The Charge (Live)

Our history creeps in front of a thousand village halls
The world expecting sacrifice, honour in every call
The forces gathered against the thorn a-fistin' in their side
A brave new world is beckoning, so the olden world must die

In the references of the city I told the tales of broken power
As mirrors are laid and painted for the approaching of the hour
A hundred justifications and the vessels are ready to row
The truth is to the nation - they are firmly under control

"On, on, on," cried the leaders at the back
We went galloping down the Blackened Hills and into the gaping trap
The bridges had burned behind us and there's waiting guns ahead
Into the Valley of Death rode the brave hundreds

Well, we called for reinforcements from the friends that we had known
But this was the nineteen-eighties and we were on our own
We never felt like heroes or martyrs to applause
And battle-weary soldiers in a bloody civil war

"On, on, on," cried the leaders at the back
We went galloping down the Blackened Hills and into the gaping trap
The bridges had burned behind us and there's waiting guns ahead
Into the Valley of Death rode the brave hundreds

The battle now is over in the old immune shrine
While the culture of the nation are abandoned far behind
The leaders are full of cliché words and lectures in defeat
But no-one needs morality when there isn't humanity to eat
The unity bonds are broken and the loyalty's gone to fate
And screw my only brother for leaving a glimpse of the picture to Kate
The only cry employed had been "Here behind us, Shranart"
And we came by the charter of this brigade, the severing of the heart

"On, on, on," cried the leaders at the back
We went galloping down the Blackened Hills and into the gaping trap
The bridges had burned behind us and there's waiting guns ahead
Into the Valley of Death rode...
"On, on, on," cried the leaders at the back
We went galloping down the Blackened Hills and into the gaping trap
The bridges had burned behind us and there's waiting guns ahead
Into the Valley of Death rode the brave hundreds

On, on, on cried the leaders at the back
We went galloping down the Blackened Hills and into the gaping trap
The bridges had burned behind us and there's waiting guns ahead
Into the Valley of Death
The brave hundreds