World War 1 - Spoken Word Track - Free Download - Now with lyrics in comments section by protheory published on 2010-10-22T00:51:16Z World War 1 - Spoken Word Free Download. The story of a 16 year old soldier called Tommy Atkins who goes to war. Genre world war 1 Comment by protheory I'm Tommy Atkins, a first world war soldier, only sixteen but the army thinks I'm older, I went and knocked on the recruiters door, walked in, signed my name with a big grin, as a proud fake youth of eighteen not really knowing what war means, I saw a troop train and got in at the station, with the flower of my nation's young generation, now we're stuck in these damn trenches, sat or squatted on filthy muddy benches smoking woodbines or Benson and hedges 2016-07-12T19:48:32Z Comment by protheory depending on whether they’ve got supplies in, the shocking screams in the air make me painfully aware that missiles are arriving, during daylight if you stick your head up higher than the barbed wire you draw fire from sharp shooting snipers who desire that you die in the name of the British empire, while snipe sights are trained with delight on those who might in spite of warnings light fags at night, all the blokes have a packet of smokes, a repertoire of jokes for most keeping himself and other folks happy is the way that he copes, we give hell to the Huns we're not dropping pounds it's more like tons, the wounded shout and scream for their mums 2016-07-12T19:48:19Z Comment by protheory bombs explode and all too soon, half my pals are suffering from wounds, panicking generals plot a ruse to confuse the enemy so that we don't lose, the public don't have a clue, government hoping to excuse, the loss of life, all around me poppies spread their red blooms among the strife, the irony being that this is new life, my mates around me maimed, men in constant pain don't quite know who or what to blame, desensitized and drained, from never ending blood stains and spilt brains, I joined up with my mates in a pals battalion, we were valiant like princes had the strength of many stallions, now they're all but gone only the odd one left, distressed stunned and undone by the constant roar of the enemy guns, now we're at the Somme, an easy one they reckon, won't take too long we'll walk it, we can't go wrong 2016-07-12T19:48:04Z Comment by protheory tomorrow, I'm going over the top, gotta take stock and write to my wife while I wait for our barrage to stop, all around me friends are in shell shock, I kid you not, bodies of enemies or relatives reek when they rot, just gotta cross no man's land, fighting for a foreign land, lee Enfield in hand, quite a sight alright never saw anything as grand as when our lads get on the parapet and stand, little do we know though as we hear the captain's whistle blow how much blood will flow how many young lives will go, as I try to find grip on the ladder what will happen who knows, time now lads come on let's go, mills bombs mortars and jeers we throw, our men are mowed down dead in droves while the faces of the still living are indelibly marked with woe 2016-07-12T19:47:36Z Comment by protheory I slap myself move my feet and toes checking I'm alive trying to get myself composed, as a bullet whistles past my nose, as reality implodes, the zip zip zip of the bullets it's, the worst bit, hit after hit men stumble everywhere as though they had tripped, missiles whip they rip human flesh to bits I feel physically sick, I'm relying on my wits as the maxim machine gun spits, I take cover with another lad in a shell hole, this no man's land man aint nothing but a hell hole, tunnelling underground like a mole, fighting instinctual humanity for control, as all kindness dissolves, I develop mindless resolve to kill, sarge gets shot rotten luck, looks like he should have ducked , I look as he rocks and writhes in pain and then like flame his life extinguishes and his time on earth finishes 2016-07-12T19:47:08Z Comment by protheory I look on his now lifeless corpse of course with distance and disdain, from sympathy I refrain, it just keeps happening again and again, familiarity breeds contempt you see, it's relentlessly pounding around surrounding me clouding reality, bodies and blood are nothing to me, you'll never know what I've seen, in my nightmares and in my daydreams, lice crawling up my seams, the reams of ammunition permissions and indecision, constant hissing of the whizzbangs while the gas alarm clangs, wishing the screaming would stop but forced to listen, at wipers they wiped us out, no warning no shouts, they attacked silently with gas little did we know how violently how long effects would last, instant decay of flesh to the point where soon there's nothing left, now coldly winning war by design, with the blind leading behind, seeing bullets cut in half a man, not even giving a damn, walking wounded trying to stand, with no legs no jest they're left in the inhuman land of no man...to die. 2016-07-12T19:46:49Z
