Rael

The Who

The Red Chins in their millions
Will overspill their borders
And chaos then will reign in our Rael

The country of my fathers
A proud land overloaded
Like a goldfish being swallowed by a whale

Rael the home of my religion
To me, the center of the earth

The Red Chins in their millions
Will overspill their borders
And chaos then will reign in our Rael

My heritage is threatened
My roots are torn and cornered
And so to do my best I'll homeward sail
And so to do my best I'll homeward sail

Now captain, listen to my instructions
Return to this spot on Christmas day
Look toward the shore for my signal
And then you'll know if in Rael I'll stay

If a yellow flag is fluttering
Simply held against the morn
Then you'll know my courage is ended
And you'll send your boat ashore

But if a red flag is flying
Brazen, bold against the blue
Then you'll know that I am staying
And my yacht belongs to you

Now captain listen to my instructions
Return to this spot on Christmas day
Look toward the shore for my signal
And then you'll know if in Rael I'll stay

He's crazy if he thinks we're coming back again
He's crazy if he thinks we're coming back again
He's crazy if he thinks we're coming back again
He's crazy anyway

If a yellow flag is fluttering
Sickly held against the morn
Then you'll know my courage is ended
And you'll send your boat ashore


Lyrics submitted by oofus, edited by mgajosh

Rael 1 Lyrics as written by Pete Townshend

Lyrics © Spirit Music Group

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Rael song meanings
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10 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment
    I think the yellow flag is a "sickly herald against the morn" not "simply held" I don't believe that the song is about any specific occupation, but rather a sort of mythic archetype of an advanced civilization that's surrounded by more populous but less civilized neighbors. Something like the ancient Hebrews, or the Athenians might have seen themselves.
    mgajoshon January 12, 2020   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    Pete was developing this into a larger concept. He didnt compelte it but he used some of the music on Sparks.
    lmaster65on November 09, 2006   Link
  • +1
    Song Comparison
    do you think Rael influenced Genesis with Rael on 'Lamb Lies Down On Broadway?' any experts welcome to answer.
    nomusician2on May 03, 2014   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    It's about some Crusader knights in Medieval days fighting the Saracens in the Holy Land (Rael). If things get hairy, the Venetian galleys are supposed to pick the Crusader forces up and take them to safety. But the treacherous Venetians take the money and run, leaving the Knights to be massacred by the Muslims. This is close to what really happened. It was absurd that the Europeans wanted to annex Israel, it wasn't even theirs. The Venetians mock their folly and crazy bravado and leave them to their quixotic fate. Gabriel claims that he never heard of this song when he named his NYC hero Rael, but, ahem, that's a hell of a coincidence, Peter. The other Peter was probably extremely annoyed.
    54marklon December 21, 2016   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    The enemy in the song is clearly the Saracens fighting the Crusaders in the Holy Land, in days of old. Red Chin could be a sly reference to the Mongol army which did invade Palestine in the 1100's. But the Mongol invaders were met by an Egyptian army with stolen Chinese firearms who shot them all to hell. This battle at Ain Jalut was the first use of firearms in the Western world, and the first serious check that the Mongols ever received. Perhaps our Crusader heroes wandered right into the middle of this battle and got shot off their horses by the gunners. Moon's drums sound like gunfire at the end.
    54marklon December 22, 2016   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    this was Pete's 2nd mini-opera
    eleven-seventy1170on January 04, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    I rarely listen to this one, because I think most of the songs past I Can't Reach You are pretty weak, by Who standards, but I did notice that the end of this one sounds just like Sparks from Tommy. I thought that was kind of odd. But The Who rocks, and that's what really matters.
    Kneebone1963on June 24, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    I read somewhere it's supposed to be about the Red Chinese (Red Chins) invading Israel (Rael). That dosen't make much sense of course, seeing as how China and Israel are seperated by a few thousand miles of land. Well that's all I really know. It is Pete's second mini opera.
    jssw030289on December 06, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    Seems to be about a guy from Rael who is out traveling the seas in his boat when he hears that the Red Chins have invaded his homeland. He decides to take action and tells the captain of his boat to drop him off and return on Christmas, if the yellow flag of Rael is flying, that means he has won and they are to moor the boat. If a red flag is flying, then the Red Chins have prevailed and the guy is dead, hence "in Rael I'll stay," and they are to take the boat and get out of there. His men seem to think he's crazy, too.
    TheFranzFerdinandon January 24, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    It's the same guitar riff from Sparks and Underture, I've just realised.
    Troymanon October 22, 2008   Link

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