry or shout they never heard him moan
 And they turned their children's faces from the blood and from the bones
 The crowd outside soon gathered and the ambulances came
 To carry off the body of a pawn lost to the game
 And the crowd they clapped and cheered and they sang their rebel songs
 One soldier less to interfere where he did not belong
 But will the children growing up learn at their mothers' knees
 The story of that soldier who bought their liberty
 Who used his youthful body as a means towards the end
 Who gave his life to those who called him murderer not friend