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The Ballad Of Bill Hubbard Lyrics
(Instrumental)
(crickets)
(switch channels)
[Alf Razzell:] "Two things that have haunted me most are the days when I
had to collect the paybooks; and when I left Bill Hubbard in
no-man's-land.
"I was picked up and taken into their trench. And I'd no
sooner taken two or three steps down the trench when I heard a
call, 'Hello Razz, I'm glad to see you. This is my second night
here,' and he said 'I'm feeling bad,' and it was Bill Hubbard,
one of the men we'd trained in England, one of the original
battalion. I had a look at his wound, rolled him over; I could
see it was probably a fatal wound. You could imagine what pain
he was in, he was dripping with sweat; and after I'd gone about
three shellholes, traversed that, had it been...had there been a
path or a road I could have done better. He pummelled me, 'Put
me down, put me down, I'd rather die, I'd rather die, put me
down.' I was hoping he would faint. He said 'I can't go any
further, let me die.' I said 'If I leave you here Bill you won't
be found, let's have another go.' He said 'All right then.' And
the same thing happened; he couldn't stand it any more, and I had
to leave him there, in no-man's-land."
(switch channels)
(girl) "I don't mind about the war, that's one of the things I
like to watch, if it's a war going on, 'cause then I know if
our side's winning, if our side's losing..."
(switch channels)
had to collect the paybooks; and when I left Bill Hubbard in
no-man's-land.
sooner taken two or three steps down the trench when I heard a
call, 'Hello Razz, I'm glad to see you. This is my second night
here,' and he said 'I'm feeling bad,' and it was Bill Hubbard,
one of the men we'd trained in England, one of the original
battalion. I had a look at his wound, rolled him over; I could
see it was probably a fatal wound. You could imagine what pain
he was in, he was dripping with sweat; and after I'd gone about
three shellholes, traversed that, had it been...had there been a
path or a road I could have done better. He pummelled me, 'Put
me down, put me down, I'd rather die, I'd rather die, put me
down.' I was hoping he would faint. He said 'I can't go any
further, let me die.' I said 'If I leave you here Bill you won't
be found, let's have another go.' He said 'All right then.' And
the same thing happened; he couldn't stand it any more, and I had
to leave him there, in no-man's-land."
like to watch, if it's a war going on, 'cause then I know if
our side's winning, if our side's losing..."
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This song obviously hooks you into the grief of the ‘Razz” being interviewed about WW1, then once you feel the old mans pain about a dying friend, then you are shocked at the young person who says they basically like war and like watching the death and killing. Roger must be pissed at young people do not realise that ppl like his dad dies in past wars.
For info on this visit http://www.rogerwaters.org/atd_about.html
I also like how that last words Bill's friend speaks on the album (text not included here) is "1984".
What a sad song It had me in tears poor alf put in that situation ,questioning himself , was there more he could of done ,and then finding bills name on the register , finally finding some peace ,you can tell by his soft voice he was a true gentleman ,i would love to visit his grave some day R I P Alf and Bill .