Shit Creek - A Coda
The Last Train to Glory - My English Traits - Chapter 37
A Sermon Preach'd Upon Occasion of the Funeral of Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, officially Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of her other realms and territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, born April 21, 1926, London, England—died September 8, 2022, Balmoral, Scotland
A cappella:
And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England’s mountain green:
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England’s pleasant pastures seen?
Original pilot, July 2021, doubled chorus vocals courtesy of Tim Gerard; updated lyrics as follows:
Some guy stopped me in the street in Soho yesterday
Said, I’m looking for Jerusalem, can you kindly point the way?
Jerusalem, I said to him, well it seems a little odd
But there’s a pub around the corner called the Holy Lamb of God
When he shook his head I should have left but he had a friendly face
I asked him what his name was and he said William Blake
Well, you want to get to Gatwick, Bill, you could try the Northern Line
But he had a few more questions if I could spare the time
What happened to God’s City that we were building here?
And what are these Satanic mills I’m seeing everywhere?
Have you seen a bow of burning gold or some arrows of desire?
And what do you have to do round here to get a chariot of fire?
And had I seen a friend of his, perhaps we’d chanced to meet
He had flowers in his hair and walked here on his feet?
Well I had to say, I’m sorry man but it was a crown of thorns
And we sent him back to Bethlehem before he could be born
Chorus:
Oh, the last train to glory’s pulling out of Waterloo
And there ain’t a single living soul on board
There’re flags in every window shouting red and white and blue
But no one’s singing hallelujah anymore
Well, I didn’t really didn’t want to know but I asked him anyway
What brought you back to Eng-a-land, this day of all these days?
I heard there was a funeral and I came to pay respects
But everything I’ve been seeing is leaving me perplexed
I’ve been away for such a while, feels like eternity
I’m hoping, sir, you can satisfy my curiosity:
Do you recall the words of all those songs you sang of yore?
Britannia rules the waves was one I heard upon these shores
She promised all of Albion they never would be slaves
But it seems to me, apparently, they’re everywhere in chains
Oh, the last train to glory’s pulling out of Waterloo
And there ain’t a single living soul on board
There’re flags in every window shouting red and white and blue
But no one’s singing hallelujah anymore
I tried to be polite, of course, the way that I was told
But it seemed a whiff indecent with her body not yet cold
And the five-sixteen to Folkstone was just about to leave
When like an ancient mariner he grabbed me by the sleeve
I’m not pointing any fingers, I don’t need someone to blame
I’m just looking for one living soul to help me please explain:
Did those feet in ancient times leave footprints anywhere?
I don’t believe I can conceive that he was even here…
I’m not sure I like your questions, I said, and I really have to run
He crossed his heart and hoped to die, said this is the last one
Tell me about these flags, he said, what are you celebrating for?
I said, can’t you see it’s obviously 1984
Oh, the last train to glory’s pulling out of Waterloo
And there ain’t a single living soul on board
There’re flags in every window shouting red and white and blue
But no one’s singing hallelujah anymore
No one’s singing hallelujah ‘cept the guy in Number Ten
Surrounded by the ruins of Blake’s Jerusalem
Oh, the last train to glory just pulled out of Waterloo
And there ain’t a single living soul on board
There’re flags in every window shouting red and white and blue
But no one’s singing hallelujah anymore
Coda:
I was dreaming of the glory of this green and pleasant land
When I woke up to find my sword a-sleeping in my hand
I thought I’d drifted up upon some island bare and bleak
Cos instead of England’s pastures green, I was up shit creek