Foreign Armies East Lyrics

What did become in the end of heroes and villains
Of the simple, comely truths of our youth?

Where did they hide when we tried to be good soldiers
And grow up to be men they never were?
Ours was to question why
Ours was to do or die
Ours was to say bye bye
Ours to burn bridges
And poison the wells
Ours but for what is worth
Ours was the scorched earth

When bodies were hung
From frozen trees
We took what we could
It was understood
That we must flee
As before foreign armies east
What did become in the end of winners and losers
Of the postures that we took to look like men?

Whatever befell Doctor Dee and Edward Kelley
What tortured Austin Spare till he no longer cared?

I wished it not for me
That kind of misery
Yet I did wish I could feel
That burning severity
Rather be dead than dull
I wanted to see it all

And when we knew we could never go home
Then we were free
To write our own true destiny
When we had burnt it all
As before foreign armies east
Siege engines and twisted steel
Men, horse and wagon
The Lord had struck them down
Before foreign armies east

Ours was to question why
Ours was to do or die
Ours was to say bye bye
Ours was to do or die
Ours but for what is worth
Ours was the scorched earth