Name: Upon a Foreign Shore
Duration: P00H03M26S
Description: War, bloody war. My conception of the central character was that he'd be an Orkney man, but it would apply to any of the island and rural communities in Scotland that have supplied cannon fodder for centuries.

Upon a Foreign Shore

from The Barren Fig (2019) by Bob Leslie

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War, bloody war. My conception of the central character was that he'd be an Orkney man, but it would apply to any of the island and rural communities in Scotland that have supplied cannon fodder for centuries.

lyrics

Upon a Foreign Shore

An island boy wha went tae war
Wis follaein a dream
O farin tae exotic launds
Sae faur across the sea
An right enough
It wisna bad
Wance training days war o'er
Till he saw things nae man shoud see
Upon a foreign shore

Although his army rank wis low
He lacked nae self-esteem
An strove tae mak his unit prood
The best that it coud be
Wi newfund purpose
Straight and tall
He coudna ask fur more
Till he saw things nae man should see
Upon a foreign shore

At times, tae ready wi his fists
Tho' wance mair faur fae strife
He hauds oan tae his anger
As tho' it war his life
An drinks tae draw
The curtain oan
The Hell that cam before
Whan he saw things nae man should see
Upon a foreign shore

Torn remains, hung in a tree
Lit by a fiery flare
Enemy or ally
Sae haurd tae know or care
A bairn that caught a bullet
Jist fur talkin wi the men
An comrades blithe and lively
That he'll nivver see again

Back tae his isle, he willna go
He fears tae loss control
In front o freends an kindred
And the lass he used tae know
A paper cup
In front o him
He begs his bed an board
An tries tae live wi whit he saw
Upon a foreign shore

credits

from The Barren Fig (2019), released February 20, 2019

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about

Bob Leslie Glasgow, UK

Bob Leslie's music is now available on a "NAME YOUR OWN PRICE" basis!
****************
“I can think of no other songwriter who has mined this rich vein
with such lyrical ease and with no mean ear for melody. ”
Alan Reid, Battlefield Band ... more

boblesliemusic.com

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