Lyrics: Coenie de Villiers
Music: Coenie de Villiers/Leon Gropp © 2016 SAMRO
They take us off the land,
send us to foreign shores;
Leave us all a-wondering
what the hell we’re fighting for
They send us off to countries
filled with blood and sand;
They say it’s not to die,
but just to lend a hand
They tell us it’s all innocent,
they tell us all their lies
It’s not the sun that I so mind –
it’s the shadows I despise
Every leader wants a war
to show what he is standing for:
That’s when children of our soil
come back wrapped in silver foil …
Every leader wants a war
Yes, every leader wants a war:
He will cut into the bone
for a conflict of his own
We shoot a desert flare
and it feels like Christmas cheer –
it dispels some of the distance,
it dispels some of the fear
We even sing some carols,
and then some childhood songs;
We sing them in hoarse voices
to try and right the wrongs
And so we all wear camouflage
with tags around the neck –
of course we mind being shot at,
but it’s the flies you have to check
Every leader wants a war
to show what he is standing for:
That’s when children of our soil
come back wrapped in silver foil …
Every leader wants a war
Yes, every leader wants a war:
He will cut into the bone
for a conflict of his own
When they sent us into combat,
when they sent us into war;
When they said it’s all OK –
this thing you’re fighting for
But I can’t remember clearly,
I can’t remember why
I’ve been sent into the desert
and rubber-stamped to die
Every leader wants a war
to show what he is standing for:
That’s when children of our soil
come back wrapped in silver foil
Every leader wants a war
Yes, every leader wants a war:
He will cut into the bone
for a conflict of his own