Harry Patch (In Memory Of) Lyrics
The others died where ever they fell
It was an ambush
They came up from all sides
Give your leaders each a gun and then let them fight it out themselves
I've seen devils coming up from the ground
I've seen hell upon this earth
The next will be chemical but they will never learn
This is obviously a song about the memory of Harry Patch the last remaining survivor of WWI who recently died. Just heard this for the first time today and It is absolutely beautiful. I feel like this should be heard with the falling of snowflakes. Thats just me though.
The cool thing about the lyrics is that they are all quotes from Harry Patch.
The cool thing about the lyrics is that they are all quotes from Harry Patch.
The cool thing about these lyrics is that they are all quotes from Harry Patch himself.
Can you/anyone confirm this?
Can you/anyone confirm this?
but hey, thanks thanks its a fucking pleasure...
but hey, thanks thanks its a fucking pleasure...
The string section in this is amazing. The lyrics really describe the agony of war well, the song is quite harrowing overall.
Very beautiful.
a note on the track from Thom:
"Recently the last remaining UK veteran of the 1st world war Harry Patch died at the age of 111. I had heard a very emotional interview with him a few years ago on the Today program on Radio4. The way he talked about war had a profound effect on me. It became the inspiration for a song that we happened to record a few weeks before his death. It was done live in an abbey. The strings were arranged by Jonny. I very much hope the song does justice to his memory as the last survivor.
It would be very easy for our generation to forget the true horror of war, without the likes of Harry to remind us. I hope we do not forget.
As Harry himself said "Irrespective of the uniforms we wore, we were all victims"."
"Give your leaders each a gun and then let them fight it out themselves" There are so many things within this phrase. Its so easy for a leader to start a war when its not them the ones out there holding a gun afraid of leaving their kids orhpans.
And I agree, this song is special because the lyrics are all quotes from Harry Patch himself, its like a way for Radiohead to show how much respect they have for every word he said.
Beautiful strings, by the way.
I actually wasn't aware Radiohead quoted Harry Patch himself until after I'd first heard it. If anything, that makes it all the more chilling and touching.
i didn't know that harry patch was directly quoted in the song... it makes it twice as beautiful now. a very prophetic man, even in his latest years.
It's hard to believe our country's leaders would put men like Harry through such a horrible thing as that war (or any war), for such a pointless cause.
I cannot even begin to fathom what that generation went through.
RIP Harry Patch. The 'last Tommy'.
I think it's the best thing Radiohead have done for years. Beautiful and sorrowful. My History teacher at school knew one of the "old contemptibles". That generation has finally gone.