History lesson it's time to remember
Time to remember the deeds of the great
Please pay attention don't let your minds wander
Daydreams and playtime can wait.
Black the minnows that swarm in the water
White the butterfly flits in the sun
Red the blossom and pink the magnolia
History lesson's begun.
Joan of Arc ended up as a cinder
Henry the Eighth did for two of his wives
Wish I could dive in the pond where the ducks are
Having the time of their lives.
Red the blood on the axe of ther headsman
Black the stake and the bodies that burn
White the face of the priest and the hangman
These are the facts you must learn
Pitt paid a packet to patch out an empire
Drake bowled the Spaniards out the first ball
Just want to lie in the sun by the water
Down where the rushes grow tall.
Red the lines of Wellington's army
White the ensign where Nelson held sway
Crimson the cavalry Marlborough commanded
History's heroes are they.
Which scrap of paper began the big bundle?
Which umbrella brought peace in our time?
Questions and answers dissolve in the sunshine
Wait for the school bell to chime.
Green the gas as it gutters the trenches
Black the smell of the smoke from a gun
White the pain of a bombshell exploding
History lesson's begun.
History lesson please try to remember
Try to remember the deeds of the great
Theirs was the power, the glory the honour
They were the chosen of fate.
Black the minnows that swarm in the water
White the butterfly flits in the sun
Red the blossom and pink the magnolia
History lesson is done.
Time to remember the deeds of the great
Please pay attention don't let your minds wander
Daydreams and playtime can wait.
Black the minnows that swarm in the water
White the butterfly flits in the sun
Red the blossom and pink the magnolia
History lesson's begun.
Joan of Arc ended up as a cinder
Henry the Eighth did for two of his wives
Wish I could dive in the pond where the ducks are
Having the time of their lives.
Red the blood on the axe of ther headsman
Black the stake and the bodies that burn
White the face of the priest and the hangman
These are the facts you must learn
Pitt paid a packet to patch out an empire
Drake bowled the Spaniards out the first ball
Just want to lie in the sun by the water
Down where the rushes grow tall.
Red the lines of Wellington's army
White the ensign where Nelson held sway
Crimson the cavalry Marlborough commanded
History's heroes are they.
Which scrap of paper began the big bundle?
Which umbrella brought peace in our time?
Questions and answers dissolve in the sunshine
Wait for the school bell to chime.
Green the gas as it gutters the trenches
Black the smell of the smoke from a gun
White the pain of a bombshell exploding
History lesson's begun.
History lesson please try to remember
Try to remember the deeds of the great
Theirs was the power, the glory the honour
They were the chosen of fate.
Black the minnows that swarm in the water
White the butterfly flits in the sun
Red the blossom and pink the magnolia
History lesson is done.
Contributed by Bernart - 2013/8/27 - 23:15
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Parole e musica di Leon Rosselson
La prima incisione del brano si trova in “Three City Four” album eponimo del gruppo composto da Martin Carthy, Leon Rosselson, Ralph Trainer e Marian McKenzie.
Leon Rosselson lo reincise da solo nell’album intitolato “A Laugh, a Song, and a Hand-Grenade” del 1968.
Testo trovato su Mudcat Café
“According to a note in my first (1966) songbook, this song grew out of memories of history lessons at my school on the edge of Parliament Hill Fields. The tedious recital of facts and dates and great men's deeds is just the sort of history our present rulers would like to reinstate.”
“Secondo quanto mi appuntai nel mio primo libretto di canzoni, risalente al 1966, questa canzone nacque dal ricordo delle lezioni di Storia che si tenevano nella mia scuola nei pressi di Parliament Hill Fields a Londra. La noiosa recitazione mnemonica di date ed imprese di personaggi celebri è proprio il genere di insegnamento della Storia che i nostri governanti vorrebbero ripristinato oggi”
Leon Rosselson