four days in groningen - phyllis sinclair lyrics
he would talk after supper for hours on end
of a city in holland he was sent to defend
\he would stop for a moment and hum a few lines
of a song that i knew back when i was a child
then he’d say write the lines of this simple refrain
of that song sung in groningen upon my grave
on april 14th we moved in from the west
we were calgary highlanders just doing our best
to make way for the “black watch” to groningen’s square
a mission of mercy with no time to spare
awaiting deliverance from hungеrs strong hold
wait the people of groningеn with skin to the bone
combat was heavy that friday* 15th
shots rang from high towers down to the streets
where we ran to take cover, on the dank air we choked
our lungs filled with brick dust, burning flesh and gun smoke
as we fought for that city, ash fell like snow
while the people of groningen huddled below
four days in groningen, i’ll not forget
four days in groningen, burn in my chest
and the song that was sung there in grateful refrain
after four days in groningen yet here remain
surrender can early that april 16th
the dark clouds had parted the rain and guns ceased
so we bandaged our wounded and we buried our pals
handed out rations on the streets and c*n*ls
in the quiet of evening we whispered a prayer
for the comrades we lost there in groningen’s square
but, the fourth day in groningen burns like a lamp
when a choir of children came up to our camp
to thank us for freedom by singing a song
it was the singular song that they knew in our tongue
and i’ll always remember how sweetly they sang
that song so familiar as freedom bells rang
four days in groningen, i’ll not forget
four days in groningen, burn in my chest
and the song that was sung there in grateful refrain
after four days in groningen yet here remain
i buried my bobby one hot july day
and just as he asked me i wrote on his grave
lines from that song that we’d sung through the years
that took on new meaning for my robert h. hird
when groningen’s children in soft serenade
thanked canada’s soldiers with “home on the range”
four days in groningen, i’ll not forget
four days in groningen, burn in my chest
and the song that was sung there in grateful refrain
after four days in groningen yet here remain
home home on the range, where the deer and the antelope play
where seldom is heard a discouraging word
and the skies are not cloudy all day
and the skies are not cloudy all day
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