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Fighting the Long Defeat

from TOWERS OPEN FIRE by TOWERS OPEN FIRE

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about

Ancient Britons and Hippies: And the song title is a quote from Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings'. How Glastonbury can you get?

lyrics

FIGHTING THE LONG DEFEAT

We were small, but we were fierce,
We had arrows that could pierce
Through any beast or man we hunted in the wood.
That primeval forest wide
That covered England, side to side,
Where we traded furs and metals when we could.

Feathers and beads in our hair
And our swords were made of iron.
Feathers and beads in our hair
And not one of us was aware...

We were fighting the Long Defeat
Fighting the Long Defeat
Beating a slow retreat
Fighting the Long Defeat...

The new tribes came in from the East,
Had no Druids, just a Priest.
They were tall and blond, and seemed a little slow.
But they cleared land for their farms
And we watched with growing alarm
As their territory and numbers grew and grew

They pushed us West - Always West
We stood and fought, but had to give them best.
West was where our sun would set,
The marshes of Wales and Somerset.
Our backs were to the sea, the disaster was complete....

We were fighting the Long Defeat
Fighting the Long Defeat
Beating a slow retreat
Fighting the Long Defeat...

We were starlight, we were golden,
And we would not be beholden
To the world that our parents had created.
We made no apology,
We’d be Hippies, proud and free.
We were far-out, we were cool and liberated.

Feathers and beads in our hair
And our guitars were Sunburst Gold.
Feathers and beads in our hair
And not one of us was aware...

We were fighting the Long Defeat
Fighting the Long Defeat
Beating a slow retreat
Fighting the Long Defeat...

We had a few good years
Before the Punks appeared.
We retreated, didn’t fancy getting battered.
And then, mortgages akimbo,
Riding Volvos into Limbo,
Came the Yuppies, crying only money mattered.

They pushed us West - Always West.
They bought our communes, which they promptly repossessed.
West was where our sun would set,
San Francisco or Somerset.
The Eighties rolled right over us; our thing died on its feet...

We were fighting the Long Defeat
Fighting the Long Defeat
Making the slow retreat
Fighting the Long Defeat...

credits

from TOWERS OPEN FIRE, released June 12, 2020
BRAKEMAN / SMITH (Brakeman - Music: Smith - Lyrics)
Brakeman - Guitars, Bass & Backing Vocals.
Smith - Lead Vocals

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about

JUDGE SMITH image

JUDGE SMITH Glastonbury, UK

Judge Smith co-founded the band Van der Graaf Generator in 1967 with Peter Hammill, & has since been involved in many music projects as writer, composer or performer. He has written stage musicals, classical & rock libretti, songs for television & a book on Life after Death; directed a prize-winning short film, & released fourteen CDs & two DVDs. He was born in 1948 & lives near Glastonbury, UK. ... more

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