King and Country (An Epic Revolutionary War Ballad)

[Intro – Spoken, over distant drums and a lonely fife] The year was seventeen seventy-five… Across the ocean, far from home, A thousand ships brought England's sons To fight upon a foreign shore. They carried the colours of the King, They swore an oath they'd not betray… But nobody told them when they left How many hearts would break that day. [Verse 1] We marched beneath the Union flag, Through forests dark and cold, With muskets on our shoulders And our stories left untold. From Boston's streets to Concord's fields, The morning mist hung grey, And every mile we marched inland Took another dream away. Our captain spoke of duty, Of the Crown and England's pride, But I saw fear in every face Of the men who marched beside. For across those rolling hills and farms, Where the church bells used to ring, Stood men who spoke our mother tongue Yet raised their arms against the King. [Chorus – Full drums, fiddle and powerful male vocals] King and Country! Hear the battle cry! Red coats marching 'neath a blood-red sky! Brother against brother, the cannon's thunder roars, And the ghosts of fallen soldiers haunt these distant shores. King and Country! That's what we were told, To fight for the Crown, for the brave and the bold. But when the guns fall silent and the wounded cry, Who will remember the reason we die? King and Country… God knows why. [Verse 2] At Bunker Hill the earth ran red, The smoke obscured the sun, We climbed against the waiting guns, And watched our comrades fall one by one. The orders came, we charged again, Through fire and choking air, And every man who reached the crest Left part of himself there. I found a lad beside me, With a letter in his hand, A little note from Yorkshire That he'd never take back home again. He whispered, “Tell my mother That I tried to do what's right. Tell her I remembered England As I lay here tonight.” [Chorus – Bigger, with backing choir] King and Country! Hear the battle cry! Red coats marching 'neath a blood-red sky! Brother against brother, the cannon's thunder roars, And the ghosts of fallen soldiers haunt these distant shores. King and Country! That's what we were told, To fight for the Crown, for the brave and the bold. But when the guns fall silent and the wounded cry, Who will remember the reason we die? King and Country… God knows why. [Verse 3 – Slower, reflective fiddle] The winters came to Valley Forge, The hungry armies froze, While loyal men and rebels fought Through fields of ice and snow. We heard of Saratoga, Of the French ships on the tide, And watched the cause we came to serve Slip slowly from our side. Then Yorktown's guns came crashing, And the sky was black with flame, The proudest armies laid their weapons down, And nothing stayed the same. Our general surrendered, Our flags were lowered to the ground, And all the dreams we'd carried there Lay scattered all around. [Bridge – Quiet male vocal, building orchestral strings] I once believed the King was right, That honour meant obey, That men who served their country Never questioned what they'd say. But I saw a farmer's cottage burn, I heard a mother's plea, And wondered if the men we fought Were any less than me. For a man can love his homeland And still question why he fights, And a flag can shine like glory While it hides a thousand nights. No crown can stop the grieving, No victory erase the pain, And the men who march to war as boys Never come back quite the same. [Verse 4 – Marching rhythm returns] We sailed for home in silence, With the winter on our skin, Some had lost a leg or arm, Some had lost the fight within. The harbour lights of England Shone like diamonds through the rain, But the cheers that greeted other men Could never heal our pain. I kept the battered letter Of the Yorkshire lad who died, And sometimes when the wind blows east, I hear his voice beside me. We'd fought beneath one banner, We'd obeyed the same command, Yet an ocean lay between us And the homes we couldn't stand. [Final Chorus – Full orchestra, choir and thunderous drums] King and Country! Hear the battle cry! Let the fading echoes cross the ocean sky! Brother against brother, let the cannon speak no more, Let the fallen rest in peace upon that distant shore. King and Country! We gave all we could, Our blood for the Crown, our lives where we stood. But the price of glory's written where the lonely soldiers lie, And the tears of those who loved them never ask the reason why. King and Country! Let the old flags fly, But remember every soldier who was l