After battle with wounds to lick and bows and bells all reuniting
Rationing austerity,
it did us good after the fighting
Now time to bid some fond farewells
and walk away from empires crumbling
Post-war baby boom to fuel with post-Victorian half-dressed fumblings
I see a screen,
grey cathode tube,
in walnut cabinet,
bride of place
In holy family living room, clip tone announcer,
powdered face
And now to mould public opinion,
sanctify the good and great
Largely over his dominion,
brash television seals our fate
After these wars,
when gentler winds were blowing After these wars,
when stocking tops
were showing When the co-op gave us daily bread
When penicillin raised the dead And combine harvesters kept us fed
After these wars
We thanked the yank and thanked the
lord For sparing us from dark inpatient
Now to liberate,
rebuild and balance Europe's new equation
Spooky spies in from the cold With lies and secrets to be sold
To bigger brothers,
bigger bombs Lecceri thrillers to be told
We take our place amongst those others
Who would punch above their weight
Divest ourselves of glowing mantle,
mantle of old Britain great
Big podcast in Hollywood,
ripe old thespian Tolerated world,
weary ham upon the stage
Ever green but over-weighted
After these wars,
when gentler winds were blowing After these wars,
when stocking tops were
showing When the co-op gave us daily bread
When penicillin raised the dead And combine harvesters kept us fed
After these wars