i fought in a war

i fought in a war and i left my friends behind me

to go looking for the enemy

and it wasn't very long

before i would stand with another boy in front of me

and a corpse that just fell into me

with the bullets flying round

and i reminded myself of the words you said when we were getting on

and i bet you're making shells back home for a steady boy to wear

round his neck

well it won't hurt to think of you as if you're waiting for

this letter to arrive because i'll be here quite a while

i fought in a war and i left my friends behind me

to go looking for the enemy

and it wasn't very long

before i found out that the sickness there ahead of me

went beyond the bedsit infamy of the decade gone before

and i reminded myself of the words you said when we were getting on

and i bet you're making shells back home for a steady man to wear

round his neck

well it won't hurt to think of you as if you're waiting for

this letter to arrive because i'll be here quite a while

i fought in a war

and i didn't know where it would end

it stretched before me infinitely

i couldn't really think

of the day beyond now

keep your head down pal

there's trouble plenty in this hour

this day

i can see hope i can see light

and i reminded myself of the looks you gave when we were getting on

and i bet you're making shells back home for a steady man to wear

round his neck

well it won't hurt to think of you as if you're waiting for

this letter to arrive because i'll be here quite a while