Well, ^Dhow do you do, Private ^GWilliam Mc^EmBride D'you ^Amind if I sit here down ^Gby your grave^Aside? And ^Drest for awhile in the ^Gwarm summer ^Emsun I've been ^Awalking all day, and ^GI'm nearly ^Ddone And I see by your gravestone you were ^Emonly nine^Gteen When you ^Ajoined the glorious ^Gfallen in ^DNineteen Six^Ateen Well, I ^Dhope you died quick and I ^Emhope you died clean Or, ^AWilliam McBride, was it ^Gslow and ob^Dscene?

Did they ^Abeat the drum slowly, did they ^Gsound the pipes ^Dlowly? Did the ^Emrifles fire o'er thee as they ^Alowered thee ^Ddown? Did the ^Gbugles sing 'The Last Post' in ^Achorus? Did the ^Gpipes play the '^EmFlowers of the ^AFor^Dest'?

And did thee leave wife or a ^Gsweetheart be^Emhind In ^Asome loyal heart, is your ^Gmemory en^Ashrined? ^DAnd, though you died back in ^GNineteen Six^Emteen To ^Athat faithful heart, are you ^Galways nine^Dteen? Or are you just a stranger without ^Emeven a ^Gname For^Aever en^Gclosed be^Dhind some glass ^Apane In an ^Dold photograph, torn and ^Emtattered and stained And ^Afading to yellow in a ^Gbrown leather ^Dframe?

Did they ^Abeat the drum slowly, did they ^Gsound the pipes ^Dlowly? Did the ^Emrifles fire o'er thee as they ^Alowered thee ^Ddown? Did the ^Gbugles sing 'The Last Post' in ^Achorus? Did the ^Gpipes play the '^EmFlowers of the ^AFor^Dest'?

The sun is shining down on these ^Ggreen fields of ^EmFrance The ^Awarm wind blows gently and the ^Gred poppies ^Adance The ^Dtrenches have vanished now ^Gunder the ^Emplough No ^Agas and no barbed-wire, no ^Gguns firing ^Dnow But here in this graveyard it's ^Emstill No Man's ^GLand And the ^Acountless white crosses, in ^Gmute witness ^Astand To ^Dman's blind indifference to ^Emhis fellow man And a ^Awhole generation who were ^Gbutchered and ^Ddamned

Did they ^Abeat the drum slowly, did they ^Gsound the pipes ^Dlowly? Did the ^Emrifles fire o'er thee as they ^Alowered thee ^Ddown? Did the ^Gbugles sing 'The Last Post' in ^Achorus? Did the ^Gpipes play the '^EmFlowers of the ^AFor^Dest'?

And I can't help but wonder now, ^GWillie Mc^EmBride Do ^Aall those who lie here ^Gknow why they ^Adied? Did you ^Dreally believe them when they ^Gtold you 'The ^EmCause'? Did you ^Areally believe that this ^Gwar would end ^Dwars? Well, the suffering, the sorrow, the ^Emglory, the ^Gshame The ^Akilling, the ^Gdying, it was ^Dall done in ^Avain For ^DWillie McBride, it all ^Emhappened again And a^Again, and again, and a^Ggain, and a^Dgain

Did they ^Abeat the drum slowly, did they ^Gsound the pipes ^Dlowly? Did the ^Emrifles fire o'er thee as they ^Alowered thee ^Ddown? Did the ^Gbugles sing 'The Last Post' in ^Achorus? Did the ^Gpipes play the '^EmFlowers of the ^AFor^Dest'?

N.C.

Did the bugles sing 'The Last Post' in chorus?

N.C.

Did the pipes play the 'Flowers of the Forest'?

June Tabor - No mans land flowers of the forest