Red and Gold feat. Simon Nicol
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Lyrics
By Cropredy in Oxfordshire the Cherwell takes its course
And the willows weep into its waters clear
Oh my name it is Will Tins and it's here that I was born
And raised in faith my King and God to fear
In 1644 the King in Oxford town did dwell
Though he heard that Cromwell's army was close by
It did not occur to me that little Cropredy
Would be a witness to a meeting of both sides
On June the twenty-fourth that year I was about my work
And I was cutting hedges some way from the stream
When my blade slipped, I cut my hand and my own dear blood did flow
Upon the brown earth and the corn still green
Now it did distress me so to watch my own blood flow
And to quickly soak into the greedy ground
In red and gold my colours swam and the sweat broke on my brow
And fates I knew that I must lay me down
For red and gold are royal colours
Peasant colours are green and brown
Green is the corn in the brown earth when it's growing
Red and gold when the harvest is cut down
Now at first I thought the thundering was just inside my head
And I raised myself above the hedge to see
And I watched as in a dream these two armies fought downstream
The battle for the bridge at Cropredy
Now the King's men they wore red and gold
Though Cromwell's men were plainer
All the blood that spilled was coloured just the same
From the hedgerow's fragile cover I watched brother killing brother
And all of this was done in Jesus' name
For red and gold are royal colours
Peasant colours are green and brown
Green is the corn in the brown earth when it's growing
Red and gold when the harvest is cut down
Now all that day and all the next the battle it was raging
Though when darkness came I slipped away
But the crying of the dying kept me wakeful and just lying
In my bed until the dawning of the day
And the dreams that I had were red and gold
And the little stream became a flood
From all my brothers killing one another
Till waking I did realise it was all my own dear blood
Now some were buried in our church and some right where they fell
With no markers to declare their place of rest
But the poppies they did grow where they were never sown
And to my mind they do declare it best
Each year when the green corn once again turns into gold
And the poppies in the field they do remind me
Like this scar upon my hand and the blood spilled on this land
And the hungry earth so eager to confine me
For red and gold are royal colours
One is blood and one is power
Though I may one day rest by Cropredy church
In golden fields forever will bloom the poppy flower
By Cropredy the Cherwell is still bidden to keep flowing
And the willows by its side still gently weep
But still in restless dreams by this most peaceful stream
The poppies do disturb my rightful sleep
And the dreams that I have are red and gold
And the little stream becomes a flood
From all my brothers killing one another
Waking I do realise it's all my own dear blood
Though I may one day rest in Cropredy church
In golden fields forever will bloom the poppy flower