Beaches of St. Valery
It was in 1940, the last days of Spring
We were sent to the Maginot line
A fortress in France, built to halt the advance
Of an army from a different time
We were soon overrun, out-thought and outgunned
And pushed further back every day
But we never believed high command would just leave us
So we fought every step of the way
'Til the 51st Highlanders found themselves back
On the banks of the Somme one more time
It still bore the scars of that war to end wars
The old soldier's scars deep in their minds
But we couldn't stay long for the Panzers rolled on
As the battle raged west towards the sea
Then on June the 10th when sapped of all strength
We entered St. Valery
And all I recall is the last boat leavin'
My brother on board wavin' and callin' to me
And the Jocks stranded there wi' their hands in the air
On the beaches of St. Valery
So I huddled all night in a hammered old house
While the shells and the bullets rained down
Just before dawn our hopes were still strong
For we moved to the beach from the town
But the boat that had left on the day we arrived
Was the only one that we'd ever see
So without ammo or food we had done all we could
So we surrendered at St. Valery
And all I recall is the last boat leavin'
My brother on board wavin' and callin' to me
And the Jocks stranded there wi' their hands in the air
On the beaches of St. Valery
And when I returned at the end of the war
From the Stalag where I'd been confined
I read of the battles the Allies had fought
Stalingrad, Alamein, and the Rhine
And with pride in their hearts people spoke of Dunkirk
Where defeat had become victory
But nobody mentioned that Highland Division
They'd never heard of St. Valery
No stories no statues for those that were killed
No honors for those that were caught
Just a deep sense of shame as though we were to blame
Though I knew in my heart we were not
So I've moved to a country I've come to call home
While my homeland is far o'er the sea
I shall never return while my memory still burns
On the beaches of St. Valery
And all I recall is the last boat leavin'
My brother on board wavin' and callin' to me
And the Jocks stranded there wi' their hands in the air
On the beaches of St. Valery
We were sent to the Maginot line
A fortress in France, built to halt the advance
Of an army from a different time
We were soon overrun, out-thought and outgunned
And pushed further back every day
But we never believed high command would just leave us
So we fought every step of the way
'Til the 51st Highlanders found themselves back
On the banks of the Somme one more time
It still bore the scars of that war to end wars
The old soldier's scars deep in their minds
But we couldn't stay long for the Panzers rolled on
As the battle raged west towards the sea
Then on June the 10th when sapped of all strength
We entered St. Valery
And all I recall is the last boat leavin'
My brother on board wavin' and callin' to me
And the Jocks stranded there wi' their hands in the air
On the beaches of St. Valery
So I huddled all night in a hammered old house
While the shells and the bullets rained down
Just before dawn our hopes were still strong
For we moved to the beach from the town
But the boat that had left on the day we arrived
Was the only one that we'd ever see
So without ammo or food we had done all we could
So we surrendered at St. Valery
And all I recall is the last boat leavin'
My brother on board wavin' and callin' to me
And the Jocks stranded there wi' their hands in the air
On the beaches of St. Valery
And when I returned at the end of the war
From the Stalag where I'd been confined
I read of the battles the Allies had fought
Stalingrad, Alamein, and the Rhine
And with pride in their hearts people spoke of Dunkirk
Where defeat had become victory
But nobody mentioned that Highland Division
They'd never heard of St. Valery
No stories no statues for those that were killed
No honors for those that were caught
Just a deep sense of shame as though we were to blame
Though I knew in my heart we were not
So I've moved to a country I've come to call home
While my homeland is far o'er the sea
I shall never return while my memory still burns
On the beaches of St. Valery
And all I recall is the last boat leavin'
My brother on board wavin' and callin' to me
And the Jocks stranded there wi' their hands in the air
On the beaches of St. Valery
Credits
Writer(s): David Steele
Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
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